CAP: CAP-USAF realignment benefits America’s youth

June 22, 2009
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

Big dividends for Civil Air Patrol cadet programs are expected out of an administrative shift by the U.S. Air Force’s Air University. Effective June 11, 2009, both CAP and CAP-USAF, the liaison between CAP and the Air Force, were realigned under the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizenship Development. All entities are housed at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

The realignment opens up lines of communication between the Air Force and CAP, its official civilian auxiliary, with a single Air Force point of contact for CAP’s citizenship and character development programs.

“We’re already seeing it,” said CAP Executive Director Don Rowland. “I believe there are a lot of positive things for us because of this.”

Under this new organizational chart, Air University remains the umbrella organization for the Holm Center, but CAP and CAP-USAF move from direct oversight by Air University to the Holm Center. CAP views this as a move to streamline Air Force and CAP youth programs.

The Holm Center, commanded by Brig. Gen. Teresa A.H. Djuric, already oversees the Air Force Reserve Office Training Corps, including Junior Air Force ROTC. Adding CAP will allow for better coordination and the opportunity to combine curricula for both cadet programs, plus a better structure for teaching teamwork, citizenship, discipline and fitness, as well as customs and courtesies. The supervisory realignment means cadets from either program will now be able to attend the same encampments, greatly expanding the program for both groups.

“This action will bring a more concentrated dialog to both units,” said Djuric. “Today, dialog happens at the unit level, but when it starts happening on a weekly basis at the command level, we will be better able to see how best practices … can be applied universally.”

Junior Air Force ROTC currently has 102,000 cadets nationwide and CAP has 22,000 cadets. Some young people retain memberships in both organizations, which have similar goals. Junior Air Force ROTC is basically an in-school program, while CAP cadets meet after school.

The two programs have previously cooperated on crossover activities, such as CAP offering orientation flights to Junior Air Force ROTC cadets and the Air Force inviting CAP cadets to attend its JROTC Honors Encampment this summer.

Meanwhile, CAP-USAF is also happy about reporting to the Holm Center. “The realignment allows CAP-USAF to offer emergency services training to Air Force ROTC and Junior ROTC students,” said CAP-USAF Commander Col. Bill Ward. “Being under the Holm Center also makes it easier to coordinate with ROTC and Officer Training School.”

CAP-USAF’s status as CAP program manager will remain unchanged. CAP-USAF will continue to be the primary interface to other federal agencies and will retain authority for approving CAP training and Air Force assigned missions. CAP-USAF will also keep daily operational control for joint tasking and will continue to review and make recommendations on CAP’s annual budget and program submissions.

Civil Air Patrol realigns with Holm Center

Air University Public Affairs

6/25/2009
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS)

Civil Air Patrol-U. S.Air Force realigned under the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development in a ceremony held at the center's Leadership Hall June 11.

Lt. Gen. Allen Peck, Air University commander, said the realignment is part of the evolution of Air University and falls under the category of an organization change request, or OCR. He said it could have been done with "a simple signature on a piece of paper," but he felt it should be done with a ceremony.

General Peck said realigning CAP-USAF under the Holm Center is the appropriate place for the organization because much of what the organization does involves citizen development.

"When we reorganized Air University into centers, we looked at CAP's role. There are great people doing great things at CAP, such as emergency services and search and rescue, and CAP is the auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force," he said. "The realignment allows a lot of opportunity for synergy between CAP-USAF and the Holm Center, and this is a win-win situation that is good for both organizations."

Brig. Gen. Teresa Djuric, Holm Center commander, said the men and women of both CAP-USAF and the Holm Center recognize the importance of the realignment.

"CAP-USAF and the Holm Center have had a strong relationship for quite awhile now; a relationship that started long before the OCR," she said. "This action will bring a more concentrated dialogue to both units. Today, dialogue happens at the unit level, but when it starts happening on a weekly basis at the command level, we will be better able to see how best practices that have been proven successful can be applied universally. This is truly symbiotic."

Col. Bill Ward, CAP-USAF commander, said with the transition comes aerospace education and curriculum.

"For example, emergency services is a lot of what CAP does, and the realignment allows CAP-USAF to offer that training to Reserve Officer Training Corps, and Junior ROTC students," he said. "In one sense the move will be fairly seamless in nature, but in another sense, CAP-USAF will now have 'one-star advocacy' on a regular basis. Also, being under the Holm Center will make it easier to coordinate with ROTC and Officer Training School."

Colonel Ward said under the provisions of U.S. Code 10, CAP-USAF oversees the operation of Civil Air Patrol. He is confident Holm Center personnel will find that CAP-USAF can assist them with their programs and will hopefully take advantage of that aspect of the realignment.

Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. In addition to providing emergency services, CAP-USAF personnel provide support, liaison and oversight to the more than 57,000 CAP cadets and volunteers.