Congressional Study to look at CAP capabilites to assist DHS

[A.Member]

From AOPA:

Congressional security studies might affect GA

By AOPA ePublishing Staff

Can the Civil Air Patrol provide more assistance to the Department of Homeland Security? Can "biometric identifiers" be added to airport ID cards? Congress wants to know.

"The answers to these questions might affect general aviation pilots, so AOPA will be part of the study process," said Craig Spence, AOPA's new vice president of aviation security and a former Department of Homeland Security official. "We will continue to work with DHS to ensure that any new security actions are reasonable and appropriate to the actual level of risk."

The House of Representatives recently based two bills calling for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study using the CAP to support homeland security missions (H.R.1333), and using "interoperable biometric identifier systems" for personnel with access to "sterile" areas at air carrier airports (H.R.5982).

Biometric IDs include such things as photos, fingerprints, and retinal scans. And the issue could affect general aviation pilots based at some larger airports because they are required to have an identification card similar to the ID cards issued to airport workers.

"Reasonableness and cost will be the issues we'll be watching out as the study progresses," said Spence.

Congress is also directing the GAO to determine what capabilities the CAP might have to support homeland security missions, including border reconnaissance, aerial damage assessment following natural or man-made disasters, evacuation assistance, search and rescue, and transport of critical materials.

June 24, 2008

Not sure that there is anything Earth shatteringly new here but we're in the news and our capabilities are being evaulated.  Let's hope this leads to something good for us.  We need to stay in front of these things.

[PHall]

There's been a thread following HR 1333 here on CAPTalk already for awhile now.

[Flying Pig]

It got locked.
Anyway, Biometrics on your Pilot Cert?  Give me a break.  I have been a pilot for about 10 years and have NEVER had anyone ask for my Cert as a form of ID.

ADDED- My mistake, they were talking about airport ID cards, not pilot certs.  Disregard.

[A.Member]

It got locked.

Yep.   Otherwise I would've posted it there.  Perhaps this a chance to stay on topic.

[Flying Pig]

As long as you don't bring up the cops it should be OK.

[SAR-EMT1]

As long as you don't bring up the cops it should be OK.

You're a cop...
Then again, you belong to an aviation unit where you practice shooting from the aircraft...

You're a SUPER cop




---
Serious question: we already do border patrols etc... why doesnt Congress already know this? Can GAO do anything with us? ( we are an af resource and -- Oh gosh I cant believe im using this as defense- a private corporation) So why would GAO study us?

I LOVE being the USAF Aux, I HATE being known as CAP, private NFP Corporation; HOWEVER, I would LOATHE being taken from USAF and put under DHS;  we are not a DHS resource, we are a USAF resource that works with DHS.
Tony tried switching us to DHS (or so I thought)
The day we leave the USAF is the day that I leave.

[JohnKachenmeister]

AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!



You spoke the name of The Nameless One!

"His name shall never again be spoken in our lodges...  "

Seriously... I agree with you.  Why try to create a "CAP Brand" when we already have a recognized brand, the "U.S. Air Force?"

It would be like "Diet Coke" trying to pass itself off as Snapple.

[Smithsonia]

We are State Assets -- We are National Assets. There are floods to survey. There are forrests (in the West) with terrible beetle kill and hundreds of miles of dead trees that one day will burn that need surveying now. There are tornadoes. There are planes down and pilots who need rescue. There are hurricanes and borders, and airspace (I'm thinking of the TFRs coming to the Democratic National Convention in Denver and Republicans in Minneapolis) There is much to do. There are fugitives and meth labs and marjuana groves. There are drug traffickers and poachers. There is wildlife to account for. There are volcanoes and earthquakes. There are funerals for Veterans and schools of children that need Aerospace Information. There are Air Force Families without a parental presence because of an over-seas assignment. There are lost hikers and stranded cows (in big winter snow storms) Heck, there may even be a day when there are Chinese Submarines and Russian Bear Aircraft violating our sovereign space. We've handled all of these jobs in one form or another in 67 years of service.

Sign US up -- you signed up our fathers and grandfathers too. They came when you called. We will do the same. Give us the tools and the training. Trust us and America we won't let you down. We are planes and pilots and staffs and cadets and all are here for YOU, America.

We're the Civil Air Patrol. How can we be of service? Let us know... and we will go!
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

[MSgt Van]

Sign US up -- you signed up our fathers and grandfathers too. They came when you called. We will do the same. Give us the tools and the training. Trust us and America we won't let you down. We are planes and pilots and staffs and cadets and all are here for YOU, America.

We're the Civil Air Patrol. How can we be of service? Let us know... and let us go!

Sweet!


:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Tubacap]

^ that was an outstanding post, someone should send it to NHQ for some sort of publication

[JohnKachenmeister]

"Ready in peace... ready in war,

Ready for what we're needed for!


---   From "CAP is On the Go," and the only good line in a really cheesy song
that just happens to be our official march.

[SAR-EMT1]

So send it to NHQ already !!!
Sheesh

And while you're at it... rewrite that horrid little march.