page_title: Civil Air Patrol
section_title: Relationship to the military
hierarchical_section_title: Civil Air Patrol / Relationship to the military
caption_attribution_description: English: A Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182 (CAP Flight 453, registration N9353E) poses with U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Number 8 at March Air Reserve Base.
context_page_description: The Civil Air Patrol is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and occupations. It performs three congressionally assigned key missions: emergency services, which includes search and rescue and disaster relief operations; aerospace education for youth and the general public; and cadet programs for teenage youth. In addition, CAP has recently been tasked with homeland security and courier service missions. CAP also performs non-auxiliary missions for various governmental and private agencies, such as local law enforcement and the American Red Cross. The program is established as an organization by Title 10 of the United States Code and its purposes defined by Title 36.
  Membership in the organization consists of cadets ranging from 12 to just under 21 years of age, and senior members 18 years of age and up.
context_section_description: While CAP is chartered by Congress and is the auxiliary of the Air Force, it is not an operating reserve component under the United States Air Force or the federal government. The Secretary of the Air Force may use the services of the Civil Air Patrol to fulfill the non-combat programs and missions of the Department of the Air Force.
  Civil Air Patrol members are not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and do not have command or authority over any 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, senior members in the grade of second lieutenant and above are allowed to wear "U.S." collar insignia as an official part of their dress blue uniform. All CAP members are required to render military courtesies to all members of the US military and those of friendly foreign nations; however, as CAP officers are not commissioned by the President of the United States, military personnel are not required to render military courtesies to CAP personnel, though this can be done as a courtesy.  CAP members are expected to render military courtesies to one another, though the implementation of this varies widely.
  Although CAP retains the title "United States Air Force Auxiliary" this auxiliary status only applies when CAP members and resources are on a United States Air Force-assigned mission with an Air Force-assigned mission number. When CAP resources are engaged in a USAF mission they are reimbursed by the Air Force for communications expenses, fuel and oil, and a share of aircraft maintenance expenses. In addition, CAP members are covered by the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) in the event of injury while participating in the mission. At all other times, such as when aiding civilian authorities, the CAP remains and acts as a private, non-profit corporation.
  The USAF's Air Combat Command (ACC), through 1st Air Force, is the parent command of CAP. In October 2002, the USAF announced plans to move CAP "operational" mission activities from the Air Force's operations directorate (HAF/A3) to the Air Force's newly created homeland security directorate.
  In an announcement on 28 August 2015 by Gen. Mark Welsh, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Civil Air Patrol is included in the U.S. Air Force's definition of the "total force". To accomplish this, the USAF updated Doctrine Volume 2, Leadership, to expand the descriptions of total force and "Airmen" to consist of regular, Guard, Reserve, civilian and auxiliary members. Part of that Total Force inclusion was a realignment in the responsible command which moved Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force (CAP-USAF) from Air Education and Training Command through the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accession and Citizen Development at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, to Air Combat Command through 1st Air Force. This change took place on 24 June 2016.
caption: A Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182 posed with U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Number 8 at March Air Reserve Base, March 2000