Arrrgggghhhhh!!! My daughter asked me if she could join the Civil Air

[ScreamingMeemie]

Patrol. It's a junior freeper kind of thing. She helped them out this weekend at a festival and now she is all gung ho to join. I think she met a cute boy or something. She is 13 and we usually okay anything she wants to try out, but this group seems like so much brainwashing of 13-21 year olds. HELP!!!!!

[sugargoose]

1. Make her write an essay

Explaining what positions of theirs she supports and why.

Maybe if she really looks at it she won't find so much in common with them

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. Good idea, and thanks. We did this when she wanted to make her

first Communion, and we had suspected she wanted the pretty white dress. Thanks for your input.

[Corgigal]

2. I don't think so

My husband was in it because he liked the kids. I was active duty Air Force and I'm not a Freeper. If shes like most kids she will join, get her uniform and within 6 months she will move onto something else.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. I am somewhat relieved to hear this, thank you. The brochures she

was given turned my stomach quite a bit. I am truly hoping it is the cute guy thing. I hope I did not offend you in any way, shape or form, I just read the info and it didn't sound very appealing. If I did offend you, I offer apologies.

I have an Uncle (ret. Lt. Colonel in AF) and I just sent and email to him asking advice.

Thanks again, Laura

[Corgigal]

6. No problem

The kids do make nice friendships. Also they do check out the adults but make sure anyway. I would like my 13 year old join the Civil Air Patrol but do my damnest not to allow her to join the military.

[Jack_Sparrow]

3. time for bed

I thought that said "Civil War" before clicking the link.... :eyes:

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. Nighty night. Methinks you've had too much rum.

:-)

[Jack_Sparrow]

8. or I am just an incurable history geek!

But WHY the rum???

[Democrats unite]

9. Mrs. Grumpy how much do you know about...

Civil Air Patrol? I was in the Civil Air Patrol In Florida in the late 70's early 80's. I thought it to be a wonderful experience. Our main mission was to fly daily flights along the S.W. coast of Florida looking for stranded boats or people lost in the ocean. There was nothing political about it. We were a buch of kids, supervised by a bunch of adult pilots. Our one goal was to help people. Please do not destroy my teeange memories and tell me that is not what it is about today.

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. Not much. That is why I am here. The woman who had approached my

daughter is a staunch God,Bush and American power kind of person, so I was rightfully concerned. I will have to look into it farther. Thanks.

[BurtWorm]

10. Are there any communist cells in your neighborhood

with cute 13 year old boys in them? (Always offer alternatives.)

[BiggJawn]

11. "Junior Freeper Thing"???

Thanks a fuckin' BUTTLOAD!

I was a Cadet Warrant Officer in the CAP from 1973 to 1977...
Search and Rescue was our game.

You really slap the face of all the men and women and young folks who've served in the CAP since WWII.
We bombed U-Boats,(and maybe sunk one) when Adm. King insisted that the East Coast was safe from Doenitz (what an ass)
We have spent uncounted man-hours searching for lost aircraft and rescuing downed fliers.

I swear, just because there's uniforms involved, some people IMMEDIATELY start thinking "Hitler Jugend"...

Your daughter could do a lot worse.

[ScreamingMeemie]

14. Direct quotes from the brochure I received....

"In these times of National upheaval..."

"Many of our cadets go on to rewarding careers in the military"

Letter from Mother of cadet, "It has renewed our faith in God, that HE in his infinite wisdom, brought my son to service for his country"

These things bother me, I asked a question, I won't apologize for being worried, but I do apologize that you took offense.

[BiggJawn]

22. Oh. NO! That's not the CAP I was in...

I'm sorry I jumped you, Mrs.G...

Yeah, some did go into the Air Force (I thought the recruiter was too "eager" and smelled a Rat)but it wasn't pushed that hard (hell, how could you keep a squadron up to strength if all your kids were running away to Lackland instead of becoming Senior Members?)
And we did have a "Squadron Chaplain" (A kindly old Catholic Priest who wasn't into prosletyzing) but there was none of this "For GOD, Country, and FUHERER!" crap.

It used to be a great organization, pilots helping other pilots, and in some squadrons, a really cheap way for young folks to learn how to fly airplanes.

Sounds like the bastards have "Homeland Securitied" even this.
CAP is (was?) an Auxilliary of the USAF, not a part of Tommy Timber-toes' underfunded "Homeguard"

Maybe you should talk to the Squadron Commander, see if he's all gung-ho "Be vewwy,vewwy kwiet, we're hunting Al-Kaydee..." or not....

[Catch22Dem]

12. I take offense

Where do you get "Jr. Freeper Thing?" Quite the contrary. CAP is a great thing for kids to get into. I won't take the time to extol the virtues here, but give it an honest look. I was in CAP for several years and I'm no Senior Freeper.

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. Ummm,it's run out of a Church basement, they go on an annual hunting

trip (some of them). It was a concern of mine folks, if you took the time to read. I was asking for advice, not making a final decision. Thanks for jumping all over me. I guess I thought I could find good advice here?

[Catch22Dem]

24. WOW!

Not the kind of CAP I was a member of in the 80s. Not at all. We did really cool stuff. I remember I was about 14 years old, a plane went down in western Okla. We went in and did the searching. I did two days of searching and on the third day was asked to work the radios in the tower of this little tiny airstrip. Of course I had supervision, but this guy pretty much let me do all the talking and directed me on how to keep track of the 4 or 5 planes we had in the air, along with the half dozen ground teams. I was 14 and felt like I was running NORAD. It truly was the experience of a lifetime. Unfortunately, the wreckage was found, and there were no survivors.

[ScreamingMeemie]

27. That does sound really interesting and something she would like.

I will have to check into it, and the background of this particular group, again...thanks.

[Catch22Dem]

25. I didn't jump all over you did I?

At least I don't feel like I did. Anyway...apologies if that's how it came across. I'm also former Air Force, and thing CAP is a great experience for kids. My advice is (if you live in a large enough city) find another CAP Squadron. Sounds like the "Church Basement" Squadron is a joke. The best ones are the ones around AF bases and Guard bases. That's where the kids really get to learn about some really neat things.

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. Thank you very much for your advice. My husband told me I was

unusually "grumpy" tonight, so maybe I took you wrong. Please accept my sincere apologies. :toast:

[Don_G]

13. Civil Air Patrol?

Kinda of a Pilot's Asssociation that helps out in Air Searches when a plane goes down in the state you're in?

The Air Force supports it, but the Air Force isn't a rabid bed of idiots either. NASA picks and chooses from the best, and I recall an actor by the name of "Jimmy" Stewart retiring as a General from the USAF well after his combat action during WWII.

Besides, I got certified to fly single and twin-engined planes.

It was fun, but I never got to meet a lot of girls my age....

[ScreamingMeemie]

18. Thank you for your input and for not jumping all over me.

These kids mostly seem to help out at church functions.

[Don_G]

29. Just Speaking From My Experience....

As a Mom, you know better than I ever could....

As a Du'er, you're looking for informed input; I just wish everything and everyone on this Forum worked in the same manner....

Hard not to raise a child right without listening to every source availabile and...ultimately...doing what's right.....

[PassingFair]

44. Mrs. Grumpy...

Is this a Catholic organization? Several other posters have indicate the presence of Catholic clergy. Did all of you guys meet in churches?
Just curious...

[ScreamingMeemie]

45. PassingFair, this one -it seems- is more catholic than the rest, I am

hearing. But, the brochure is very Christian oriented and is published by the CAP organization. So right now, the jury is out.

I was raised a Catholic, as you may know, and had never heard of it. But then, I have spent most of my life under a rock, which is what most AOL posters liked to remind me of...often, using more vulgar terms.

I am still thinking this is all about some cute guy named Zack. Be on the lookout for mentions of Zack during afternoon gab sessions at casa PF.

[FlaGranny]

15. My son spent several years in the CAP.

He loved it. He's not a freeper. He's very, very liberal. He got his radio operators license in the CAP. The CAP patrolled our coastlines looking for submarines in WWII. They search for downed airplanes. They are a good thing.

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. Glad to hear that, Thank you. Nothing in the literature I received

mentioned anything of that nature.

[Ellen Forradalom]

17. One of my recent colleagues was involved with Civil Air Patrol

He was a doofus with a bad moustache who had me do half his thinking. But they may not all be that way. Keep an open mind.

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. Thank you, that's what I am trying to do. Seems like a lot of sore toes

here though, whoops, my mistake.

[FlaGranny]

23. It's easy to step on toes around here.

:-) I'm sure this would be a good experience for your daughter. It is another life experience. While my son was in the CAP, he was "on duty" at the radio one Saturday when he witnessed a small plane crash on takeoff (no air traffic controllers - small airport). He was the first to call for help. Unfortunately the pilot was killed. My son was interviewed by the local papers. The interview was a very good experience for him. He learned that you cannot always believe what you read in the papers. They did NOT get the interview right. But, as I said, the CAP can be a worthwhile life experience.

[BeHereNow]

28. Show her the pictures from Iraq!

If that doesn't work, lock her up for the next twenty years!
Holy Shite! If my kid wanted to do that I would chain her to
my ankle!
BHN

[FireHeart]

30. I was in CAP

Long time ago. I found it to be a very interesting experience and my love of flying was enhanced a great deal.

I honestly don't know what it is like today. But back then, we had a marvelous time and we learned a great deal.

Unfortunately, during those days, it was "male only" and females couldn't get a foot in the door. Times change, thankfully. Your daughter might find a whole new world opening for her.

[JohnKleeb]

31. say what

Your choice Mrs G, I dont know. I myself got freaked out by the ROTC people, and I never plan to join.

[FlaGranny]

41. ROTC and CAP are two entirely different things.

CAP are civilian pilots mentoring kids and doing search and rescue.

[Booberdawg]

32. I WOULD LOCK HER IN HER ROOM FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS!

Just kidding - I was doin' a Skittles. :D

I thought at first it said Civil "War"!!:o

We are both parents - I've seen enough of you to know you are one of the pretty level headed people around here. You have received some good advice, and if it's just a cute boy thing you will handle that well. If it develops into an interest in the group I have no doubt your good influence would override any feeper inclinations of the woman who approached your daugher.

Yer gonna be okay. ;)

[JohnKleeb]

33. Boober our eye sight must be the same because I made the same intial

judgement. If you really wanted to do a skittles you would add a swear or two a fuck or damn.

[Booberdawg]

34. Hi John!

Well, a fuck or damn wasn't really appropriate in this case, or I would have. :hi:

[Booberdawg]

35. BTW, what are you doing up on a school night anyway???

[ScreamingMeemie]

38. Thank you! Funny, when I posted this I said to myself,"Self, there are

going to be some people who are going to read this as Civil War, because I myself did. hahahaha.

Thanks for your backup, have a great day.

Laura

[trof]

36. I was in the CAP

back in the 50s. I don't remember having a chaplain.
The HQ is here in Alabama, at Maxwell AFB.
Happened to run into the local commander at a meeting yesterday. If I understood him right, the CAP (at least in AL) has opted out of the HSA. Interestingly, it would cost too much in admin costs (which would not be reimbursed by HSA) to participate. HSA is beginning to sound like a paper tiger.

Sounds like CAP is kind of like Boy Scout troops & such. They are different from place to place and may reflect the biases of the organizers. If this one doesn't look good, then I'd advise against it.

I had fun in my squadron. Got out of school a few times to search for missing aircraft. Found one once and that wasn't so fun.

[ScreamingMeemie]

37. Thank you for your response. I am going to do some more research

and possibly look into other groups, because alot of what I am hearing is good stuff, and this group didn't portray any of this.

Thanks Again,Laura

[Braden]

39. not a freeper thing

I knew several people who did it in their youth and loved it.

Young Republicans = BAD
CAP = Good

[LuLu550]

40. DYSLEXIA STRIKES!

I read that "my daughter wants to be in the Civil War"...and thought
:wtf: ?????
I'm such a moron I should run for "presidnet."

[Kamika]

43. why not

You would be able to read the speeches better then Bush

[CanuckAmok]

42. "Brainwashing"?? Are you kidding? Lee Harvey Oswald...

was a member...and he turned out alright.