Thanks for reading about your Civil Air Patrol in the nation’s capital!

What is CAPRAP?

CAPRAP members provide oversight, advice, and liaison assistance to Civil Air Patrol members — the volunteer Air Force Auxiliary — in all areas of its missions.  To find out more about CAP, check out GoCivilAirPatrol.com.  CAPRAP provides the interface between the CAP and the Air Force — the eyes and ears of the Air Force in the day-to-day CAP business.

CAPRAP is managed by Civil Air Patrol-United States Air Force (CAP-USAF), an active duty organization located at Maxwell AFB, Ala.  While serving your country in this reserve assignment and earning retirement points, you will assist in educating America’s civic-minded people about aerospace education, influence young people to pursue aerospace careers, helping develop the skills of Civil Air Patrol members in providing emergency services during disasters, and participating in homeland security.  There are CAP wings in each state, Puerto Rico, and the National Capital Region.

Who is eligible?

Most USAFR and Air National Guard members eligible for assignment to a Ready Reserve position are potentially eligible to join CAPRAP.  Line officers must be in the grades of lieutenant through lieutenant colonel; enlisted members must be in the grades of senior airman through chief master sergeant.  Potential CAPRAP members must be promotable.  Officers twice passed over for promotion or who failed to make first lieutenant on the first try are not eligible.

Nearly all CAPRAP positions are Category E (non-pay, points-only) reserve assignments.  If you are a unit Reservist and would like to take on CAPRAP work as an additional duty (to earn more retirement points, for instance), you may serve as an attached member without prejudice to your unit assignment!

What would I do in CAPRAP?

CAPRAP members assist CAP unit commanders with administration and leadership, teach aerospace subjects to cadets, and serve as staff officers and advisers at cadet summer encampments, flight clinics, and leadership workshops.  Temporary tours of active duty in pay status, ranging from one to 29 days, are sometimes available in such diverse areas as: helping conduct aerospace education workshops; acting as advisers and evaluator on emergency services exercises; participating in homeland security activities; and assisting the faculty for staff colleges and cadet officer schools at national, regional, and subordinate unit levels.  Your duties in CAPRAP will vary depending on your interests and the amount of time you are willing to commit.  No UTAs or weekend drills are required.  Taking initiative, being safety-minded, and willing to work with people are key elements to success in this program.  All fully qualified Air Force Specialty Skills are accepted since duties primarily are as an instructor or of the planning and programs nature.

Benefits

The Civil Air Patrol Reserve Assistance Program offers many benefits to reservists.  As a member of CAPRAP, you are administratively assigned to the 9004th Air Reserve Squadron and are attached for training to one of eight CAP-USAF Liaison Region Offices.  CAPRAP reservists are in Category E, which is a program where you work for points-only toward retirement.  Possible active duty days and the inactive duty participation at a nearby CAP unit can usually be worked into the reservist’s civilian schedule.  The necessary 50 points required for a good year toward retirement can be earned through performing additional active and inactive duty and completion of various correspondence courses.  Completion of 12 points qualifies you for an OPR/EPR.  You do your duty and earn your points as you go, depending on how active you wish to be.

Locations

There are eight liaison regions (LRs) and 52 CAP wings.  Each region has an Air Force active duty commander (LRCC) who is responsible for the overall operation of the CAPRAP in his region.

• Northeast LR: CT, ME, MA, VT, PA, RI, NH, NJ, and NY
• Middle East LR: DE, MD, NatCap, NC, SC, WV, and VA
• Great Lakes LR: IN, IL, KY, MI, OH, and WI
• Southeast LR: AL, FL, GA, MS, TN, and PR
• North Central LR: IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, and SD
• Southwest LR: AZ, AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX
• Rocky Mountain LR: CO, ID, MT, UT, and WY
• Pacific LR: AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, and WA

Membership in CAPRAP can be a satisfying, fulfilling way of performing your Reserve duty while contributing to the mission of the Civil Air Patrol, its cadets and its dedicated volunteers.

If you want a one-of-a-kind reserve assignment where your current military and civilian skills can really have an impact on a great team of your fellow Americans, then the CAPRAP is for you.

Contact

Florence Edwards, HQ CAP-USAF/IMR
105 South Hansell Street, Bldg 714
Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6332
Comm: (334) 953-5225
DSN: 493-5225
E-mail: florence.edwards@us.af.mil

One of the many projects include supporting the Civil Air Patrol.  CAP serves America by developing our nation’s youth; performing local, state and national missions; and informing our citizens about the importance of aerospace education.

Here’s how you will be able to help Civil Air Patrol’s National Capital Wing Jan. 18, 2010:

• Issue area: Health
• Projects include: Volunteers will create personal first aid kits for search and rescue teams.
• Location: Washington Post, 1150 15th St., NW
• Nearest Metro: McPherson Square
• Project Time: 9a.m. to noon
• Project Size: 50 volunteers

Civil Air Patrol was founded in December 1941, one week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, by more than 150,000 citizens who were concerned about the defense of America‘s coastline.  Under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Forces, CAP pilots flew more than one-half million hours, were credited with sinking two enemy submarines and rescued hundreds of crash survivors during World War II.  On July 1, 1946, President Harry Truman established CAP as a federally chartered benevolent civilian corporation, and Congress passed Public Law 557 on May 26, 1948. CAP was charged with three primary missions – aerospace education, cadet programs and emergency services.  With the passage of Public Law 106-398 in October 2000, Congress provided that “The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer civilian auxiliary of the Air Force when the services of the Civil Air Patrol are used by any department or agency in any branch of the federal government.”

Make sure to register and support your local Civil Air Patrol!

Note: CAP members do not register with Greater DC Cares.  Assistance will be needed during the event coordinating first aid kit making and talking with volunteers about CAP.  Please use the online form below to signup.

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Click here to read the article.

Holiday Giving Tips

• 1. Seek out charities with capable leaders that are reasonably paid
  
  Civil Air Patrol is run by all volunteers that do not get paid.  To learn a little about our National Capital Wing commander, Col Richard Cooper, click on the About page above.  Click here to read about CAP’s national leadership structure.
  
• 2. Look for financially strong charities
  
  The Civil Air Patrol is a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress.  It has been around since 1941.  Click here to see the annual Report to Congress and financial statements — National Capital Wing is an operational ”chapter” of the national organization.
  
• 3. Investigate the charity’s outcomes
  
  Civil Air Patrol responds day or night when planes are overdue and distress beacons go off.  Its volunteers perform 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions.  And National Capital Wing flies over D.C. every month helping to keep our nation’s capital safe.  CAP also mentors more than 23,000 young Americans through its cadet program.
  
• 4. Check for evidence of questionable ethical practices
  
  Civil Air Patrol’s core values of Integrity, Volunteer Service, Excellence, and Respect serve as the ethical foundation for our personal and professional conduct.  Our core values are the foundation for six basic ethical principles: loyalty of members, honest effort in performing duties, impartiality, protection of federal property, disclosure of Fraud, Waste and Abuse, and the satisfaction of financial obligations.
  
• 5. Consider gifts to human services charities
  
  Civil Air Patrol directly saved 72 lives last year and 91 the year before.  When called out for a mission, our volunteers take time off work or school to help those in need.  Donations help us ensure our volunteers have what they need to get the job done — and hopefully save a life.
  
• 6. Trust your charity
  
  We hope that this blog, our wing’s homepage, Facebook fan page and Twitter page help keep you informed about our important missions as “Citizens Serving Communities: Above and Beyond” in the nation’s capital.  Your donations will help us carry out our important missions in a safe and effective manor.  Our immediate needs include purchasing a preheater for our aircraft, supplies for personal first aid kits for Greater DC Cares‘ MLK Day of Service, and to fund our flight scholarship for deserving local students.

Please help us by making a tax deductible donation to National Capital Wing.  Just $20 will go a long way in supporting your local Civil Air Patrol!  Click here to make a donation online through PayPal.  If you prefer to write a check, please make it payable to “CAP National Capital Wing” and mail to:

Civil Air Patrol
Attn: NatCap Wing Donation
200 McChord St., Suite 111
Bolling AFB, DC 20032

Thank you for your generosity!

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 58,000 members nationwide. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 72 lives in fiscal year 2009. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 23,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for 68 years.

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