Can CAP members earn USAF devices?

[Orville_third]

OK. CAP members are civilians, and, as such are ordinarily ineligible for USAF devices. However, CAP members can take various USAF courses, and earn Journeyman/Craftsman ratings in various fields, which could conceivably make us eligible for certain badges. So, are CAP members eligible to earn badges from the USAF?

[Eclipse]

No.

[Chaplaindon]

No.

Not exactly.

CAP chaplains actually wear the USAF chaplain's badge ... with the approval/concurrence of the USAF Chaplain Corps.

Very same badge.

[MIKE]

If stuff like that floats your boat you should have joined  the Coast Guard Auxiliary... with a capital "A".  I don't think you will see this in CAP anytime soon... auxiliary with a lower-case "a".

Everybody just got CGUC's... and can earn other unit/team awards etc, and the Boat Force Operations Insignia, along with other non-bling benefits of being much more closely associated with ones parent service.  Not a major factor in me joining, but like I said... whatever floats your boat.

[DBlair]

This is one area where CAP (USAFAux) and the USCGAux are very different. While there are some AF distance learning courses that CAP members can take, they can't do the courses that lead to AF badges, ribbons, etc. I think the last time CAP members were awarded military awards was during WWII.

The USCGAux is a very different story as CGAux members are allowed to attend USCG "C Schools" and various other CG training. Throughout the course of their service in the CGAux, they can be awarded not only CGAux ribbons and badges, but also USCG ribbons/awards. It seems that they are much more integrated and appreciated by their parent-service.

Granted, I'm still very new in the CGAux and so this is just what I've gathered from reading/research, and what I've seen/heard at my local flotilla. If I am incorrect about this, please do correct me. I'm not trying to start the debate as to which organization is better- they both have their strong points and their share of negative issues. I'm just focusing on which Auxiliary can participate in more parent-service training and be awarded actual parent-service ribbons/awards.

Edit:  Oops... I just read the above post. I guess the same thought came to both of our minds.

[Orville_third]

I was just asking since I am planning to take the USAF PAO course, and a few other USAF courses. I'll just have to settle for college credit... (And, the nearest AUX flotilla is a ways away from me- and I can't really swim...(I did assist an AUX officer with a find of sorts, though...he lost a dental thing that I found for him...))

[DBlair]

I was just asking since I am planning to take the USAF PAO course, and a few other USAF courses. I'll just have to settle for college credit... (And, the nearest AUX flotilla is a ways away from me- and I can't really swim...(I did assist an AUX officer with a find of sorts, though...he lost a dental thing that I found for him...))

I'm not 100% sure if CAP members still take the USAF PAO course. I read something about only the CAP PAO course being offered now, but like I said, I'm not 100% sure about this. You can take a variety of other courses like Squadron Officer School, Staff College, War College, and for the most part you will get credit if you are also in the military, and in some cases, college credits.

As for swimming... Actually, (that I know of) none of the CGAux jobs involve swimming as I read somewhere that Auxiliarists cannot be rescue divers, etc. Likewise, while there are some on-the-water operations, there are tons of jobs that are on dry land. So, don't count the CGAux out just because of swimming.

[PHall]

You can take the Air Force Career Development Courses, but, that does not qualify you in that AFSC and thus you can not earn any Air Force Specialty Identification Badges.
Most AFSC's have training requirements in addition to the CDC's that must be completed before you are awarded that AFSC and the Badges are awarded to show what career field you're in and what training level you are at.

[RiverAux]

Officially CG Aux members are not allowed to enter the water to rescue anyone.  That being said, I don't know a single Auxie who would hesitate to break that rule if they thought that they could successfully save someone's life.

[wingnut55]

Our squadron supports space shuttle operations during one of the landing Ops I had a long conversation with two young Airman who are the same AFSC that I was. My job 33 years ago was to do the initial Hazmat response during Launch operations wearing a Scott air pack. These guys had their Scott air pack with them but had no real experience in a Hypergol incident. I have decided to redo my AFSC course as a review and offer myself up to the section during landing operations in a dual mission response (not wearing a Scott air pack) that stuff is left to the younger canary. But I did do air monitoring in the air 33 years ago. 

As for the insignia that goes along with the AFSC we can wear what we earned on active duty, National Guard, or reserve status.

[AlphaSigOU]

I'd like to wear the Services specialty badge on blues, but at the time I was on AD that badge did not exist. So I don't wear it.

[RiverAux]

I don't see any reason why CAP members shouldn't be able to earn relevant AF specialty badges provided that the criteria fall within the realm of what CAP members are allowed to do and assuming that CAP members have a chance to access relevant courses.  I'm not saying that this is possible under current AF/CAP regulations, but rather that it is something that that should be considered for some specialties.  I've no clue which ones might be possible in that situation, but specialties like Public Affairs and Historian would seem to fall in that category. 

[Short Field]

Do you really think that doing a on-line course actually quallifies you in a USAF Speciality???  USAF training is NOT CAP training.  You actually have to spend a lot of time training with a supervisor/trainer.  And the OJT is not an hour a week for a year but at least 40 hrs a week for a year.

[Major Carrales]

Do you really think that doing a on-line course actually qualifies you in a USAF Specialty???  USAF training is NOT CAP training.  You actually have to spend a lot of time training with a supervisor/trainer.  And the OJT is not an hour a week for a year but at least 40 hrs a week for a year.

USAF Training is not CAP training.  FINALLY, someone acknowledges that were talking "apples and oranges" here. 

It is obvious that CAP and the USAF/USAFR have totally different schema in the execution of their missions.

Now, maybe we can start to develop CAP policy based on CAP needs, issues and procedure instead of trying to Graft the USAF on to an organization fundamentally different.

[Hawk200]

I don't see any reason why CAP members shouldn't be able to earn relevant AF specialty badges provided that the criteria fall within the realm of what CAP members are allowed to do and assuming that CAP members have a chance to access relevant courses.  I'm not saying that this is possible under current AF/CAP regulations, but rather that it is something that that should be considered for some specialties.  I've no clue which ones might be possible in that situation, but specialties like Public Affairs and Historian would seem to fall in that category.

They would seem to, but they don't. There is a great deal involved in an airman being AFSC qualified. Civil Air Patrol members don't get that level or duration of training. It requires a lot more than what amounts to a few weeks a year (which is what our specialty track training amounts to). If you want to take the AFIADL (or whatever it is this week) course, that's great, but it's not the same as attending tech school.

[RiverAux]

Did I say what we did now qualified us?  No.  Just that we may want to consider it for other specialties like we already have for CAP Chaplains.  Do we need CAP missile techs?  Of course not.  But, if there are some AF specialties that are directly comparable to CAP specialties, it is worth exploring the possibilities.  It all depends on exactly what the qualification requirements are. 

[Hawk200]

Did I say what we did now qualified us?  No.

No, you didn't, said that Public Affairs and Historian seem to fall into a similar category, and they don't.

Just that we may want to consider it for other specialties like we already have for CAP Chaplains.

Chaplains are unique in that a CAP chaplain has directly equivalent requirements to the military requirements.

But, if there are some AF specialties that are directly comparable to CAP specialties, it is worth exploring the possibilities.

With the exception of chaplain, there are none. Therefore, there are no possibilities to explore. 

It all depends on exactly what the qualification requirements are.

For most specialties, as far as the Air Force is concerned, an in-residence technical school ranging from 6 weeks to over two years. That's for the initial badge.

Before someone throws it out there, doctors, lawyers, nurses, chaplains, etc are professional commisions and follow a different acquisition path. All of our related specialties of those type have badges.

[RiverAux]

Chaplains are unique in that a CAP chaplain has directly equivalent requirements to the military requirements.

Therefore, there are no possibilities to explore.

Obviously there are absolutely no parallels between anything anyone in the AF does (except Chaplains) and CAP does, so I was horribly mistaken in thinking that it even deserved a little bit of thought.  It would just be plain silly to think that there might be existing AF training materials or courses that might apply to CAP or that a lowly CAP volunteer could manage something as demanding as I am sure the badge requirements are for Public Affairs or Historian.   Of course the AF would not even want to think about training CAP members to do certain things the AF way or that they might think it would be of use to them.  My mistake. 

[SarDragon]

Chaplains are unique in that a CAP chaplain has directly equivalent requirements to the military requirements.

Therefore, there are no possibilities to explore.

Obviously there are absolutely no parallels between anything anyone in the AF does (except Chaplains) and CAP does, so I was horribly mistaken in thinking that it even deserved a little bit of thought.  It would just be plain silly to think that there might be existing AF training materials or courses that might apply to CAP or that a lowly CAP volunteer could manage something as demanding as I am sure the badge requirements are for Public Affairs or Historian.   Of course the AF would not even want to think about training CAP members to do certain things the AF way or that they might think it would be of use to them.  My mistake.

Most military technical training lecture segments accompanied by supervised practical training (lab work). Most of the tech schools I attended had at least 33% lab work. The closest CAP analog I can think of right now is BCUT/ACUT, where we have a hands-on session after the classroom segment.

Attempting to use AF training materials outside that environment would, IMHO, be a waste of time, since the lab segment(s) would be missing.

YMMV.

[Short Field]

It would just be plain silly to think that there might be existing AF training materials or courses that might apply to CAP or that a lowly CAP volunteer could manage something as demanding as I am sure the badge requirements are for Public Affairs or Historian.   

Most of the senior USAF historians are civilians with at least a master's degree.  The NCOs in the career field are all cross-trainees from other AFSCs with at least a 5 skill level.   Entry into the public affairs career field requires completion of the public affairs course - 60 classroom days.