CAP course for AF members

[RiverAux]

I think this is rather a neat idea - CAP has created an online course designed to teach members of the AF the basics about CAP.  http://www.capmembers.com/cap_university/cap_pme_course_for_usaf.cfm

[JC004]

That's a good thing.

I was wondering if maybe the AF could make a course for CAP on the use of its symbol since the parent page that links to that section has an AF symbol which violates the Air Force's standards:
http://www.capmembers.com/cap_university/

[Capt Rivera]

Well as a AF member, I would like to not have to print and deliver the certificate myself.
- Really, how cheesy is that?

At least if I could enter the e-mail address of AF member X, they could get a automated e-mail providing the certificate or link to it...

In anycase... something better then me printing and handing it in asking if the squadron commander can hand it back to me. Something that does not make the person i hand it to wonder if I made the whole thing up would be nice...

Other then the above, i think its a good idea... 

A better idea would be to get the pertinent course/test into ADLS or whatever it is so that its a AF cert and a AF trackable course... Could be stuck somewhere under for example: other / total force

[Maj Daniel Sauerwein]

Did anyone catch the use of the old United States Civil Air Patrol near the top of the course frame and "America's Civil Air Patrol" at the bottom?

[JC004]

Did anyone catch the use of the old United States Civil Air Patrol near the top of the course frame and "America's Civil Air Patrol" at the bottom?

*sigh*  a short-lived part of our ongoing brand identity crisis

[PHall]

I think this is rather a neat idea - CAP has created an online course designed to teach members of the AF the basics about CAP.  http://www.capmembers.com/cap_university/cap_pme_course_for_usaf.cfm

And unless this course is made to be mandatory it will never be viewed by the vast majority of Air Force personnel.
Air Force members have an incredible amount of "training" they have to sit through each year.

[RiverAux]

It apparently isn't meant to be mandatory.  My question would be how this course is being marketed to AF members?  How are they learning about its availability?  Is there a link to it on some AF training opportunity web site somewhere?

I pay pretty close attention to CAP stuff and even I had to stumble across this so without a lot of specific advertising to the target audience, no one is going to use it.

[jeders]

I just took the exam out of curiosity. Apparently it was put together by Public Affairs. The first 8 questions were about the Volunteer magazine, and of the 20 something questions, the answer to three was Volunteer Magazine. So sad.

[JC004]

I just took the exam out of curiosity. Apparently it was put together by Public Affairs. The first 8 questions were about the Volunteer magazine, and of the 20 something questions, the answer to three was Volunteer Magazine. So sad.

Huh?  I gotta take this...

Yikes.  I just analyzed the huge images on that CAP University page.  It would take 7.5 minutes to load that page on 56k.  That's so unnecessary.  AGH!

[RiverAux]

In the Level IV test this is one of the questions:

.  Each year on Veteran's Day, the Civil Air Patrol honors deceased veterans by placing wreaths on their gravesites in a number of locations through America. What is the name of this CAP initiative?

Guess what the right answer is according to the test ---, yep, Wreaths Across America 

I agree that the Level II stuff, which is supposed to be about AE is for some reason almost entirely about CAP public affairs outlets. 

I'm also not sure that I like the question that says we have over 42,000 qualified ES personnel.  I'm pretty sure that is just the number that have done GES at some point in the past and would only be able to be used for a very limited range of actual ES work. 

[RADIOMAN015]

I don't think AF members need to take a course on CAP.  It's up to units on/near military installations to market themselves to the military.  At the very least they should know about our 3 basic missions and than throw in some things about the local squadron.  All of that mumbo jumbo in that course is a waste of time for military personnel.

In my military career I was station at 8 permanent station AF CONUS bases, and I don't recall anything in the base newspaper, bulletin, etc about CAP looking for members, or just plain information.

Gee At our Squadron's military base that we are on now, they even have large direction signs "Civil Air Patrol" for directions to our shared building.
RM 

[JC004]

OK, this test IS weird.

"...learning about leadership while proudly wearing the cloth of their country?"   That sounds weird.

NOOOO!  I mis-clicked and answered one question wrong.  NOOOOO!   

[jimmydeanno]

That course is designed for new CAP-USAF members and new NHQ employees.  It isn't intended for every member of the Air Force to view it.

[RiverAux]

That course is designed for new CAP-USAF members and new NHQ employees.  It isn't intended for every member of the Air Force to view it.

Wrong:

This page is for all USAF members to learn basic information about the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

[JC004]

That course is designed for new CAP-USAF members and new NHQ employees.  It isn't intended for every member of the Air Force to view it.

Wrong:

This page is for all USAF members to learn basic information about the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

If I had done the NHQ web site (which clearly I didn't because it makes me cry), I would have done what a lot of organizations do and have a "Information For..."-type area on the site.  This would have included AF members.  I would have leaned toward that rather than a course, really, but it's not like this thing is a major offense or anything.

For example, the ACS has a section with the following:
I need information for . . .
Patients, Family, & Friends
Survivors
Caregivers
Health Information Seekers
Professionals
Donors and Volunteers

[RiverAux]

Thats pretty much what they did, though they only don't have tabs for outside agencies.

[JC004]

You mean that thing on the right on the index?  Na - I would have handled it differently.

[jimmydeanno]

That course is designed for new CAP-USAF members and new NHQ employees.  It isn't intended for every member of the Air Force to view it.

Wrong:

This page is for all USAF members to learn basic information about the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

River,  the actual intent of the course is as I stated it.  Sure, if some random AF person wants to do it, they can.  However, the course was designed for the audience above.

[RiverAux]

Well, I'll take the word of the web page the course is on, which, as I quoted, says it is for all AF members.  If it was designed for CAP-USAF members (as you allege) it is ludicrously inadequate, but it does cover the basics well enough for the average airman.

[DBlair]

I just took this course and now have this nifty standard NHQ CAP certificate stating I completed the "Civil Air Patrol" course. I think its a nice idea for there to be a course on CAP for RM to take and have on their PME record. That being said, I was severely disappointed with the course and "exam" as it currently stands.

The exam/course was more about Public Affairs and promoting the Volunteer magazine than anything. How about really testing an understanding of CAP as an organization, what we really do, our programs, and a bit more about CAP so that RM can understand what we're all about and so forth, rather than a PAO snapshot.

Does the AF (and other RM) actually get to put this "course" on their record? Does it provide any retirement points or anything like that? I think this course/exam is a nice idea, but it needs to be developed much more.