75th Anniversary Ideas and Preparation

As A.Member has suggested, let's look forward.  We have spent the last year proving we never sank any submarines or that we were established on Dec 1, 1941.  I think we should push the cadet program more into computers and drones and flight simulator games.  As far as the senior program, perhaps push the photo program for natural disasters and push the border patrol issue for immigration patrol.  That would at least take us back to our roots since we did fly border patrol for a while.  I think the drug reduction program and copunterdrug program will shortly be dead as the legalization of drugs becomes more prominent.  Perhaps we should look back to the early civil aviation program and promote more flight training in the program, both for cadets and seniors.  We supposedly will have a national shortage of pilots in the near future.   Just a couple of random thoughts.  What say ye??

I disagree that CD is quickly going by the wayside, I actually believe, as highly regulated as legalization is (# of plants to be grown, must be in a locked area) we will be doing more not less.  Also, its still illegal at the Federal level.

By the time people finish arguing over which award to give CAP for continuing to exist, CAP will become irrelevant. 

Would you be happier, if given a ribbon by the Air Force (like the CG Aux has received), if that award was for:
1.  Managing to exist for 75 years, or
2.  Building something spectacular that impresses the Air Force, brings CAP closer to it, and makes CAP increasingly relevant into the future?

By the time people finish arguing over which award to give CAP for continuing to exist, CAP will become irrelevant. 

A big +1

By the time people finish arguing over which award to give CAP for continuing to exist, CAP will become irrelevant. 

A big +1

I've felt that the day CAP becomes irrelevant is fast approaching. I'm not embittered or anything, but think about it. The same processes, same mission, same training since...since...well at least since I was a cadet in the 80s. There are organizations that can do what we do with less BS. Maybe I'm being myopic in my assessment, but I really think end of times is approaching with regards to mission and functionality. The only thing that does evolve is comm, and that is still a solution looking for a mission, IMHO.

By the time people finish arguing over which award to give CAP for continuing to exist, CAP will become irrelevant. 

A big +1

I've felt that the day CAP becomes irrelevant is fast approaching. I'm not embittered or anything, but think about it. The same processes, same mission, same training since...since...well at least since I was a cadet in the 80s. There are organizations that can do what we do with less BS. Maybe I'm being myopic in my assessment, but I really think end of times is approaching with regards to mission and functionality. The only thing that does evolve is comm, and that is still a solution looking for a mission, IMHO.

But the cadet program seems to be holding it's own.

By the time people finish arguing over which award to give CAP for continuing to exist, CAP will become irrelevant. 

A big +1

I've felt that the day CAP becomes irrelevant is fast approaching. I'm not embittered or anything, but think about it. The same processes, same mission, same training since...since...well at least since I was a cadet in the 80s. There are organizations that can do what we do with less BS. Maybe I'm being myopic in my assessment, but I really think end of times is approaching with regards to mission and functionality. The only thing that does evolve is comm, and that is still a solution looking for a mission, IMHO.

You don't have to be embittered.  Just look at what sustainable changes and trends are going on in CAP's mission areas, outside CAP.  I try to look at hard numbers when possible.  For example, I was looking at AFRCC mission statistics by state and SARSAT mission data.  You can also see the rise of various technologies where CAP isn't going that route.

But the cadet program seems to be holding it's own.

That has been my thought too, but CAP must be able to continually offer something that's different.  In any sort of company or non-profit, you have to differentiate or die.  One thing CAP has long had over a JROTC-type youth program, for instance, is doing actual operations for the Air Force - and having that as a leadership lab.  The leadership lab in that respect was far more valuable to me than a lecture will ever be. 

Differentiate, or die.

I've always felt our cadet program was far superior to any and all other youth programs, up to and including JROTC and Scouts. We do more, with more marketable skills than either of them. I'm not knocking Scouts at all; it's just a long held prejudice of mine. I was a Scout prior to being a cadet, and found being a cadet was far more fulfilling. Of course, it WAS back when we wore jungle fatigues, went rappelling, had o-rides in Hueys, and had fun FTXs with bottle rocket battles...

This is going to come as a shock to some, but I agree with Eclipse:  For the 75th Anniversary, we should be going "Yeah, how awesome was FY2106, and look how incredible FY2017 is gonna be" in perhaps equal or greater amounts to "Hey, look at our previous 75 years."

I've been in CAP since before it celebrated the  40th anniversary (well, I was "retired" for 4 of those).   I dont' think we can afford to rest on our laurels in this day and age.  Spending more than 15 minutes of "historical navel gazing" (sorry, MisterCD.. I look forward to a more comprehensive take on CAP's history, especially WWII, that we can hopefully take as gospel..) results in getting overtaken by events if you're not careful.

I don't disagree that we should have honored our remaining WWII CAP forefathers, especially considering that they're not going to be with us much longer, unfortunately.  The WWII generation is rapidly slipping from our presence. 

But in 2 years, 4 years, 10 years, what are we going to talk about or be doing?

This past September, when the USAF celebrated its birthday, they released a short video that was really cool to watch. It was about a minute and a half long, very well produced with good footage, narration, etc and it got a LOT of play.  If we want to move CAP into the forefront on things, we need to leverage the history for interest at the time, but beyond that, lets concentrate (nationally) on doing good things

I would like to see us focus on the Local Emergency Planning and CERT approach for the members. We seem to have lost a lot of our SAREX opportunities and need. We use to have 4-5 of these a year and now we are lucky to have 2. Then you have to travel for 3 to 4 hours just to do that. Very difficult to get motivated to drive that far to participate in an exercise.

I would like for us to do Community Outreach from an Emergency Preparedness perspective.

I was a guest speaker at a Community Emergency Response and Preparedness meeting and had a lot of good questions and needs shared with me. I was not representing CAP but as a Safety Professional. What better way to support your local community then to help mitigate risk.

This is going to come as a shock to some, but I agree with Eclipse:  For the 75th Anniversary, we should be going "Yeah, how awesome was FY2106, and look how incredible FY2017 is gonna be" in perhaps equal or greater amounts to "Hey, look at our previous 75 years."

I've been in CAP since before it celebrated the  40th anniversary (well, I was "retired" for 4 of those).   I dont' think we can afford to rest on our laurels in this day and age.  Spending more than 15 minutes of "historical navel gazing" (sorry, MisterCD.. I look forward to a more comprehensive take on CAP's history, especially WWII, that we can hopefully take as gospel..) results in getting overtaken by events if you're not careful.

I don't disagree that we should have honored our remaining WWII CAP forefathers, especially considering that they're not going to be with us much longer, unfortunately.  The WWII generation is rapidly slipping from our presence. 

But in 2 years, 4 years, 10 years, what are we going to talk about or be doing?

This past September, when the USAF celebrated its birthday, they released a short video that was really cool to watch. It was about a minute and a half long, very well produced with good footage, narration, etc and it got a LOT of play.  If we want to move CAP into the forefront on things, we need to leverage the history for interest at the time, but beyond that, lets concentrate (nationally) on doing good things

In regards to the 75th anniversary, there already is a book project underway that covers CAP from the mid 1930s to the present, with just one chapter on World War II. The 75th anniversary logo has been created for both documents and coins/patches and will be released this coming January. As for award to all of CAP, there is something potentially developing, although I do not know the status on that.

This is going to come as a shock to some, but I agree with Eclipse:  For the 75th Anniversary, we should be going "Yeah, how awesome was FY2106, and look how incredible FY2017 is gonna be" in perhaps equal or greater amounts to "Hey, look at our previous 75 years."

I've been in CAP since before it celebrated the  40th anniversary (well, I was "retired" for 4 of those).   I dont' think we can afford to rest on our laurels in this day and age.  Spending more than 15 minutes of "historical navel gazing" (sorry, MisterCD.. I look forward to a more comprehensive take on CAP's history, especially WWII, that we can hopefully take as gospel..) results in getting overtaken by events if you're not careful.

I don't disagree that we should have honored our remaining WWII CAP forefathers, especially considering that they're not going to be with us much longer, unfortunately.  The WWII generation is rapidly slipping from our presence. 

But in 2 years, 4 years, 10 years, what are we going to talk about or be doing?

This past September, when the USAF celebrated its birthday, they released a short video that was really cool to watch. It was about a minute and a half long, very well produced with good footage, narration, etc and it got a LOT of play.  If we want to move CAP into the forefront on things, we need to leverage the history for interest at the time, but beyond that, lets concentrate (nationally) on doing good things

In regards to the 75th anniversary, there already is a book project underway that covers CAP from the mid 1930s to the present, with just one chapter on World War II. The 75th anniversary logo has been created for both documents and coins/patches and will be released this coming January. As for award to all of CAp, there is something potentially developing, although I do not know the status on that.

Dang.....so I typed all that stuff for nothing 

This is going to come as a shock to some, but I agree with Eclipse:  For the 75th Anniversary, we should be going "Yeah, how awesome was FY2106, and look how incredible FY2017 is gonna be" in perhaps equal or greater amounts to "Hey, look at our previous 75 years."

I've been in CAP since before it celebrated the  40th anniversary (well, I was "retired" for 4 of those).   I dont' think we can afford to rest on our laurels in this day and age.  Spending more than 15 minutes of "historical navel gazing" (sorry, MisterCD.. I look forward to a more comprehensive take on CAP's history, especially WWII, that we can hopefully take as gospel..) results in getting overtaken by events if you're not careful.

I don't disagree that we should have honored our remaining WWII CAP forefathers, especially considering that they're not going to be with us much longer, unfortunately.  The WWII generation is rapidly slipping from our presence. 

But in 2 years, 4 years, 10 years, what are we going to talk about or be doing?

This past September, when the USAF celebrated its birthday, they released a short video that was really cool to watch. It was about a minute and a half long, very well produced with good footage, narration, etc and it got a LOT of play.  If we want to move CAP into the forefront on things, we need to leverage the history for interest at the time, but beyond that, lets concentrate (nationally) on doing good things

In regards to the 75th anniversary, there already is a book project underway that covers CAP from the mid 1930s to the present, with just one chapter on World War II. The 75th anniversary logo has been created for both documents and coins/patches and will be released this coming January. As for award to all of CAP, there is something potentially developing, although I do not know the status on that.

Dang.....so I typed all that stuff for nothing 

I disagree. You brought attention to the 75th and people discussing aspects of that. The more interest stimulated the better.