I just wanted to toss out something i said in a thread tonight:
How many Wing/ Group / Squadron Commanders have sent a thank you to the local base / Reserve / Guard unit thanking them for supporting CAP?
How many folks have simply approached the local Military /CC and just asked point blank if there was anything we could do to help their unit?
If you have done either what was the result?
As a squadron commander, I wrote thank you letters to military folks for specific events. For example, I wrote a letter to the commander of the AFROTC Det thanking him for sending some cadets over to talk about ROTC. An actual mailed letter on nice paper; not an E-mail.
No specific results, other than goodwill I guess. The relationships we have with our local military installations have been cultivated over a long period of time, so my letters probably just served to keep the relationship going.
I usually make an appointment to see the base or post or garrison commander. I thank him or her for the opportunity they provided to train at their facility. I will then follow that up with a letter, and a release to the PAO of the base. I find it better if we write our own releases for publishing by military PAO, they usually make it in to the base paper quicker that way.
You know....I never thought of that.
I personally wrote thank you letters for my commander to sign for individual Airman who have helped us out. We also send out unit thank you letters to USAF units that have given us tours/equipment/support.
We also make sure the base commander is invited to all our social events and conferences. In fact we have invited the general out to our next SAREX and are arranging to fly him on a mission (with appropriate approvals ;D).
Quote from: lordmonar on December 29, 2007, 01:32:06 AM
I personally wrote thank you letters for my commander to sign for individual Airman who have helped us out. We also send out unit thank you letters to USAF units that have given us tours/equipment/support.
We also make sure the base commander is invited to all our social events and conferences. In fact we have invited the general out to our next SAREX and are arranging to fly him on a mission (with appropriate approvals ;D).
Thats cool!
I also wanted to add in we invite the Base CAP Liaison Officer to our events as well. Each AF base was mandated to have an Officer assigned as liaison as additional duty. He or she if a decent Officer can really be a help to your CAP unit. Ours attends meetings about once a month, and twice a year invites everyone to the O-Club on the AF dime.
If you are lucky enough to be in a unit on a military base, use the people and resources as much as possible, and thank them to the point of nausea!
Can you fly me in for the O-Club meeting on the AF's dime
An F-22 or A-10 would suffice ;D
Quote from: lordmonar on December 29, 2007, 01:32:06 AM
I personally wrote thank you letters for my commander to sign for individual Airman who have helped us out. We also send out unit thank you letters to USAF units that have given us tours/equipment/support.
Ditto. Also think about writing letters of appreciation for your staff, to their bosses. A nice letter about the hard work they do can help come promotion/bonus time.
Quote from: IceNine on December 29, 2007, 01:57:40 AM
Can you fly me in for the O-Club meeting on the AF's dime
An F-22 or A-10 would suffice ;D
You like sitting on fighter pilot's laps? ;D
I guess if thats what it takes for a free ride in a fast plane, for free booze... OK ;)
I would also strongly suggest that you /cc the State Director on any correspondence, contacts, etc., unless you have already been cleared to navigate on your own. Its his job to hand-hold any relationships between us and the military, and they really hate hearing 3rd hand you're holding a bivouac on a base.
Quote from: Eclipse on December 29, 2007, 02:09:36 AM
I would also strongly suggest that you /cc the State Director on any correspondence, contacts, etc., unless you have already been cleared to navigate on your own. Its his job to hand-hold any relationships between us and the military, and they really hate hearing 3rd hand you're holding a bivouac on a base.
You are lucky to have a State Director that is not "missing". We have an empty suit.
Why would the person need to be involved anyway? As long as we are not signing anything, any CAP member should be able to arrange for cooperative arrangements with the base. Unless we need an MSA, I see no reason to get the SD involved. Thats why every base has a CAP Liaison appointed. They are the person CAP members are to deal with.
Also, anyone know where to go to apply for a SD position? USA Jobs never lists them, I am assuming they are "good ole boy" jobs handed out to Friends.
It is definetely NOT any CAP member who can contact the AF.
CAPR 10-1
QuoteCAP units will not correspond directly with any military activity except Headquarters CAP-USAF and CAP-USAF liaison regions and wing liaison offices, or as specifically authorized by other CAP regulations/ manuals.
Quote from: Fifinella on December 29, 2007, 02:06:04 AM
Quote from: IceNine on December 29, 2007, 01:57:40 AM
Can you fly me in for the O-Club meeting on the AF's dime
An F-22 or A-10 would suffice ;D
You like sitting on fighter pilot's laps? ;D
Don't ask, don't tell Judy! ;)
Quote from: RiverAux on December 29, 2007, 03:58:33 AM
It is definetely NOT any CAP member who can contact the AF.
CAPR 10-1
QuoteCAP units will not correspond directly with any military activity except Headquarters CAP-USAF and CAP-USAF liaison regions and wing liaison offices, or as specifically authorized by other CAP regulations/ manuals.
Correct, and to mikey's point, AF bases may have CAP liaisons, but other services do not, at least the Navy doesn't as far as I know.
Sorry your SD isn't more involved ours rocks, and his desk is right next to mine. Having his guidance and assiatance has made a lot of people's lives around here a whole lot better and more fun.
An argument could be made that contact with the Guard could bypass the SD, since they are really a state agency, but we don't bother. If its got a military uniform, our SD is involved.
Makes things a whole lot easier when the permissions are asked because he's usually the one doing the asking. He's an O-5 fighter jock in his spare time, and its amazing the doors he can open with the right phrase or handshake.
To the original question, we spend a LOT of time on our relationship with local military. It was not so great in the recent past, and we've spent a lot of time and effort shoring it up. Everybody who helps us gets thank you letters, patches, coins, certs, whatever is appropriate. The answer to that is generally "what else can we do?.
Also, just saying "thank you" is sometimes too much trouble for some people.
At each awards banquet my squadron has, my squadron commander ALWAYS invites the ANG CMSgt at the Air Guard station where we meet (kinda like our "liaison") and gives her a plaque or certificate thanking them for letting us use their facility, and volunteering one or two Guard members to be there every Tuesday during the meeting.
Depending on the personality of your Base officers, I have found that when we use the 2 local bases, we work with the XO's and they have told us that they would rather have a letter sent in telling how we helped the "kids". So when we do GT Training or the like we always take some good pictures, and have one of our cadets send in a thank you letter.
Again this is stemming from the fact that they have told us. "We are here to help the kids"
Thanks, guys!
As I was reading this just now I realized I had never sent a "Thank You" to a state rep
who presented a Mitchell for us recently.
Fixed!
Every year at our banquet, we invite the commander of the Northeast Air Defence Sector (NEADS). He has attended every one since I've been in CAP. He gives out the big awards like Cadet of the Year and any Wright Brothers, Mitchell, etc.
I guess we say thanks for allowing us tours of the base. Hopefully we can get some financial support in the future for a weekend trip to Washington D.C.
This is a little off topic, but has any other squadrons received direct financial support from a single USAF base?
Quote from: penguinmaster113 on December 30, 2007, 05:00:51 PM
This is a little off topic, but has any other squadrons received direct financial support from a single USAF base?
Yes. We also receive Food (in the form of MRE's and Field trays) during our activities. The Family Support Group also raises funds for us, as we do a lot of work with them through the year.
Getting money directly is always nice, but getting personal and personell support is always better.