Why Did You Join CAP?

[exFlight Officer]

I pondered this question while writing interview questions. The search feature didn't return much so I am starting this thread.

Why did you join CAP?  I joined CAP to enrich the cadet program and to become a better leader through mentorship and professional development.

Look forward to reading everyone's answers.

[Eclipse]

Serve my community, support the military, get a little insider access to the world, and play with some big-boy toys.

So far, so good.

[NCRblues]

Same thing I do every Tuesday night pinky, try and take over the world!!

[jjmalott]

the pay

[AngelWings]

To serve my community, to learn the skills of leadership and followership, to become a better person, to have fun, and to have the right resume to compete for my dream job has an instructor pilot for the USAF T-38 and/or F-15, and my alternative dream careers in an AWACS, CCT or SERE, or has an aircrew member on the C-17.

[Pylon]

I joined as a cadet because it seemed like a wicked cool thing to do for a teenager who was interested in joining the military someday.


I joined as a senior member because the cadet program made me a better person and helped me succeed in life, and I can only scratch the surface of paying that back by volunteering with CAP.  Funny thing is, even as a senior member I feel I get more out of CAP in terms of personal and professional development than I give back to CAP.

[Extremepredjudice]

My friend told me it was cool.

[754837]

I joined as a 13 year old cadet in the early 1970's because I had a strong interest in the military.  This was at the end of the Vietman War and, unfortunately and wrongly, the military was not held in high regard.  Many CAP Cadets and JROTC cadets at the time were, to use today's term, bullied so you really had to want to participate.  It definately was not cool to be a cadet of any kind.

I absolutely loved the CAP Cadet Program.  I made five wonderful friends that I still have a very close relationship.  This is beyond the scope of the question but I do want to share that all six of us have been very successful in our lives.  One is a medical doctor, another just retired as an Army 0-6 pilot, another was a career armor officer & now is an exec with Wal-Mart, another is a banker, another a US Marshal, one is a research technican. I married one of these guy's sister!

One of the few regrets that I have is that I did not fully take advantage of all that the cadet program offered.  I wish I had worked a bit harder and taken a shot at earning the Spaatz Award but that is spilt milk!

[NC Hokie]

I joined CAP because I would have jumped at the opportunity to be a cadet as a teenager had I known about CAP, and I wanted to do something to extend the opportunity I missed out on to today's youth.

[bflynn]

Service to my community using aviation.

If my community doesn't need or want my service, then I'll just go fly somewhere.

[Stonewall]

I joined (1987) as a cadet because it was bad ass!  'Nuff said!

[commando1]

the pay

:clap:

I joined CAP because I wanted to get out and do something that mattered. At age 14 not many people took me seriously. When I graduated two years later they started to see my service record and began to think I could actually accomplish my dreams. I have been as involved in ES as I possibly can and have loved EVERY minute of it. Semper Vigilans gentlemen.

[Cap'n]

I became friends with a girl in my music class at the begining of this school year. She mentioned it, dragged me along without my knowing of what it was, and I loved it.

I continue to go to CAP because I enjoy the discipline, and pretty much everything in the [Cadet] Program, drilling, leadership, aerospace, and...everything. It's an unhealthy addiction.

[PhoenixRisen]

It's an unhealthy addiction.

What's unhealthy about it?   

[Ford73Diesel]

I find the reasons I joined are far different than the reasons I stay in.

I joined as a cadet in 2002 for the military aspect of things and ES.

I found out soon after ES was not my thing, so I stayed in for the CP. Then I stayed for my friends in the program. Now, I stay to give back a little to the program. As I am very busy with things  for the last few years I have literally done 1 encampment (SM staff) as my only activity since 2008 (and maybe a handful of meetings, but just to stop in and say hi)

[usafcap1]

The summer of 2007 I was in Dayton, Ohio for an air show long story short, and bi-plane crashes and CAP was the first to respond and I wanted to be part of that. So I joined that year in December.  And because of the military style, aspect and what not. Plus I can't go in to the military so I think of CAP as my military.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I joined in 2009 as a cadet, my father was a cadet in the same squadron, no, not at the same time. He joined back up with me. I knew I wanted to join the Air Force, just like both of my parents did, and I thought it would give me a leg up. It wasn't until 2002 until I learned about what CAP could really do for me with the Mitchell, so then I decided to really work my butt off and go for it. I earned my Mitchell shortly before I left for the Army. My Air Force recruiter wouldn't do his job and take me to MEPS, so I went over to the Army recruiters, and it was the best decision I could have made because the Infantry was the only world for me. I had a lot of experience in field work from ES, so I excelled at it. my father and brother decided they didn't want me going by myself so they joined the national guard and were deployed to Mosul the same exact time I deployed to Ramadi. That just furthered my resolve to serve.

When I became disabled and left the military I still wanted to serve really badly, and CAP is what I can do now. So that is what I do, CAP is my continued service to my country, and I don't think it will ever change. I love giving back to the cadet program and teaching and doing ES.

[Silent Panther]

I joined back in 2007 when some friends of mine and I joined with a group of "old people" to find out about this "CAP thing". It was after I had joined, learned my basic drill, and earned my Curry Award that I found out that my great granddad had been the Squadron Commander of the Squadron on Offutt AFB on Nebraska. He was a Lt Col & had a conference room named after him in their building. I own as much of his old CAP stuff as my family had. The rest of it is in the display case in his conference room. That inspired me to stay in through the hard times. Pretty much everything I do in CAP now, I do with a "man I wish grandpa was here to talk to me about it" in the back of my head. I am currently one of the 4 remaining charter members in my Squadron. They can't get rid of me.

[abdsp51]

Joined as a cadet initially being in Europe not a whole lot of activities in school.  Helped keep me on top of my game for JROTC and allowed me to stay out of trouble.

Rejoined this year with the aspect of retraining and more time on my hands.  Chose cadet programs to be help to help todays youth with some structure, mentorship and guidance.  This after seeing the outcome of alot of the kids here with parents who just don't care or at wits end.  And to give back what I received from the program.

[johnnyb47]

My sons (age 12 and 13 at the time) were interested in the military. I recalled a couple of friends from High School who were in CAP and they loved every second of it so I mentioned it to my boys. We went to a meeting and they were hooked.
Once they joined I found more and more I was really loving the atmosphere, the people, the training and confidence my sons were getting out of it and the missions of the organisation.
I joined about 4 months after they did and haven't looked back.
I love being able to service my country along side my sons. It's an experience I don't think I could have have anywhere else.