The RAO’s Guide to Everything C.A.P. In Texas

OrHow I learned to stop worrying and appear like I

Know what I am talking aboutVersion 1.0 d

This guide is intended to familiarize both the newbie and the seasoned RAO in many aspects of the CAP program for the Texas Wing. Things are probably done differently (and better) at other Wings but you are here and are stuck with us for now. Applications for transfer are done on AF form 1288.

This guide, like CAP, is a constantly changing document and you should check for the latest version on the CAPRAP website at: CAPRAP TX Home page. *(Note: this isn’t posted yet but hopefully will be. This version is on your CdRom) Remember, to aim high because the password is private. Please don’t share it with anybody that doesn’t need to know it. If there is something that is incorrect or that you don’t like about this document, tough! You didn’t have to type up this stupid thing anyway. Okay fine! Send an email with any suggestions or corrections to the self-righteous training officer, Major Pat Danis @ mailto:patdanis@attbi.com.

But in all seriousness, I didn’t have one of these when I started and it has taken me the better part of 3 years to gather all of this information. I don’t pretend to know everything and I would appreciate any suggestions or improvements to this document so that they may be incorporated and disseminated to the masses. I am not going to rehash what is written elsewhere unless I feel it needs the emphasis. I am just trying to get you started in the right direction so that you can “walk the walk” and “talk the talk.” I will attempt to point out errors both obvious and those not. As with everything else, this document is completely unofficial and is only a tool to assist you in your endeavors. Your mileage may vary, some assembly required, not legal in Minnesota, Nebraska, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

BEFORE GETTING STARTED

You should have the following items in order to get started in this profession:

CAP-USAF Manual 10-2701 (1 Mar 2002) available hopefully from the CAPRAP TX Website. Waiting for link to be put up. ****************

CAP-USAF SWLR Operating Instruction 36-5001 (1 April 1998) available from Southwest Region HQ located at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Carswell Field, TX (Carswell). Call Lt Col Joseph Macklin at (817) 782-6400 ext. 11 for info on how to obtain your copy. You would think they would have this posted on their website for download somewhere but I can’t find it. This updates the CAP-USAF Instruction 10-2701 that used to be the CAP-USAF Instruction 36-5001. I imagine a new update will be out soon.

CAPRAP Orientation Training Guide (1 June 1999) Southwest Liaison region. Same source as above.

CAP-USAF SWLR Mishap Notification Booklet. Available from SWR also.

One full set of CAP Regulations. These are available from the CAP Bookstore at: CAP Bookstore Catalog. This takes a while to load, be patient. I have a copy on the CdRom and you can also call them at I highly recommend you get the automatic revision updates subscription. While these are not absolutely necessary, there will be those times when you wish you had a copy. You can download individual regs from National’s website here: CAP List of Regulations

Form-Filler Software on the enclosed CD-Rom. Please note that the Pure Edge software on the same CD-rom is replacing this. Use whatever you are comfortable with until you are up to speed. I suggest that you use Pure Edge if this is the first time you are using form-filling software. There is a tutorial on the disk also. You will need this to fill out your 40a, OPRs’, Travel Vouchers, and more. Pure Edge Software and instructions is also available here.

Individual Reserve Guide available from AFRC at 1-800-525-0102 or at this link: Individual Reserve Guide

This CD-Rom with this neat stuff has been gathered and placed in one place to make your job a little easier.

GETTING STARTED List of good links to bookmark in your browser:

List of various Cap and USAF Regs Knowledgebase

Pacific Region's website- a little outdated

AFRCC Home Page

CAP TX Wing download pageLinks to a bunch of State CAP units -Great for ideas (Some are outdated)

Okay, now that you have all of the above stuff, turn to page 1 of the CAPRAP Orientation Training Guide. You do have that don’t you? If not, I’ve included a version at the end of this package. Granted it is a little outdated and several references are wrong, but we’ll use it anyway. This document gives you a broad view of the CAP Program and some of the chores you will need to do. It also lets you know what Region expects of you. These are the people in charge, so we do what they say. This is a VERY IMPORTANT point that needs to be made. You are not, I repeat NOT, in the CAP Chain of Command. You are in the USAFR Chain of Command. You do not report to the CAP TX Wing. With the very recent re-organization of the CAPRAP program, you will now fall into a Chain of Command headed by the CAPLO section of CAP. The LO or Liaison Office is headed by the former Lt Col Brown et al. You will report to your RAS or WRC, who in turn, reports to Ed Brown who reports to SW Region. If you can, I highly recommend you take a trip out to Carswell (I know that’s not what it is called but that’s what I am going to call it) and meet these fine people. You can get all of the regs you need, update your personnel info at the CBPO (or whatever they call it nowadays), get your ID Card updated, get a Base pass for your vehicle, associate names with faces, and make that all important BX run to get you some new uniform pants. (I know your old ones are too tight!)

Here are the e-mail addresses of the people at SWR at NASJRB Carswell field:

SWR/CC Lt Col Blake Fentress SWR/DO Lt Col MacklinSWR/DT Major Victor Del MoralSWR/LG TSgt Rod WatsonSWR/IM Mr. Ken Skelton (GS-9)SWR/DAE (CAP)Lt Col Beth WhiteSWR/RF Col Sammie SmithSWR/IMA Lt Col Cindy Hack

and the CAPLO Office:

Texas State Director Mr. Ed Brown (GS-12)Deputy State Director Mr. Arthur (Bud) Edwards (GS-11)Deputy State Director Mr. Fred Ham (GS-11)

Any question you have, should be answered by them if nobody in your immediate chain of command is available or has the answer. Here are the highlights of the manual as I see it.

Page 2- CAP Regs references are mostly incorrect. These regs have been updated but you should be able to find the correct ones by looking in your CAP Regs index.

Page 6- Performance Feedback: In all honest, this is rarely done because it is entirely possible you may have only worked 3 or 4 days in the period following your OPR. If you answer emails promptly and regularly visit the WRC’s website, you should know what is going on. Your monthly points totals and your quarterly reports should be a good source of info for your supervisor. If they have any questions, they should be calling you. If you don’t hear from them, assume you are fine. If you have questions, ask them. The only way to really screw up is to fail to show for an assigned tasking where AF Representation is required and/or fail to turn in timely reports and OPRs’.

Page 9- If you are getting ready to retire, you may want to call AFRC about 6 months prior to make sure everything is in order and get the paperwork started.

Page 10 and 11- Very important pages. Read and heed Page 12- Instead of contacting the CAP Wing for the rosters, etc, go to their website here and

download the info instead: Texas Wing Download page You will find that the Wing Calendar is in a constant state of flux and things change or are cancelled very frequently. Be sure to print out a copy of the Wing Calendar at the beginning of the fiscal year and keep track of all the changes and cancellations. Be sure to get on Ed Brown’s mailing list (email) Ed Brown to keep apprised of changes. The reference to his website is outdated so use the one above.

Page 13-You may not have known it, but this is one of the worst areas of compliance in the CAPRAP area. Read this page and learn it. I will tell you all you need to know later but you must understand these restrictions. The forms can be filled out using FormFiller or PureEdge now. The actual forms themselves can be downloaded for use in the program from here: Air Force Forms and Pubs. One very important item that everybody overlooks is the R/R date. I didn’t even know what it was till a short time ago. You can find out more information about it here: Point Credit Calculator and R/R date. Be sure to split your 40a during your R/R month.

Page 14- These are the areas you use to fill out your 40a’s. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully as frequent errors are made. You cannot use Administration unless you are a RAS or above. You will note at the bottom there is an area concerning PME points. There are

several options available to you as a Reservist to earn these points and you can do them in the CAP arena. That is, Scanner/Observer course etc. More on this later.

Page 16- The narrative descriptions are examples of what you will be including in your Quarterly reports. I suggest you jot these down immediately after you complete an event as it is difficult to remember the amazing things you did three short months prior. I also recommend you have a notebook or journal near the phone to record all your phone notes and computer correspondence so that you can use these fractions of a point to fill up those areas on your 40a (specifically Unit Meetings) that only last 3.5 hours to get the full 4 hour benefit and you can legally claim the point.

Page 16- Active Duty. This is something you never get to do. (Ha-Ha) There always seem to be a shortage of funds at the end of the year, so get your Manday requests in early. The Region (rightfully so) attempts to man events with Reservists in the corporate area where the event is being held so that funds are available for those events in distant areas where there is no coverage. You will do most of your events in inactive status or “points-only” status as we call it. This includes your Squadron or Unit meetings and other local area events. Ken Skelton is the SWR guru on travel so get your requests in early and don’t be late in filing your vouchers. He really hates that. If there is any problem we as Reservists have, it is getting stuff turned in on time. Don’t be the scapegoat of the month.

THAT’S ITYou are now ready to tackle the world of CAP. Congratulations. Thanks for participating and have a happy retirement.

Well, you got more than I did when I joined this program! You want more? Greedy aren’t we?

Well, I guess you now need to look at the “mother” document. This is the brand new and improved CAP-USAFM 10-2701. This used to be called 36-5001 so if you see references to this number in your reading, just change it to 10-2701.

**Note: This is not to be confused with CAP-USAFI 10-2701 dated 21 Dec 2000 (also a very good document) that outlines the organization and function of the Civil Air Patrol. (Yep, you guessed it, on the CD-Rom)

CAP-USAFM 10-2701 has a lot of information that is VERY important to you. Always carry this reg with you. This is your “get out of jail free” card. This is what outlines what you can and cannot do at CAP events and how to go about getting credit for it. Read it. Now read it again. You must understand this stuff. I will highlight the “key” points of the reg for you to mark with your foo-foo colored highlighter. (This reg too is on the CD-Rom as a word document.) You will note that the reg still has a bunch of typos in it and still has pages listed as 36-5001. Somebody somewhere is going to get the axe for not proofreading this better.

Page 1: References to vital regulations that contain need to know info on how to look sharp, how to get point credit, and how to get out of this chicken-sh*t outfit. Regs can be read or downloaded from this link: E-Publishing Reg Search. Just search for the appropriate reg under the series number. That is the 10 series regs are listed under the number 10 in the box on the right hand side of the page. Isn’t that neat how they do that? I just can’t seem to find this reg on the site. Check the CAPRAP site as listed above for it though.

Page 2: Part 1, line 5. “as available” emphasis needed. You do this when you can and if it won’t affect your real job. Don’t take any grief from anybody on this. Remember, this is a job designed to help you get to retirement. As long as you do the minimum for a good year and meet the requirements stated by the WRC/SWR, you are fine. There is a policy letter from the WRC and some key points by Ed Brown that will be attached to this document explaining what they believe your roll should be. Read and heed. I recommend you do much more than the minimum so that you can help the CAP program, (which desperately needs improving,) and get more points toward retirement. It sounds greedy but that’s why we’re here isn’t it? Part 3: ARPC and their role. Very big player for you. Know their role.

Page 4: Part 4. Chain-of-Command. Know this. Know who is your boss. Part 5: You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t meet these requirements. Use this to look for future recruits. I am constantly looking for people to take my place.

Page5/6: Part 7: VERY IMPORTANT “DO’S AND DON’TS” Page 9: Last Line “retirement ceremony” HAH! Page 16: Attachment 3: Make a copy of this page and slip it into the front of your binder if

you have one of those binders with the slip-in front. If not, get a plastic page protector and put this as the first page in your binder. This tells you how you can assist CAP. Do it. Be creative. This is the stuff you will record in your notebook and use for OPR/EPR fodder. Show this to the Unit Commander and make sure he knows what you can do to assist them. DON’T DO THEIR WORK FOR THEM! It is very easy to get sucked into doing their job because you will find that most of the participants in CAP are very lacking in ability. This is my opinion and it is correct. There are also, a lot of very talented, highly-skilled members in CAP that are a pleasure to work with but you will find them to be spread pretty thin among the units. Try to build a fire under the laggers and see if you can’t make the job more interesting and rewarding. Might I suggest making some sort of recognition program that would include some official looking certificate generated on behalf of the USAF to present to them during their awards ceremony? Something on the order of a “hard-charger” award. If you have the funds or some token of appreciation you could bestow on the member, do it. This could be a recruiting poster, an old flight suit, unit patches, airplane models, old USAF helmets, BDU’s, you can figure it out.

Page 21: This lists what you can get point credit for. Only these items qualify. Notice that you get 1 point for up to 7:59 of duty. This is why you keep a log of everything you do that is CAP-related. This is where you add those filler minutes to round out your 40a to make sure you get the maximum amount of credit you are due. Also note, you only get point credit one time for preparing a presentation. I suggest if you are covering an event like Scanner/Observer, you prepare for a portion of that event and the next time you do that event, cover a different portion. That way you can prepare for different presentations and still get point credit. As a side note, the Air Force no longer is “officially” responsible for the Scanner Observer class. You can however be used to teach it and you will find that many of the units use the old syllabus still. (Yep, on the CD-rom)

Page 23: Read this and do it. Get a copy of somebody’s completed 40a and fill yours out the same way. The WRC should have a copy of a “correct” 40a somewhere that you can use. This is the bane of all forms as Reservists are generally lazy when it comes to filling this cut correctly. Remember, this is what funds your retirement so do it right the first time. Turn it

in quickly. One more thing, turn it in to your supervisor in a timely fashion. Make sure you fill one out and get it to your reporting official right away. There I said it three times in a different manner. Turn these stupid things in! See note on page 24 about minimum number of points (25) for CAP activity.

Page 32: Quarterly activity reports. Very important item. These are due to your supervisor at the end of the month, who then has to consolidate them and turn them into his RAS or WRC who consolidates them and turns them into SWR. All this has to be done very quickly. If you have completed your point activity for the month/quarter, turn in a report to your boss NOW! Early is good, late is bad. WRC policy is no report, no points for the next month. ‘Nuff said. The Quarterly report follows a specific format, usually in Microsoft Word, which should be sent as an attachment in e-mail to your supervisor. A copy of a sample is attached to this packet and one can be downloaded from the WRC’s site here: Reservist's Quarterly Report. (For some reason it is all underlined. You don’t need to do that.) My policy as a RAS is to not send copies of the Reservist’s completed 40a’s and pre-signed 40a’s for the upcoming quarter until I have the report in my grubby hands. I should mention that you cannot perform any duty in Inactive status without a pre-filled 40a from your supervisor authorizing such activity per AF regulations. This is to cover you for insurance purposes in case you are injured on duty. I won’t reference the reg but this info is available on ARPC’s website. Trust me.

Page 34: OPR/EPR rules. Get the sample bullets from the WRC’s website at the above listed link. Don’t be stupid. Change it around and embellish it some. YOU will write your own report. Your supervisor will edit and change it. If you do a half-assed job, Corey will kill you. Get these done early. REALLY! If you don’t Ed Brown will kill you. If not him, SWR will. You have been warned. Wooh! Too much death and destruction here. Need to cut back on the coffee.

Page 36 and 37: Awards and Decs. HAH! Put yourself in for something. I haven’t seen anything for anybody in my 6 years with the program.

Page 38: Training Guide: This pamphlet fills in those gaps not covered by the training program. Training program does exist but is still in its fledgling state. It is only as good as YOU help me make it. It is available in a PowerPoint format thanks to Maj Gary Schull. He really has been a tremendous help. Take a bow Gary. This too is on the CDRom. Look this section over and reference the regs cited on page 39. These are the ones you need to know according to the higher-ups. They are right for once. You will also need a few more to be discussed later.

Page 44: Copy this page and put it in the front of your binder or on the backside of your clear sleeve binder. What you can and cannot do.

That’s about it for now. This is only an overview of the program. It has been presented to familiarize you with what you are doing. There is more to come. Take a break for now. Next we’ll move on to part two. Pay attention and get that pencil out of your nose.

THE INFAMOUS PART TWO

The number one priority in your job description is SAFETY! They should have hammered that into your head about fifty gazillion times during your prior military career. Well things haven’t changed. SAFETY is always your number one priority because it prevents injuries or damage to people, places and things. That being said, the real reason SAFETY is your number one priority is because

if something goes wrong, there is a whole bunch of paperwork to fill out and we already have enough of that to do sooooooooooo………SAFETY first.

Okay, so what does that really mean. You have this almost god-like (notice I said almost and I used lower case) power to stop any activity in the name of SAFETY. Really! Why you may ask? Go ahead. Ask! I’ll tell you why. You are the number one SAFETY coordinator at any event. There are other people wearing the hat with the SAFETY title but you are the one ultimately responsible. You are the Air Force’s official representation. If you see something that maybe looks dangerous, it is! Stop it, fix it and make it better. Get their SAFETY guy/gal involved. Okay, side note here. In the interest of being PC about this guy/gal stuff, I will only use the male form of the noun so I don’t have to think too hard as I type and I promise to type my next CAPRAP guide using only the female form of the noun. Okay, with that out of the way, back to the meat of the matter. If somebody’s kid gets hurt at an event because a rule was broken, heads will roll. If it was a funded event with AF supervision (you), guess whose head ends up on the plate? This is why you need to have those CAP regs I told you about at the beginning of this document. You even have to take them out of the shrink-wrap and read them. But here is the best part of it. I’m gonna tell you which ones to read first. But I digress.

Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt. (Most of the time anyway) Let me rephrase that. Nobody wants any kid to get hurt. (I think that’s a pretty safe statement) There are lots of things happening at these events that can cause injuries. Sharp, spinning, shiny metal things. Four big black round rubber things attached to big boxy metal things. Snakes with venom, icky nasty slimy snakes without venom, slippery stairs, rusty rails, nails, broken glass, dehydration, cold, heat, farmers with shotguns and so on. Use your imagination. The world is a big bad place in which we must co-exist with all sorts of threats. Minimize the obvious ones. Be ready for the not-so-obvious ones. Use your head because as you will find out, there are sometimes people at these events that are not using theirs.

Okay, dig out the red-covered MISHAP NOTIFICATION BOOKLET. Well, mine has a red cover! Read the first two pages quickly. Okay that was easy. The next 5 pages are the documents you need to report a mishap. You may not need all of them, but at least you have them. Yes, I know they are reduced. Soooooooooo….get the full size ones here: CAP Forms Online (zipped) or hereSimilar page (may be outdated) for the Cap Forms 78 and 79. Go here for the AETC form 435:Air Education and Training Command Forms (I also have it saved on the CDRom as an FRL file)(Yep, you’ll have to click on the AETC FORMS button and you’ll need that old FormFiller to print it out. You can even fill it out with the program and forward it to the appropriate people in charge. But, more on that later). You should always have some sort of satchel to carry your regs, forms, pencils for your nose, and calculator to figure money spent, whenever you attend a function. Go get one and claim it on your taxes. Tell the IRS I said you could.

Okay, you got the forms and you printed them out. Now put them in that old kit bag you have kicking around from your UPT days. Good boy. Now, go get a beer and come back tomorrow.

Is it tomorrow already? Okay. We left off printing out forms. You’ll see in the booklet a letter from Colonel Parkhurst. A fine, outstanding gentleman I’ve never met. Read this letter and look at the backside. This is the stuff you have to grab if an incident occurs. Grab everything you can and protect it from the newsies, CAP members, girlfriends etc. The NTSB and other initials-only kind-of

people are going to want to see them. Get out your highlighter and mark the important people you have to notify on the next few pages. Yes, you will actually have to read this and find them. Yep, I couldn’t figure it out either. Here is the gouge, call everybody! No, not really. If you are the only USAF rep on the scene, dig out your cell phone and call these people (they are on the last page of the book): {You already called 9-1-1 didn’t you?}

Ed Brown, Texas State Director, LO, (254) 799-4682 work. (254) 714-2679 home Lt Col Blake Fentress, SWR/CC, (817) 782-6400 work. (817) 427-5472 home Don’t call me!

These folks need to know! Tell them what happened. Put the blame on someone else. Give them the facts. Keep them in the loop. Go for the gusto. Sorry!

Secure the site. If necessary, shut down everything. Safely recover any airborne aircraft to the field. If unable, have them divert to the alternate and report in. Go back to page 2 of the book and see if you need to call any of those people using the flow chart provided. Wasn’t that nice of them?

Get initial statements of those that were witnesses. Put these individuals in a secure, private area away from the newsies. DO NOT MAKE ANY FRIGGIN STATEMENTS TO ANYBODY!

Do not speculate on what happened. Keep your cool. That’s why you got paid those big flight pay bucks. Make sure that everybody there knows YOU are in charge because of SAFETY reasons. Work with the CAP folks. They are the ones that were running the show so they should have a pretty good handle on what is going on and who is where. Use them to get everything to a safe point. Safely recover any ground teams and get an accurate head count. Now is the time to start writing………and writing……….and writing……….and yep……..more writing.

It would be a whole lot easier if nothing went wrong wouldn’t it? Got my point? Good! Put the little red book back in its special place in your little bag and hope you never have to use it. We are now done with the Infamous Part Two.

PART FIVE. - THREE SIR! …..RIGHT!

By now, you are probably wondering two things.

1. What have I gotten myself into? and

2. Who is the idiot that wrote this silly guide?

Well, let me assure you. This isn’t as hard as it seems. If you are like me, you are looking for the gravy train to retirement. Well, this ain’t it, but it is pretty close. As far as the idiot, well…..I’m not the one reading this am I? Anyway, let’s tackle something a little easier. Take out any three-ring binder you may have kicking around your desk. Now, get out two, sharpened, number two pencils. Lean back in your chair and relax a little bit. Isn’t this better? Do you see that acoustical ceiling above you? Take the two pencils and see if you can stick them in the acoustical ceiling above your head on the first try. Don’t get caught! Now, go to the back of this booklet. See if you can find the pages that on first glance may appear to be Rosters. You will find that in reality, they are actually Rosters. Don’t argue with me! Take your three-ring binder and insert these rosters somewhere in

there so that you can find them in the middle of a panic. These are the latest and greatest Rosters available at the time this guide was printed. (That would be sometime back during the Mezozoic Era so you may want to check for the most current listings here:) Hey look! I made a cute smiley…

… I hate those things……….

Texas Wing Headquarters Staff and Unit Rosters (Look under the Texas Wing Headquarters Administration section for the Excel format or PDF format rosters)

There are plenty of other rosters available for download from other locations. You will have to find your individual units and Region ones etc. Hey, I can’t do it all for you! Print these out and have them available. It is a good idea to have these so that when you meet somebody at the different events, you can figure out just who the heck they are in this organization and what unit they are from. (Or planet)

You now have some official, super-secret, do not release to anybody, Privacy Act stuff that everybody moans about.

Okay, now you have to fire up your printer again. Remember those CAP Regs I told you to get? Remember I told you I was going to tell you which ones to read? Well, I’m not going to do that yet. Go to this link: Wing Sups and download all of the Wing Sups to the CAP regs. You will see them near the end of the page. Download the zipped file to save time and then download the few regs that have been updated since they were zipped. Print the new ones first and then make sure to print the remaining ones you need out of the zipped file. If you accidentally printed out an old one, throw it away. Duh! Now find your three-hole punch and punch them. Now, post all of them. You may want to glance at these regs to familiarize yourself with them. Some of them actually are important. I’ll tell you which ones later.

Boy, that book is big! Guess what? We’ll take it apart later and only get the essential regs we will use a lot. We’ll keep “Big Blue” at home on the shelf with the dust-bunnies. Okay, check your paper supply. Restock if necessary. We are printing fools! Go to the CAPRAP homepage Aimhigh dudes and print out the current Rosters, schedules etc. The Privacy Act too, covers this. I never got a copy of the Privacy Act, so I don’t know what to tell you. Print them out, punch them, post them, and check them for errors. You’re listed on these rosters with your correct info aren’t you? What? You’re not? Send an email to the WRC at: Major Corey West and tell him to fix it. Hopefully, these are current. Check our schedule with that of the Wing’s at the LO’s site. (That would be Ed Brown’s and I’ve already given you the link several times.) Make sure they jive. If they don’t, find out which is right and make pen and ink changes. Let the proper person know so that they can fix their site. Boy that binder is starting to fill up. You almost look important. Okay fella, we’re just about to send you across the street for the first time. Nobody’s gonna hold your hand either.

SECTION 27 subchapter c :

Ahhh yes, the old section 27 Subchapter C information. Very useful stuff.

You should have attended three events in order to get this job. That, in itself, should have confused you enough to wonder if this is the right job for you. Let me allay your fears. No it isn’t. Quit now.

Run as fast as you can. Don’t look back. Sacrifice the slower ones. Save yourself.

If you are still here, pay attention. Go eat a donut and get your sugar level up really high. Some of this is considered snooze material by those in the know.

You, as a trained monkey, are to attend various events and do certain things at those events. The secret is in figuring out what to do at those events. Well, this is the secret stuff. Lower the Cone of Silence please. mmmmmmmmm (machine noise as imaginary Plexiglas device is lowered from ceiling)

-Can you hear me?-Yes, I can hear you all right

-Yes, you can’t hear? What did you say!-What about today!

- I said can you hear me now?-What does a cow have to do with this?

-Forget it! (individual is highly frustrated and pushes button activating retraction of cone of silence)

mmmmmmmmm (machine noise as imaginary plexiglass device is retracted into ceiling)

Congratulations, you have just attended a CAP SAREX.

No, it really isn’t always that bad. Just be ready for a few surprises. I am breaking down the different events so that you can have an idea of what to expect at each of them and how you might participate. Additions or suggestions to improve this area are highly recommended; as I have not attended all of the events listed and therefore have a limited understanding of what actually transpires at a particular event. Be ready to be shocked at some of the facilities where these events transpire. To say they are less than stellar would be kind. Always try to have a current/updated Wing Calendar and RAO calendar with you so that you can make sure there are no conflicts for events and that there is manning for any funded event. There have been numerous times when I have been at a Unit meeting and they are scheduling an event without a current version of the wing calendar and there will be a potential conflict with something else that is going on.

SCANNER/OBSERVER COURSE

As mentioned previously, this used to be an event hosted by the USAF. CAP members with AF oversight and assistance now present it. The reference material many people use is still the excellent AF guide that was developed by the SW region and is an excellent reference source. Again, there is no requirement for them to use this course. They may use whatever materials they wish to present the required training. The program as it was originally designed was a two-day event with a PowerPoint presentation that is downloadable from here: Bob Castle's Scanner Observer stuff or on the CdRom.

Find out who the project officer is for the event. Find out what area you are teaching. Get a proposed schedule for your presentation time and practice your portion of the program to make sure it fits in the allotted time. Personalize your portion. Spruce it up with anecdotes or personal

experiences to make it interesting. Don’t let the CAP members start a “there I was” event. You will find a large number of people that like to tell tales and then before you know it, you will run out of time. Stay in charge of the situation. Try to not keep going to the same person for input. If you have seen areas of weakness at some event that need highlighting, explain how it could be done better. Be sure to give praise where it is due as these guys like to hear what is good about their program. They will attempt to repeat it. Bring some work to keep you busy when you are not speaking. Interact with the members while the presentation is being given by another Reservist to assist them in the learning phase. The “whiz-wheel” portion of the event proves to be difficult for many members. Foot stomping during the presentation is highly recommended.

Good for many points for attendance, class preparation etc. Usually done in local area by local Reservists. MPA points possible but not likely.

MISSION CHECK PILOT COURSE (NCPSC)

Presented by CAP members with USAF funding. Your job is to listen in on the event presentation to make sure all pertinent items are briefed. You are a SAFETY officer. You are also to make sure that funds are not wasted or overspent. How do you know how much is being spent? Find the project officer and find out who is tracking the flight hours and the form ????? 91s? for the event. The approximate breakdown of costs are as follows per Wing? Group?

Cessna 182…………..$Cessna 172…………$Cessna 172R…………$

Don’t forget, the people who flew in have to fly back. Be sure to allot money for the return flights. Do not overspend the funds or there will be much pain. Any overage must be approved by xxxxxxxxxxx. At this number (xxx)xxx-ooooo While you are not liable for any overage, you are there to make sure the people in charge know there are only limited funds based on their original OpsPlan request.

While the briefing is going on, you can do a safety inspection of the aircraft using the form provided at the back of this book. A current version of the CAPF 71 can always be downloaded from here: http://www.airbase1.com/cap/cfo/capforms.html. It’s down the page a bit. Keep looking. Make sure you make a copy of it for your records and file it with the appropriate authorities. A good idea is to send a copy to Rick Swanson?, the maintenance guy for the Wing. He tries to be up to speed on these things and correct deficiencies as soon as he can.

CD TELECONFERENCE

This is a required event to attend by anyone participating in the CD program. You as Reservists, must attend every two years to stay current. You will get a card that states you have passed the training about 6-8 months after you complete the event. A special form must be filled out for a background check on you. Criminals need not apply. An almost all-day event, which is live-telecast and presented by very dynamic (insert sarcasm here) speakers. Interesting material but I have not yet attended any event that is CD sponsored. The funding for this stuff seems to be on-again, off-again. Do it and get your points and keep the WRC off your back. Failure to maintain currency results in no MPA days for you until you regain currency (if I remember correctly).

CADET ENCAMPMENTS WINTER/SUMMER

These are events that I know absolutely nothing about because I don’t have the time available to attend. I need input in this area from those that have attended.

WING SAREX/SAREVAL

This is a biggie. A SAREX is an exercise where the wing practices responding to a simulated event. A proposed OpsPlan is generated with a basic idea of what is going to happen at the event. You can usually tell how well the event is going to come off by the amount of effort put into the OpsPlan. I have seen numerous ones with bad phone numbers, contacts, locations, times, and so on. Security codes for gates are not made available so crews are left stranded outside until somebody comes along to let them in. No arrangements are made for lodging sometimes and hotels have gone out-of-business years prior yet are still listed. I think you get my drift. Question everything. Check everything. Critique everything. Quite frankly, I am a little frustrated at the CAP units just copying old stuff and not making the necessary corrections. They seem to think that if it worked last time, it will work this time. Not so. If last time was a disaster, it will be even worse this time. Identify problem areas early, find the project officer and have them fix the OpsPlan. When you show up to cover the event. There will be a briefing on the event outlining the scenario. Make note of how well the timing is maintained. If the brief is at 8:00, make a note of the time the actual brief takes place. I have seen them run very late. There are exceptions due to bad wx or a horrific accident on the interstate, but this should be briefed and a new start time given. They are supposed to be acting as if an airplane has gone down or some other event has occurred that requires their assistance. It is a good idea to have a minimum of two reservists attend. Three or more is better depending on the size of the event. There are needs for reservist to go out with the ground teams, inspect aircraft, observe briefings, inspect each of the different areas i.e. Air, Ground, Comm., monitor flightline procedures, hand a revised scenario to the project officer if necessary to accommodate changes due to wx or to simulate a distraction that could happen in real life. For example, you could simulate an electrical outage at the building due to overloaded equipment. There are good and bad events. I hope you get a good one.

A SAREVAL is the “counter”. This is when the Wing gets evaluated on their ability to respond to an event decided by the Air Force. This is funded. There will be reps from SWR there. The last one I attended was a tragedy to say the least. I have also attended one that was superb. The SAREX should have prepared the Wing for this but most times, they do not learn from their past mistakes. Maybe some day they will. Be gentle, but firm. Follow guidance given by SWR. Reveal nothing to the participants. Remain neutral but ever alert for SAFETY violations. Drink water or you gonna die. These are usually held every other year.

FLIGHT ENCAMPMENT

No knowledge

MNTN FLYING EXERCISE

From what I hear, this is the “best” event to attend. It is held in Alpine, TX near the Big Bend region. Participants learn how to fly in mountainous terrain. They learn aircraft limitations and hazards associated with mountain flying. Hotel space is limited as are funds. You can catch a ride there with a CAP aircraft if there is room. I wish I could have gone but my schedule did not allow it this year. After completing one event, a bunch of CAP members saw some bozo crash a plane on

takeoff at the field. The aircraft happened to belong to a CAP member (who thankfully was not attending) and had been rented. This individual had no idea about density altitude and killed the airplane. CAP members rushed to his rescue, got a find ribbon, and saw a prime example of why they attended the event. Two thumbs up.

COASTAL SAREX

Haven’t attended one. Held in Beaumont I think. Need input.

UNIT MEETINGS

Attending your unit meeting should be a fun event. Again, the level of organization makes it either enjoyable or hair-pulling. The CAP guys run the show. Let them know you are there to help them. Speak with the CC at a separate time and make him aware of your observations. Make suggestions on how he “might” improve his meetings. Try to foster support and activity at all levels. Get involved with the cadet program and see if you could give a presentation or two. There are always points for preparing a presentation. You might get permission form the WRC to attend other unit meetings to see how they are done. You might suggest the Unit CC attend one of those meetings with you to get some ideas. Perhaps they could join forces on some nights to get guest speakers to attend and build attendance. Guest speakers do a lot when there are large numbers in attendance. You might assist with the recruiting in a way that does not violate the regs. You could offer suggestions on how to go about getting new members. You could schedule members to speak at career days, have them attend career days with an airline, or get involved in a mentor program. You can assist in arranging field trips to the CR smith museum or any of the many aircraft museums in the Metroplex. A list will be forthcoming.xxxxxxxxxxxx. Read the AFI 10-2701 for ideas. Speak to other reservists. Buddy-attend meetings with other Reservists and get ideas at Corey’s CC call.Be creative. Let your mind flow with ideas. Remember, you are a prisoner for three and a half hours. Find some way to liven it up if it is droll. Bring in some of your videotapes from your flying days and use them for a short presentation to whet their appetite. Show the videos before the meetings start to get cadets and other members there early and then shut it off 5 minutes prior to the meeting starting. ‘Nuff said.

More to come