Favorite CAP moment

[Hoorah]

Mine is helping the community.

[jeders]

Helping the community how?

Mine would have to be meeting my fiance, even though I didn't know that's where we would end up when I met her.

[Trung Si Ma]

The first time one of my former cadets came back from a war zone and said "thanks"

[jimmydeanno]

Other than meeting my wonderful wife as a cadet...

I had one of the cadets from my old squadron who was having some difficulties at home thank me after he dropped off the radar.

He was having some difficulties, not in the child abuse way, but in the frustrated "get out on my own" teenager way.  His mother wanted him to go to college at a local university so he could stay home because they didn't have the funds to send him away.  He wanted to be out on his own, etc.  His desire to go out on his own was creating a huge divide in his family and genuine concern for his wellbeing.

His plan, as he told me, was to get a full-time job at Chick-fil-a and live with 7 of his friends in a 2 bedroom apartment while going to school.  He then wanted to save money to go to college.   I told him it wasn't a very good plan – he assumed that I was taking his mother's side.  After explaining that it had nothing to do with taking sides, but rather what made sense he decided to listen.

He wanted financial independence, the ability to be on his own, go to school, travel, and to start his life on his own.  His mother wanted to ensure that her son would be in good hands, go to school, have a roof over his head, etc.  I recommended that he go and talk to an AF recruiter.  I didn't say, "go join the Air Force," but just gave the suggestion.  We talked for a few hours about how it could help him accomplish everything he wanted to, including getting a degree – all without putting him in debt, etc.

Hi mother was initially concerned, but after talking to my wife and others in the squadron about the AF environment, she came around to the idea. 

After our talk that night, he dropped off the radar – he was frustrated, confused, etc.  I have yet to see him again – it's been 4 years.  However, about a year ago I got a random e-mail from him.  He wanted to thank me for helping him put things into perspective.  Turns out he went and talked to the AF recruiter and joined.  He said that it was the best decision of his life and he has been getting everything done he's ever wanted.  He told me that my guidance and the trust that we had built between each other in CAP helped him to put things in perspective and get his life on track for success. 

To me, that is why I work with cadets. 

[Timbo]

^ I love chick-fil-a!!!

Good story too.  Glad he was able to find something that got him out on his own and put his mother at ease.

In my youth a few CAP friends almost had me talked into getting an apartment and working at a pizza shop after graduation until we could save enough money to all go in on it and buy the shop from the owner.  I decided to go to a university instead and fell out of contact with them.  Last I heard two of them are still working at the shop (never bought it).  Teenage plans are all awesome when you a teenager and you think you can do anything you want. 

Moral of the story......I really don't know.       

[Pumbaa]

To me, that is why I work with cadets. 

+1000 jimmydeanno!!!!

I hope the day comes where some of the teens I have worked with at summer camps as well as CAP can come back and say I was a positive influence in their lives. 

[Stonewall]

I love the challenge of doing so much, for so long, with so little...and being successful at it.  And the cadets are pretty cool too.

[Duke Dillio]

Favorite/Funniest CAP moment:

Hearing Lt. Col. McIntosh tell me, "Son, I been in the field a long time but I have NEVER had a bird crap on me," after it happened to me...

[Eclipse]

He wanted financial independence, the ability to be on his own, go to school, travel, and to start his life on his own.

Heh, I'm 43 - I'll let you know if I ever get it.   

Good example of the impact of CAP, though.

[Eclipse]

I love the challenge of doing so much, for so long, with so little...and being successful at it.  And the cadets are pretty cool too.

Yes, if I thought about it, there are moments - Katrina, local ES work, successful encampments, but for me its like Stone said, the ability to take limited resources, limited clues, and put them together in a way that makes us look professional standing next to the big guys while at the same time accomplishing the mission.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Watching cadets leave for USAFA and other commissioning programs (as well as to enlistments) makes me realize just how important our role is in what is easily the Air Force's best feeder system.

When former cadets come back to visit and they're wearing jump wings, or wavy lines on black shoulderboards, or with bars on their shoulders, it makes working with cadets worth the hassles that come up.

Knowing that we're standing on guard to help those in trouble, whether it's looking for an ELT at 3 a.m. or something else -- and knowing we can handle it! -- should be rewarding to us all.

And watching the eyes of youths light up as they step into an airplane for the first time? Heh.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Helping the community how?

Making sure the potholes are filled?

[Timbo]

Watching cadets leave for USAFA and other commissioning programs (as well as to enlistments) makes me realize just how important our role is in what is easily the Air Force's best feeder system.

CAP should not be a "feeder" for the military.  We should not advertise ourselves as that either.  It is great some of our Cadets choose to pursue a military career, but I have enough problems trying to explain to weary mothers that CAP is not the Military, and their child is not joining the military. 

When we publish and say that we are a feeder for enlistments in the Armed Forces, many walk away.

The American Cadet Alliance is a true "feeder" for the Army.  They publish it in their pamphlets.  We do not want to be that.  We can not be that.   

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Watching cadets leave for USAFA and other commissioning programs (as well as to enlistments) makes me realize just how important our role is in what is easily the Air Force's best feeder system.

CAP should not be a "feeder" for the military.  We should not advertise ourselves as that either.  It is great some of our Cadets choose to pursue a military career, but I have enough problems trying to explain to weary mothers that CAP is not the Military, and their child is not joining the military.

Timbo, we wear an Air Force uniform. We see the Air Force as our parent, and we've been walking in squares and saluting since 1941. Oh, and flying planes and finding things, too, freeing up the Air Force to go bomb things and kill people to carry out American foreign policy, like it should.

No, we're not the military. We're noncombatant. And as a civilian, volunteer organization, there's no obligation. But it's not a stretch to say CAP feeds the Air Force a lot of top-quality cadets.

Did I mention that, unlike the "feeder" ACA, we're federally chartered as the Air Force's auxiliary? We have the only cadet program outside JROTC that gets federal funding, and we're the only military youth program where cadets actually carry out the organization's other objectives (emergency services, aerospace education)? Our cadets don't just train and learn -- they do.

The military environment teaches discipline, teamwork, leadership and other virtues that no one else in this world can anymore. That cadets use the skills they learn in real-world situations, not just on a confidence course or at cadet-training functions, provides real-world worth to the CAP cadet program.

Timbo, I hate to call you out, but what is your vision of CAP?

[Timbo]

Timbo, I hate to call you out, but what is your vision of CAP?

Not a "feeder" for the military.  I will be the first one to say "CAP needs to be more military", and the "nonmilitary group of CAP is slowly taking over".  However, just because we emulate the military traditions of the Air Force does not mean we are working to provide them raw recruits.  To say so, is not correct.  That is not our mission.  Nor should it be, and will never be.     

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Timbo, I hate to call you out, but what is your vision of CAP?

Not a "feeder" for the military. 

OK, so let's stop with the carrots on the stick -- no more advanced grade for our cadets who choose to enlist, no more better shot at USAFAPS and all that other stuff.

Heck, let's dump the uniforms. They're military. We don't want to give anyone any ideas. Let's put our blue name tapes on the Boy Scout uniform instead.

What I just said is ridiculous, but come on. CAP is a feeder for the military, be it an unintended consequence or not.

[MIKE]

Let's stop with the drift.

[JayT]

Timbo, I hate to call you out, but what is your vision of CAP?

Not a "feeder" for the military. 

OK, so let's stop with the carrots on the stick -- no more advanced grade for our cadets who choose to enlist, no more better shot at USAFAPS and all that other stuff.

Heck, let's dump the uniforms. They're military. We don't want to give anyone any ideas. Let's put our blue name tapes on the Boy Scout uniform instead.

What I just said is ridiculous, but come on. CAP is a feeder for the military, be it an unintended consequence or not.

Did you actually read his posts? Or did you keep going on your same rant without interruption?

My favorite CAP moments? All those frozen nights spent out in the woods trying to force boots back on my feet while my BDU's reek of smoke.

Also, Cadet Williams man, you gotta stop sounding like a recuriting poster.

[bosshawk]

Since I don't spend much time with the cadet program, except for O Rides, my favorite times deal with ES.

Twice, I have located downed aircraft:unfortunately, with no survivors.  In  both cases, my satisfaction was in bringing closure to the families, although not the results that I would have wanted.  That is a certain amount of satisfaction for a MP.

Another of my satisfactions in CAP is the work that I do and have done in the CD program.  I like to think that, in some small way, I have made the world a little bit safer for our young people.

Favorite moment?  Probably not one that I can put my fingers on and point to it as the ONE.

[tarheel gumby]

My favorite CAP moment is probably when I got my first promotion as a cadet.