I'm heavily involved with the Civil Air Patrol. If you're unfamiliar, it is an organization of about 60,000 volunteers throughout the United States dedicated to a three-pronged mission. The three aspects are Cadet programs, aerospace education, and Emergency Services/Disaster Relief.
I joined back in 2003, looking for a way to serve my country after 9-11 and finding that I was "too old" to be an air marshal. CAP fit the bill. Being an experienced pilot and flight instructor, I found they had use for someone like me to train and check pilots, and then some. I became a safety officer, then a deputy commander. Other duties included specializing in Flight Operations, Safety, and Standards and Evaluation. I was assigned as a Flight Release Officer, and Check Pilot (examiner). Along the way I took on the tasks of being the project officer for Pilot Proficiency Continuation training, Aircrew training, and lately, a cadet week-long ground school, scheduled for this summer. I see parallels to the martial arts experience in all this and it helps keep my perspective fresh.
Being the newbie a few years ago, I thought about how the white belt feels, coming to class in their pajamas and looking at all the variations in the uniforms. That one is white, that one black; and that person has a white top and black pants. What's that patch for? I was at a large conference, looking around the same way and thinking the same things. As I got deeper into the workings of the Florida Wing I saw how they train and provide opportunity to progress and learn in their specialties. All good stuff. It refreshed me.
I am a hands-on guy, and I like to facilitate growth. There is a unit in our group that needed some attention, and I spent a lot of time with these people. I saw the unit turn around; shakily, but turning. Like that yellow belt in the back row, you're not sure if they're going to stick but they do. And often enough they turn into something wonderful.
Along with that, they may or may not tell you what you did for them. Or they may tell you but you may not truly realize the profound impact you had on their life. When they do, it is very satisfying and memorable.
Just a few weeks ago, at our monthly Commander's Call (a meeting of the individual unit commanders and the group staff), that unit commander asked that he make a presentation. I was presented with a letter of appreciation from the commander and a photograph of the commander of USAF-TRANSCOM, a four-star general, signed to me. They roasted me just a bit as well, but it was good-natured and we all had a laugh. (I have a license plate frame on my car that says "Too close for missiles, I'm switching to guns." They said I go to guns fairly frequently. I've been called "The Hammer" by another unit, the one I originally started with, but they still call me one of their own.) But, as in Kenpo training, you have to be hard on them at times if you want them to achieve.
CAP does 90% of the inland search and rescue in the US. We're the people who look for lost people in the wilderness and overdue, missing or downed aircraft. There are CAP units all over and a directory is at www.cap.gov. Florida has a website at www.flwg.us.
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