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College ROTC and CAP advice

Started by MajorPayne, June 19, 2014, 06:49:16 AM

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MajorPayne

Hello everyone,

   Its been a long time since I've been on this site, but I have a question for you all. I just graduated from high school and will be moving to Flagstaff, Arizona to attend Northern Arizona University in the fall. I am currently going for my Armstrong at my home squadron, but will not be able to finish my Mitchell before I leave. However I am enrolled in AFROTC on campus and I would like to continue my CAP promotions because they can really add something to your resume when it comes time for the commissioning board in a few years. I would like to look in to joining the local unit up in flagstaff to continue giving back to the community, continue my promotions, and passion for CAP.

   So my question is, will I be able to remain a cadet in the new squadron while being an ROTC cadet at the college? I have done some limited searching on Google to no avail (although it was just a quick search), but I figured that you all always have such great advice to give and I figured I would see what you all had to say. Thank you all so much for your help, it really means a lot to me.
"There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go, if he doesnt mind who gets the credit."
Ronald Reagan

C/CMSgt Payne
Charlie Flight Commander
Group 7 CAC represenative

SarDragon

Yes, you can participate in the local unit while you're in ROTC. Try not to advertise your CAP membership to the ROTC unit. You'll come across as a smart-ass, or know-it-all.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
55 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

abdsp51

You can remain a cadet until your 21st birthday or unless certain conditions apply.  Those conditions are found in CAPR39-3 or CAPR39-2 one of those outlines membership and highlights when a cadet must leave or become a SM.

Garibaldi

Quote from: SarDragon on June 19, 2014, 07:34:41 AM
Yes, you can participate in the local unit while you're in ROTC. Try not to advertise your CAP membership to the ROTC unit. You'll come across as a smart-ass, or know-it-all.

For some reason, they don't like that. The only thing they like about CAP in AFROTC is orientation rides. I'm talking about cadre and cadet corps, not leadership. The reaction I got was "pssh. CAP? Schyeah...poser wannabes...the only thing they have to offer us is an airplane ride." YMMV. They did like the fact that I didn't have to be taught how to wear a uniform properly or D&C. I was even chosen for color guard and served once as leader, with the sword, at a football game. Very nice. Just don't go overboard and you'll be fine. Just keep your head down and your shoes shined and don't ingratiate yourself too much with the leadership.
Still a major after all these years.
ES dude, leadership ossifer, publik affaires
Opinionated and wrong 99% of the time about all things

Flying Pig

I did an O-Ride with some AFROTC kids... and I say kids.  I did my little speech and intro'd myself and gave a brief 2-3 hour talk about who I am and where I came from.. :)  (Thats a joke)  One of the cadets says "OK, so you were never a military pilot?' I said "Nope...."  He actually rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.  I responded with "I don't see any military pilots volunteering their saturday to take you flying though, do you?"  The look the other two cadets gave him was enough to satisfy me that something terrible and heinous would be done later in the day :)

MajorPayne

       Thank you all so much for the help. I don't plan on advertising CAP to the other cadets at all. I would just like to stay in to get my Mitchell and possibly my Earhart. The recruiting officer at the detachment told me it would be helpful in obtaining a commission. With how competitive it is these days, I'm trying to use everything at my disposal to separate myself from the rest. But yes, I do plan on keeping my head down and not broadcasting it. Again, thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. :)
"There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go, if he doesnt mind who gets the credit."
Ronald Reagan

C/CMSgt Payne
Charlie Flight Commander
Group 7 CAC represenative

MSG Mac

Contact the local units near the University to make the transfer easier.
Michael P. McEleney
Lt Col CAP
MSG USA (Retired)
50 Year Member

a2capt

Like on the day they issue uniforms, and go over all that .. keep quiet ;)

Walkman

We had a cadet in our unit this past school year that was in AF ROTC as well as our program. He seemed to do very well in both.

The CyBorg is destroyed

My first squadron helped the local university AFROTC out with various things, and the Captain that commanded the unit would show up now and then to thank us.

He even said "you guys are like us, part of the Air Force family."

This was in about 1994.
Exiled from GLR-MI-011

CAPAPRN

Our unit has a fantastic relationship with the local ROTC commander, he is often a guest speaker at our encampment as well as other events, and we were all guests at the most recent commissioning which included a senior member who had been a cadet. He spoke highly of CAP during the commissioning ceremony, and thanked us for helping the young man in his career.
Capt. Carol A Whelan CAP CTWG,
CTWG Asst. Director of Communications
CTWG Director of Admin & Personnel
Commander NER-CT-004
DCS CTWG 2015 Encampment

The CyBorg is destroyed

Quote from: CAPAPRN on June 19, 2014, 10:53:46 PM
Our unit has a fantastic relationship with the local ROTC commander, he is often a guest speaker at our encampment as well as other events, and we were all guests at the most recent commissioning which included a senior member who had been a cadet. He spoke highly of CAP during the commissioning ceremony, and thanked us for helping the young man in his career.

And that's something you can't put a price tag on.  Kudos to the ROTC CC.
Exiled from GLR-MI-011

Garibaldi

Quote from: CyBorg on June 20, 2014, 04:02:43 PM
Quote from: CAPAPRN on June 19, 2014, 10:53:46 PM
Our unit has a fantastic relationship with the local ROTC commander, he is often a guest speaker at our encampment as well as other events, and we were all guests at the most recent commissioning which included a senior member who had been a cadet. He spoke highly of CAP during the commissioning ceremony, and thanked us for helping the young man in his career.

And that's something you can't put a price tag on.  Kudos to the ROTC CC.

Oddly, since I was significantly older as an ROTC cadet (hadn't hit 35 yet, hoped for a nursing commission) I had a better relationship with the AF officers running the program. Even the former CAP cadets I knew in the program treated me...oddly.
Still a major after all these years.
ES dude, leadership ossifer, publik affaires
Opinionated and wrong 99% of the time about all things

Mustang


Quote from: MajorPayne link=topic=18998.msg348089#msg348089I am enrolled in AFROTC on campus and I would like to continue my CAP promotions because they can really add something to your resume when it comes time for the commissioning board in a few years.

They won't add anywhere near as much as you think, and certainly won't matter as much as your grades and performance evaluations.  Do yourself a favor and focus on your studies and your AFROTC duties. Use what you've learned in CAP but absolutely do NOT be one of those types who feels compelled to share with his fellow AFROTC cadets the "right" way to march, etc, that he learned in CAP.  Best thing you can do is sight in on your future, not your past.
"Amateurs train until they get it right; Professionals train until they cannot get it wrong. "


Private Investigator

Quote from: Flying Pig on June 19, 2014, 02:08:50 PM
I did an O-Ride with some AFROTC kids... and I say kids.  I did my little speech and intro'd myself and gave a brief 2-3 hour talk about who I am and where I came from.. :)  (Thats a joke)  One of the cadets says "OK, so you were never a military pilot?' I said "Nope...."  He actually rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.  I responded with "I don't see any military pilots volunteering their saturday to take you flying though, do you?"  The look the other two cadets gave him was enough to satisfy me that something terrible and heinous would be done later in the day :)

Now that is funny on either coast. I can imagine the pay back   :clap:

Garibaldi

Quote from: Mustang on June 27, 2014, 07:30:23 AM

Quote from: MajorPayne link=topic=18998.msg348089#msg348089I am enrolled in AFROTC on campus and I would like to continue my CAP promotions because they can really add something to your resume when it comes time for the commissioning board in a few years.

They won't add anywhere near as much as you think, and certainly won't matter as much as your grades and performance evaluations.  Do yourself a favor and focus on your studies and your AFROTC duties. Use what you've learned in CAP but absolutely do NOT be one of those types who feels compelled to share with his fellow AFROTC cadets the "right" way to march, etc, that he learned in CAP.  Best thing you can do is sight in on your future, not your past.

+1. No matter the place, you can always learn more. Besides, who's to say you learned the RIGHT and ONLY way?
Still a major after all these years.
ES dude, leadership ossifer, publik affaires
Opinionated and wrong 99% of the time about all things

ALH

If you do intend to complete your Mitchell before contracting, make sure that your paperwork reflects as such. Once you sign that paper, you are 'enlisting' as an inactive reservist at whatever grade your ID/paperwork says. We had a half dozen guys who had E-3 warranting step-ups at the signing point (Mitchell, Eagle Scouts, college credits, etc) and our NCOIC made a point of getting that paperwork right for those who wanted it. Our reserve IDs all showed "E-3/ROTC", and in the event that we failed to commission as planned, we would receive that advanced grade upon completion of basic. One guy, who chose not to have that paperwork straightened out ("I'm going to be a lieutenant, what do I need A1C for?!") dropped for grades a year later, and showed up as a AB for his job as an Eagle maintainer a few months later. Why? Because his contract said he would be an E-1 when he starting to make back his time.

The ID thing was sometimes hit-or-miss: later classes got IDs that said only "ROTC", so who knows? The point is get that paperwork in line just in case.

WIWAC, we had a period of great relations with the Syracuse University ROTC det. Their Recruiting and Retention officer was big into trolling for enrollees with some sort of background, whether CAP, JROTC, or Scouts. They put on a "Field Day" for all the cadet squadrons in the group as a two fold event. First, it forced their ROTC cadets to do some fairly extensive planning and execution in order to host some 80 CAP cadets for a day-long competition consisting of campus-wide field events, physical fitness, trivia bowls, aerospace activities, and so forth. Second, it let the ROTC R&R guy get some face time with the 'stand out' CAP cadets and put the ROTC bug in their mind. Later on, when I was in ROTC an hour away from home, our R&R guy would take those of us who came from a town within driving distance and ask us to be a conduit to our former youth groups as a recruiting tool - I brought him to my former cadet squadron so they could enjoy the sheet pizzas and recruiting pamphlets.

I chose not to continue in with CAP during my college/ROTC years. I found that being in a 24/7 cadet mode detracted from my life. I had plenty of other things that I wanted to do with my time and needed that separation/break from the uniform(s). Once I did commission and had to be in game-mode 24/7 on active duty, I am glad that I chose to take that break. I say that now, writing from a tropical SW Asia location and happy that we can pass time telling stories about the shenanigans from college besides "I remember that one day where I did drill for a total of six hours with two different organizations...."

To each their own. 

I chose not to make my CAP affiliation a known thing with my detachment. The cadre knew, in passing, that I had a 'background" already. The other cadets wouldn't care unless I was being arrogant about it, as some people did. Those guys quickly became "those guys" and were disliked immensely.

ROTC is a lot like CAP in many ways - "The way its always been done" happens all too often. One such conflict that 'former CAP & new ROTC' cadets seem to have with other ROTC cadets revolve around things like drill and uniform wear. Most cadre aren't in the weeds when it comes to D&C instruction (or know much about it, honestly) so you end up with young people being taught something by other young people out of a manual that they don't really read. Sound familiar? Now, you have Mitchell Cadet 1 giving static to AS200 Cadet 2 over how parade rest looks or over a column movement is done, where as neither are doing it correctly because they both depend on "How it was done" when they were taught. As soon as you get to field training for ROTC, you'll see just how poor these 'staples of a cadet program' are actually taught on the whole. This is where most of the irritation between cadet lives occur. If you are going to use your background to separate yourself from your peers, no matter the fashion, make sure you're 100% correct with the book backing you.