Question about CAP

S

skybound42

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Joined
Apr 15, 2022
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I have recently discovered about CAP on these forums and have done some research about it and it looks fun and perfect to me. One conflict I have though is that I have an opportunity to join my county’s leadership council but it would conflict with a CAP schedule. Is CAP worth it to join considering I’m going to be a sophomore next school year? How long would it take to get the billy Mitchell award while doing other ECs? Would the Acadamy look more favorably on CAP or the leadership council? Also I wouldn’t be able to join till July because of summer plans. Any responses will be appreciated.
Also I have hockey around 5 days a week and every other weekend.
 
Hi! I'm currently a C/Lt Col in CAP and I have loved EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND. I would, however, caution you against joining CAP just because it might look better than the county leadership council (which sounds awesome btw). Do what you have a passion for, that way when you start your USAFA application you'll be proud of who you are, and living, as VADM James Stockdale put it, integral with who you really are. I personally got my Mitchell in 1.5 years (minimum time), but you definitely need to commit a lot of time towards it, at least later on in the program. You will get out of CAP what you put in. Some things I did within my first year of CAP membership that were particularly special for me in my personal development:
- Hawk Mountain Ranger School (I had the opportunity to spend 9 days in the field (Appalachain Trail) with former Army/USAF/USMC special forces learning as much as I could from them about Search and Rescue/survival/mental toughness.:angel:)
- Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Familiarization Course (I got to ride in a T-1A Jayhawk and see a little of what real pilot training is like.)
- Staffing several Florida Encampments (It helped me so much to be in a learning environment that had (semi) real responsibilities and be able to make mistakes and learn from experienced leaders.)
- Florida Leadership Academy (We went off the deep end on AFROTC leadership curriculum often conducting detailed analyses of AU-24 essays. Most CAP Leadership Curriculum (at least that I've been exposed to) is straight from USAF material, although a little watered down in some respects.)

Regardless, CAP is about learning to a responsible citizen and has provided me with an endless stream of learning opportunities from people who have gone before me! So with that said, go with your gut! Whether you join CAP and/or the county leadership council, or even another cadet program, just be open to learning, failure, making mistakes, working hard, and being a good team player and you'll be set! Have an awesome day and I can't wait to serve with you someday!
 
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It certainly can't hurt, but like any extracurricular activity, don't do it just to check the block or pad the resume. CAP is what you make of it ...I had a great experience (long long ago), with encampments, actual SAR events, etc. I earned a flight scholarship that got me through my first solo (I think I was 16 or 17, whatever was legal then). The other benefit is you learn the fundamentals of how to wear a uniform and other military things, so you aren't completely lost when checking in for Plebe summer (or whatever AF calls it)
 
Is there an exclusivity story around the leadership council? What type of activity/impact can you do as a member of the leadership council?

In terms of impact on your Whole Candidate Score, the easier path is to join CAP and advance. Like BSA, there are check boxes on your application for CAP achievements. As the official youth program of the USAF, the admissions board is well aware of CAP activities/terms/roles/achievements. This makes conveying your achievements much easier to a panel of people who do not know you.

However, IF the alternate activity was exclusive and had great impact - that may be the better option if you can communicate how unique it is.

Example bullet statements that could come from a role like this:
Selected as 1 of 3 (out of 99k) high school youth in my county (126 sq miles & 4mil people) to serve as youth leadership advisors to the county commissioner.
Oversaw budget of $98k to create youth tutoring program for the county -- resulting in 47% increase YoY in STEM test grades, benefiting 60k students.

As others have mentioned, CAP is great - but only if you are active and advance.
 
In all honesty, I would highly recommend doing both if you are able to find a way to do so. For your application to the Academy, it is very important that you have demonstrated leadership ability and experiences you can draw from, whether they are from sports teams, leadership councils, etc. For that reason, I would recommend you stick with your county leadership.

As a former CAP cadet, I believe CAP is the single best program for teenagers interested in the Air Force and aviation. That said, it can take a long time for a cadet to be able to take advantage of the most impactful and "resume-building" opportunities (flight academies, Encampment staffing, National Cadet Special Activities, in-squad leadership, etc). I would recommend talking with your local unit and seeing how far you will be able to get before the start of senior year.

Good luck!
 
shiner said:
Is there an exclusivity story around the leadership council? What type of activity/impact can you do as a member of the leadership council?

In terms of impact on your Whole Candidate Score, the easier path is to join CAP and advance. Like BSA, there are check boxes on your application for CAP achievements. As the official youth program of the USAF, the admissions board is well aware of CAP activities/terms/roles/achievements. This makes conveying your achievements much easier to a panel of people who do not know you.

However, IF the alternate activity was exclusive and had great impact - that may be the better option if you can communicate how unique it is.

Example bullet statements that could come from a role like this:
Selected as 1 of 3 (out of 99k) high school youth in my county (126 sq miles & 4mil people) to serve as youth leadership advisors to the county commissioner.
Oversaw budget of $98k to create youth tutoring program for the county -- resulting in 47% increase YoY in STEM test grades, benefiting 60k students.

As others have mentioned, CAP is great - but only if you are active and advance.
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The leadership council represents the youth of the county in certain meetings and other county events. We meet with county officials and volunteer regularly. You also can create projects and join important projects.
 
ModernDayKnight said:
Hi! I'm currently a C/Lt Col in CAP and I have loved EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND. I would, however, caution you against joining CAP just because it might look better than the county leadership council (which sounds awesome btw). Do what you have a passion for, that way when you start your USAFA application you'll be proud of who you are, and living, as VADM James Stockdale put it, integral with who you really are. I personally got my Mitchell in 1.5 years (minimum time), but you definitely need to commit a lot of time towards it, at least later on in the program. You will get out of CAP what you put in. Some things I did within my first year of CAP membership that were particularly special for me in my personal development:
- Hawk Mountain Ranger School (I had the opportunity to spend 9 days in the field (Appalachain Trail) with former Army/USAF/USMC special forces learning as much as I could from them about Search and Rescue/survival/mental toughness.:angel:)
- Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Familiarization Course (I got to ride in a T-1A Jayhawk and see a little of what real pilot training is like.)
- Staffing several Florida Encampments (It helped me so much to be in a learning environment that had (semi) real responsibilities and be able to make mistakes and learn from experienced leaders.)
- Florida Leadership Academy (We went off the deep end on AFROTC leadership curriculum often conducting detailed analyses of AU-24 essays. Most CAP Leadership Curriculum (at least that I've been exposed to) is straight from USAF material, although a little watered down in some respects.)

Regardless, CAP is about learning to a responsible citizen and has provided me with an endless stream of learning opportunities from people who have gone before me! So with that said, go with your gut! Whether you join CAP and/or the county leadership council, or even another cadet program, just be open to learning, failure, making mistakes, working hard, and being a good team player and you'll be set! Have an awesome day and I can't wait to serve with you someday!
Click to expand...
How does the promotion system work do you promote every 2 months if you come to every meeting and excel. And are there events every weekend because with my hockey I would only be able to attend 1 to 2 events a month.
 
skybound42 said:
How does the promotion system work do you promote every 2 months if you come to every meeting and excel. And are there events every weekend because with my hockey I would only be able to attend 1 to 2 events a month.
Click to expand...
Like scouting, there is criteria for each rank. You also take exams before advancing. It is certainly not a participation trophy for perfect attendance.
 
shiner said:
Like scouting, there is criteria for each rank. You also take exams before advancing. It is certainly not a participation trophy for perfect attendance.
Click to expand...
So every 2 months when your up for a promotion you take an exam and if you pass you rank up but if you fail do you have to wait another month?
 
skybound42 said:
So every 2 months when your up for a promotion you take an exam and if you pass you rank up but if you fail do you have to wait another month?
Click to expand...
There's more to it than a simple time frame. There's where you are, what leadership you've displayed, how you do on the academic and physical tests, etc...etc...

I have seen cadets achieve their Mitchell Award in 15-20 months, I've seen it take much longer. There's a myriad of variables that are unique to each cadet so you can't really guess.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
CAP member since February 1975
(IACE '77)
 
check if there are other CAP squadrons nearby…my DD had to choose one a little further from
us to fit her schedule. She joined Feb of freshman year and earned Mitchell prior to her senior year juggling varsity sports (captain for 2 years), band (section leader) and all honor courses.
 
jaglvr said:
check if there are other CAP squadrons nearby…my DD had to choose one a little further from
us to fit her schedule. She joined Feb of freshman year and earned Mitchell prior to her senior year juggling varsity sports (captain for 2 years), band (section leader) and all honor courses.
Click to expand...
Did you guys have events every weekend and you can pick and chose which ones you go to?
 
skybound42 said:
Did you guys have events every weekend and you can pick and chose which ones you go to?
Click to expand...
Her squadron put out schedules 3-4 months out to be able to plan what they could participate in with 2 hour meetings once a week.
 
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