The Civil Air Patrol, thoughts?

[DissidentVoice]

29. Sorry for resurrecting an old thread...

I just resigned after 20+ years in the CAP.

It's like almost anything else...the organisation has noble aims but once reality (personalities) start getting in the way, then it can really suck.

I was in several units in two states (wings); in all three types of units - composite (mix of cadets and seniors), senior (adults only) and cadet (mostly cadets; however, some cadet squadrons can be hard to distinguish from composite squadrons).

The good bits? The first squadron I was in for six years. I earned my Observer (navigator) rating there, attained the rank of Captain and was eventually Deputy Commander. Also, some of the kids that become cadets are really go-getters. My first unit produced a Spaatz Award (the highest award a cadet can attain) cadet. The camaraderie can be good, depending on the unit.

The bad bits? POLITICS. CAP has an entrenched good ole' boy/girl network, where if you don't suck up to the right person or kiss the right arse, you can go nowhere, which is eventually what happened to me. Also, depending on unit, the membership tends to lean VERY heavily Republican. I heard so much Obama (and Clinton) bashing it was unreal...and when Bush was in he was treated as some sort of "saviour." Also, the connection with the Air Force is MUCH less than what it was when I first joined...CAP is now only the AF Auxiliary when it is on an Air Force Assigned Mission. Most of the rank-and-file AF don't even know what CAP is, and every now and then you hear an apocryphal story about a CAP officer trying to force an Airman to salute (which they're not entitled to), and then the Air Force puts more restrictions on CAP. CAP used to wear an almost-identical uniform to the AF until in the early '90s a National Commander promoted himself to Major General...the AF responded by taking away metal grade insignia and the blue epaulettes marked "CAP" and replaced them first with horrible looking maroon, and then grey, epaulettes.

I finally met the end of the road when I realised I would progress no further in the programme. I have my own health issues, and my wife is recovering from breast cancer, which meant I couldn't be there as much as others. Two years ago I submitted paperwork for promotion to Major, and it was denied on that basis. I had put in what time I could over the past two years, but for the squadron commander it just wasn't enough, so finally I said "see ya."

It wasn't an easy decision to make...but one does have to have priorities in life, and there are some in CAP who think that when you're not at work, in the bathroom or asleep you should be busting it for CAP.

That worked when I was young, single and healthy...but not now.