# Presentation: 763048

## Civil Air Patrol School Program

**Mike Jiru, DDR PM**

- Thanks to** **David Mikelson, Lt Col CAP, FL Group  800 Commander and Dale Robinson, Lt Col, CAP, Commander, Eglin Composite Sq FL-432, for developing the initial briefing

## What is Civil Air Patrol?

- The US Air Force Auxiliary
- Congressionally Chartered
- Non-Profit 501(c)(3) corporation
- All-volunteer (64,000 members)
- Missions:
- Emergency Services (SAR, DR, HLS)
- Aerospace Education (Internal/ External)
- Cadet Programs

## EMERGENCY SERVICES

- Conducts over 85% of all inland search and rescue in the U.S. as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center
- Average 100 lives saved each year
- Provides support to local, state, and national disaster relief organizations
- Transports time-sensitive medical materials, blood products and body tissue

## AEROSPACE EDUCATION

- Educating the membership and community
- Support for more than 100 workshops at colleges throughout the nation annually
- Develops, publishes, and distributes aerospace curriculum for classroom grades K through college
- Sponsors the premier aerospace education conference, National Conference on Aviation and Space Education (NCASE**)**

## CADET PROGRAMS

- Develops the potential of youth ages 12 to 21
- More than 26,000 cadet members
- Encompasses a 16–step program that includes aviation and aerospace activities
- From six to ten percent of each class entering the military service academies are former CAP cadets
- Cadets who have earned the General Billy Mitchell Award are eligible to enlist in the Air Force at a higher pay grade

## CADET PROGRAMS

- Opportunities to participate and compete in activities at the local, state, region, and national level
- Participation in the International Air Cadet Exchange program
- Scholarships available in several disciplines
- Opportunities to earn FAA pilot ratings

## CAP Cadets = Aerospace Leaders

**USAF Capt **
**Scott O’Grady**

**USAF Capt Kim Campbell**
**Operation Iraqi Freedom **
**A-10 Pilot**

**USAF Gen Michael Ryan**
**Former USAF Chief of Staff**

## CAP Cadets = Aerospace Leaders

**US Navy Lt (jg)**
**Shane Osborn**

**USAF Maj Eric Boe,**
**Former Eglin test pilot**
**Now training as an astronaut**

**USAF Col **
**Frank Borman, Apollo Astronaut**

*...**and many, many more!*

## Locations

- 801

- NCR 801

- 801

- 804, 806, 807, 808, 809

- 802

- 801

- 812

- 800, 801, 802, 803, 805, 160, 163

- 801, 802, 803, 804, 805

_**CAP SP Units**_
- 39    Squadrons
- 9 Wings  1 Rgn
- 1690  Cadets
- 261    Sr Mbrs
-    A/O 31 Dec 2004

- 801

- 800

- 802, 803, 811, 813, 814, 816

- NATCAP 058

- 801

- 802

- 80221

- 803

- 801

- 80221

- 802

## Benefits to Schools

- Creates a more disciplined classroom environment with student peer pressure
- Provides a rewards system for individual recognition to encourage positive behavior (promotions, ribbons, special activities)
- Offers a good gang option (Our gang wears Air Force blue)
- Teaches patriotism and good citizenship
- Builds physical fitness
- Provides character development outline
- Encourages anti-drug culture
- Requires passing grades to participate

## Benefits to Schools

**Creates a more disciplined classroom environment with student peer pressure**

## Benefits to Schools

**Provides a rewards system for individual recognition to encourage positive behavior (promotions, ribbons, special activities)**

## Benefits to schools

**Offers a good gang option (Our gang wears Air Force blue)**

## Benefits to schools

**Teaches patriotism and good citizenship**

## Benefits to schools

**Builds physical fitness**

## Benefits to schools

- Character Development
- The focus is on the CAP core values of
*Integrity *
*Volunteer Service*
*Excellence*
*Respect*

## Benefits to schools

**Encourages anti-drug culture**

## Benefits to schools

**Requires passing grades to participate**

**Notes:**
Why is CAP SP a key success?  A Florida police chief said it best:
“It is an activity-filled environment that attracts young people to do positive things that benefit themselves and their community.  The young people who go through the program definitely develop as excellent role models.  They learn to be leaders and responsible young adults who are goal oriented and respectful of others.  They tend to develop as very positive youth leaders who contribute to our community.”

## Keys to Successful Start-Ups

- Obtain school principal advocacy
- Find an interested teacher
- Recruit CAP senior mentor
- Process applications properly
- Complete Level I training
- Promote teachers
- Train support staff
- Recruit cadets
- Plan interesting meetings

## ORGANIZING A UNIT

- The principal/vice principal becomes the chief facilitator for ensuring that CAP School Program moves forward with the full support of the school administrative staff, teachers, parents, and students
- Second to the principal in importance is the teacher that will head the CAP School Program
- In many ways, this person is most important.
- The teacher must be willing to become a Civil Air Patrol member while devoting the required amount of time, enthusiasm, and preparation to ensure a successful program
- The enjoyment of working with youth-oriented organizations is a plus

## ORGANIZING A UNIT

- Minimum requirements
- At least 1 adult (“senior”) member
- At least 8 total members to form a flight
- At least 15 total members to form a squadron
- Can initially form as a part of a local host unit until a sufficient membership level is reached

## Local Host Unit

- The local host CAP unit is one of the most important resources the CAP School Program can have
- The local host CAP unit is a unit that has been established within the guidelines and regulations of Civil Air Patrol
- The members of the local host CAP unit are all volunteers and can provide answers to many questions, ways/how-to's of doing things, guidance and help in establishing the CAP program within the school system
- The local host unit can provide support for various activities
- Go to http://www.cap.gov to find the nearest unit

## Form an Implementation Committee

- Teachers and School Administrative Staff
- The implementation committee should work together to accomplish the actions outlined on the following slides
- The implementation committee should plan to contact as many school teachers/leaders/parents as possible to help you find prospective students that are interested in becoming new members as well as senior member support
- All persons interested in or planning to work with the CAP program must attend the mandatory orientation

## Implementation Committee

- Identify those willing to help with the program.
- Some suggested community areas to contact are the aerospace industry, the military community, the Chamber of Commerce, prominent businessmen, religious leaders, and the mayor or city councilmen.
- Do not overlook those within the school that are willing to help
- Identify the students that would be interested in the program.
- Keep in mind the potential to excel in the CAP program.
- Invite them to attend the mandatory three-day orientation that will be held at the beginning of the school year

## Outside Service Organizations

- Explore the Possibility of Sponsorship for the Program
- VFW, American Legion, Air Force Association, Military Spouses Clubs, etc.
- The ideal solution is to find a civic organization willing to sponsor a CAP school squadron as a group project
- Determine if any members would be interested in helping teach various aspects of the program
- Former members of the military are a rich source of help and information on the military side of the instruction
- AARP, Volunteer America, Ham Radio Clubs, etc.
- Again, the ideal solution is to find a civic organization willing to sponsor a CAP school squadron as a group project

## Volunteer Organizations

- Determine if any members would be interested in helping teach various aspects of the program.
- There are many aspects of managing the program that volunteers can do and teach.
- Determine if any members would be willing to help administer the program.
- The old saying of "many hands make the task light" is very applicable.
- Always solicit someone to help with the paperwork, issuing uniforms, putting items together for a lesson, cleaning up, etc.
- These will become your most treasured members

## What We Achieve Together

- Cadets are actively involved in DDR
- Cadets have a lower lifetime prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use 1
- Cadets have higher protective factors scores 2
- Overview of National Drug Control Strategy goals

- 1 - Information based upon a CAP commissioned *Communities That Care**®** Youth Survey* conducted in 2001 by Channing L. Bete Co., Inc., with comparisons to the *Monitoring the Future* annual study of middle school students or the *CTC Matched Comparisons*. Used with permission.
- 2 - Protective factors are characteristics that are known to decrease the likelihood that a student will engage in problem behaviors. Samples include bonding to parents or attachment to a positive support group.

## The Civil Air Patrol School Program... where imagination takes flight!