Civil Air Patrol: Walton County Composite Squadron

  Civil Air Patrol 



                        

 

                         

 

          

 

                        



Membership

 CAP members are civilians (unless they are also serve as active duty military, reservists, or guardsmen) and are not paid by the U.S. government; however, they may wear a modified version of the USAF uniform and practice military courtesy and customs such as saluting.

A person must be at least 18 to join CAP as an adult member. National dues are $30 per year, plus region and wing dues that vary in cost. For the protection of cadets, prospective members must undergo a fingerprint screening, and complete a Cadet protection training course to recognize child abuse.

CAP's cadet membership program is open to those between 12 and 18 years of age.

Local units may be found using the CAP Unit Locator (https://creports.capnhq.gov/unitlocator/).

Under the UCMJ, CAP members do not have command authority over members of the United States military. Similarly, military officers have no command authority over CAP members. As part of recognition of CAP's service to the USAF, however, CAP members are allowed to wear "U.S." as part of their uniform and most members of the U.S. military will render military courtesy to CAP officers. CAP members are required to render military courtesy to all members of US and friendly foreign military personnel.

CAP has over 64,000 members in over 1,700 local units across the United States.

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Senior Members

Senior members are over twenty one years old, or who joined CAP for the first time past the age of eighteen. There is no retirement age or physical requirements to join. Many successful CAP members have been physically challenged.

For a CAP member to wear the USAF style uniforms weight and grooming standards must be met. For those not meeting the standards there are attractive and unique CAP uniforms (Aviator Shirt, Blue BDU and Flight Suits).

Senior members are eligible to hold the following ranks:

  • Senior Member (SM)
  • Second Lieutenant (2ndLt)
  • First Lieutenant (1stLt)
  • Captain (Capt)
  • Major (Major)
  • Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol)
  • Colonel - This rank is reserved for current and former wing commanders.
  • Brigadier General - This rank is reserved for the Deputy National Commander and former National Commanders.
  • Major General - This rank is reserved for the National Commander.

US Military officers (current, retired and former) may be authorized CAP grade equivalent to their military grade through Lt Col. Members who hold enlisted grade in any branch of the military may hold that grade in CAP.

The National Commander is a CAP member, and is often a retired USAF officer.

Rank is normally used as a sign of progression in training and experience. First Lieutenants may often command squadrons, with lieutenant colonels working under them.

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Cadets

Cadets have a rank structure similar to the USAF enlisted and officer ranks. A cadet starts as a Cadet Airman Basic and are promoted as they complete each achievement. To complete an achievement a cadet must pass a physical fitness test, and two written tests, one for leadership and one for aerospace education. The achievements and their corresponding grade are listed below, however there are more achievements than there are cadet grades. (Note: the C/ prior to each grade is read as 'Cadet', so C/AB would be Cadet Airman Basic and is the first grade any cadet will hold before passing the first achievement.)

The major awards in Civil Air Patrol's cadet program are the Wright Brothers Award, Gen. Billy Mitchell Award, Amelia Earhart Award, Gen. Ira C. Eaker Award, and the Gen Carl A. Spaatz Award. To date (July, 2004) there have only been 1533 Spaatz cadets in the history of CAP (a current list is maintained on the Spaatz Association's website (http://www.spaatz.org/).)

Cadets take part in all CAP missions, including practice and actual search-and-rescue missions. In addition, cadets take part in summer encampments, honor guards, and drill and ceremonies competitions, and may take part in an international exchange with cadets from Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and several other nations.

Cadet members do not incur a military obligation upon leaving CAP, but may enter the Air Force as an Airman First Class (E-3) with sufficient experience. Several former CAP cadets have become astronauts and leading Air Force and Navy pilots, including Shawn Osborne, who was pilot of the United States Navy EP-3 Orion aircraft that collided with a Chinese fighter in April 2001 and Capt. Scott O'Grady, whose F-16 was shot down in Bosnia in 1995.



Georgia Wing Encampment

One Of the benefits of being in Civil Air Patrol as a cadet is being able to attend encampment. Encampment is  CAP basic training. Cadets spend 6 days on a Ranger base under strict Military discipline. They sleep in a barracks, prep their bunks, lockers and themselves for inspection everyday. They are taught orienteering, weapons handling, rapelling, and many other things. Cadets start their day by waking up at 5am to whistles and sirens. They then fall outside for PT. Later they spend a full 8 minutes eating breakfast without talking or looking around. They end the day at 10:30. Encampment is one of the best things a young person can do.

 

-Staff Sergeant Bossi

 

Hoo-hah!!


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