Quote from: Littleguy on November 25, 2011, 10:49:40 PMWish I could have experienced some of these. I fell out of the back of John Deer Gator way back when with CAP at an event. I did not get hurt, and made everyone laugh, and I learned why I should NEVER drag my feet on the ground when sitting unsecured (it was my fault purely, not anyone elses). I had an Air Force loaned radio (a member of ours is in combat comms squadron) and did not drop it or break it, but I did almost have my patrol cap run over. It was my only taste of the old days. If I could actually use a knife freely or do half the stuff you guys did, I'd be the happiest cadet in the world. You learned life lessons back then.Nobody says you can't use knives to accomplish what you need to accomplish. You simply can't do stupid things with them. Normally, we all learn through mistakes - however, when it comes to knives or other sharp pointy objects you can learn those lessons on your own time, because as a SM and GTL your butt is my responsibility, and when you slice your finger open doing something stupid with your knife you may learn from it, but your mistake (learning experience) is coming down on my head ("Why were you letting C/Snuffy do that with his knife?!?").
Wish I could have experienced some of these. I fell out of the back of John Deer Gator way back when with CAP at an event. I did not get hurt, and made everyone laugh, and I learned why I should NEVER drag my feet on the ground when sitting unsecured (it was my fault purely, not anyone elses). I had an Air Force loaned radio (a member of ours is in combat comms squadron) and did not drop it or break it, but I did almost have my patrol cap run over. It was my only taste of the old days. If I could actually use a knife freely or do half the stuff you guys did, I'd be the happiest cadet in the world. You learned life lessons back then.
Actually, most of us were smart enough not to get caught at the time. That's why we're senior members telling old war stories instead of ex-members giving depositions to the plaintiff's attorney.
Quote from: Spaceman3750 on November 25, 2011, 11:59:11 PMQuote from: Littleguy on November 25, 2011, 10:49:40 PMWish I could have experienced some of these. I fell out of the back of John Deer Gator way back when with CAP at an event. I did not get hurt, and made everyone laugh, and I learned why I should NEVER drag my feet on the ground when sitting unsecured (it was my fault purely, not anyone elses). I had an Air Force loaned radio (a member of ours is in combat comms squadron) and did not drop it or break it, but I did almost have my patrol cap run over. It was my only taste of the old days. If I could actually use a knife freely or do half the stuff you guys did, I'd be the happiest cadet in the world. You learned life lessons back then.Nobody says you can't use knives to accomplish what you need to accomplish. You simply can't do stupid things with them. Normally, we all learn through mistakes - however, when it comes to knives or other sharp pointy objects you can learn those lessons on your own time, because as a SM and GTL your butt is my responsibility, and when you slice your finger open doing something stupid with your knife you may learn from it, but your mistake (learning experience) is coming down on my head ("Why were you letting C/Snuffy do that with his knife?!?").Seriously..."Use a knife freely"? What does that even mean.As for a lot of this list, the reason today's cadets can't do a lot of the things you remember so fondly is that you guys did the the things you remember so fondly, and it cost somebody a lot of money at some point. From some of the things I did WIWABS I wonder how I made to my current ripe age relatively intact. "When in doubt, pour more gas on it!"
It means use a knife without someone yelling "OH GOD, LOOK AT THAT CRIMINAL USING A KNIFE DURING A CAP MEETING! PUNISH HIM!" Which I have seen and sadly experienced multiple times in my current CAP career.
Quote from: AngelWings on July 07, 2012, 03:25:22 AMIt means use a knife without someone yelling "OH GOD, LOOK AT THAT CRIMINAL USING A KNIFE DURING A CAP MEETING! PUNISH HIM!" Which I have seen and sadly experienced multiple times in my current CAP career.Ridiculous response, but why would you have a knife at a meeting, and if it's anything like the Rambo-esque possibly warranted.
Gerber Mark II was the dream knife of choice back WIWAC, although I never did acquire one at a cost of $100+.I remember a cadet's parent speaking to our CC one evening asking if it were true that the Gerber Mark II knife was a mandatory item for all cadets.
I was out surfing the first half of the day today with one of my best friends of 23+ years. He and I were both cadets together and we happened to bring up WIWAC stories to include how we organized our ground team like a Special Forces A-Team.We also mentioned how we NEVER owned tents, let alone use them. Poncho hooch or go home! We truly lived by the "travel light, freeze at night" mantra. And dude, if you didn't have your LBE and Ruck set up IAW 75th Ranger Regiment SOP, you were definitely a loser.We created our own Recondo course which had its own RECONDO tab. I don't even remember what the course entailed, but it rocked. We held it at the University of North Florida's Army ROTC training areas (with obstacle course), lakes, rappel tower, etc. Seniors? Um no, there were no seniors involved.How about, as a C/A1C, me and one of my friends got our CC to write letters stating we were Public Information Officers for the squadron and we were doing a piece on the Golden Knights. My mom drives us to the Lake City Air Show, don CAP flight suits, and climb aboard the Golden Knight's plane as the jump out for the air show. We were maybe 15 years old. And yes, I have pics to prove it.Man, the 80s were a good time in CAP.I wish they still had the Drummond Island: Declassified story on the old CadetStuff site. That was literally the best CAP story I've ever read.
Quote from: Stonewall on November 18, 2011, 02:34:49 AMSAR CAP in Daytona Beach. A single senior member driving a 1983 Mazda B2000 pick-up truck. 1 Cadet in the cab, 5 in the back. We drove down from Jacksonville (i.e. I-95 at 70 mph) in fatigues and gear. The only flak we got was from the safety officer because we couldn't provide a vehicle check sheet upon arrival to mission base. The 5 teenage cadets in the back and a single senior member didn't cause anyone to bat an eye.I'll see your Mazda pick-up and 5 cadets, and raise you a surplus 1953 Willys jeep (strata blue, of course). One senior, two cadets, all of our gear, pouring rain with hand cranked wipers and no top or seatbelts. For that matter, the only seat that was attached to the jeep was the driver's. Used this, along with a surplus AF pickup at a SAREX in Adrian, Mi, circa 1985.
SAR CAP in Daytona Beach. A single senior member driving a 1983 Mazda B2000 pick-up truck. 1 Cadet in the cab, 5 in the back. We drove down from Jacksonville (i.e. I-95 at 70 mph) in fatigues and gear. The only flak we got was from the safety officer because we couldn't provide a vehicle check sheet upon arrival to mission base. The 5 teenage cadets in the back and a single senior member didn't cause anyone to bat an eye.