Civil Air Patrol’s Emergency Services program is
designed for you to serve effectively in a crisis anywhere in the world. It gives you
opportunities to develop poise by putting theoretical followership and leadership knowledge to work. It’s also
fun to develop a “mission mindset” for maximum preparedness.
Below, minimum requirements are listed for getting started. Be diligent and work through them a little every day so you can
experience the true gratification that comes to those who put aside lesser things. We expect you to take responsibility
for following through and to ask questions* when you feel stuck. Do not delay or you may miss a life-changing
opportunity.
Indiana Wing conducts
annual search-and-rescue exercises in different locales every winter, spring, and summer. Other training
opportunities happen at the local and regional level throughout the year; see
Indiana Wing’s calendar for all dates and our
squadron web site for dates we are planning to attend,
though you can go without anyone else. With advance permission, you can also participate in other wings’ trainings
and SAREXs and apply for special activities like National Emergency Services Academy
(Camp Atterbury), SAR Academy (Michigan),
Lone Star Emergency Services Academy (Texas),
Hawk Mountain Ranger School (Pennsylvania), and the
Air Force Pararescue Course (New Mexico).
Print this guide and turn it into a checklist with a pen. Mark it up and make it work for you.
In a nutshell, here are the major steps for getting started:
- Join C.A.P., finish level one (2-6 weeks)
- General ES quiz (1 hour)
- Radio intro course (2 hours)
- Staff assistant prep (1 hour+)
- Urban direction-finding prep (1 hour+)
- Basic ground team prep (optional, ?? hours)
- Air crew prep (18+, optional, ?? hours)
Additional resources
1. Join Civil Air Patrol and finish level one
Youth ages 12-20
The first steps for prospective cadets are to attend our next open house; follow
our Facebook page for announcements. After that, visit two
more meetings, become a member, finish the
Curry achievement, and acquire
a complete ABU uniform. This can be done in just a few weeks. While waiting for an open house, get a head-start by memorizing
the Cadet Oath on the last page of the
New Cadet Guide and begin putting into practice everything that is written in that guide.
Adults age 21+
Prospective adults must also visit three meetings but don’t have to wait for an open house. After expressing your decision to
join, you will be interviewed, pass a background check,
join C.A.P. as a full member, finish the Level 1 Orientation, and acquire a uniform (choose from polo combo, complete ABU, or blue BDU).
Expect this to take 4-6 weeks. While you wait, you can finish many of the steps below.
2. Pass the open-book General ES quiz
Communicate to our ES Officers that you want to begin emergency services training. They will arrange
to meet you early next Wednesday evening to complete the GES Test. It is open-book and has no time limit, but plan on
an hour or more for discussion. Know of another cadet or adult who may be interested? Bring them along, too!
At this time, we can also discuss what ES direction(s) you may want to go and the general steps to get there, beyond the basics below.
Parents are welcome to join us for this so you can get some questions answered.
3. Pass Introductory Communications Training and rehearse the radio alphabet
To be helpful at any type of event, you need to know how to properly use a radio. ICUT is ten brief lessons that prepare you to do that. Sign
into the
learning management system, click
Go to AXIS,
scroll down for
Introductory Communications User Training, and click Start to begin watching each video and then take the short quizzes.
Take good notes as you go so you can easily pass each quiz, and keep them handy so you can review before your in-person evaluation and before
each mission.
Estimated time to complete, including note-taking: 2 hours
Print this
radio alphabet and practice to reinforce a mission mindset. For example, you can make
it a game to read license plates out loud while driving around or to see how fast you can read serial numbers and codes on equipment around the
house or at work. Can you write codes down accurately when others read them to you? Tape a copy of the alphabet somewhere where you will remember
to use it when giving out your email address, phone number, coordinates, or whatever.
4. Practice the six duties of a mission staff assistant
While waiting for the next exercise, you can be studying ground team skills, but you can also reinforce mission mindset by practicing how to be a
“mission staff assistant.” Staff assistants can be any age and will rotate around mission base during meetings, events, and exercises to
fulfill age- and experience-appropriate tasks. This is an excellent way to be helpful right away with not much training. Being a staff assistant at
an exercise is also a great way to see if you might like to specialize in a certain mission base section now or later.
To qualify as an MSA trainee, memorize and practice the six duties of an MSA:
- Conduct yourself in a professional manner
- Seek guidance from a supervisor when unsure about how to handle a task or situation
- Provide support to staff members in the mission base sections, together known as “FLOPS”:
- Finance & Administration
- Logistics
- Operations
- Planning
- Safety
- Help with sign-in/sign-out, updating status boards, reports, financials, and other duties as assigned
- Help reduce confusion by escorting visitors to the correct staff member:
- Escort news media and casual visitors to the Public Information Officer
- Escort visiting relatives to the Public Information Officer or the Chaplain
Every meeting and event should be approached with a mission mindset. To get good at thinking ahead and serving proactively,
practice MSA duties at squadron meetings and events, and volunteer to help at Wing events. Help is always needed and appreciated,
such as:
- Arrange tables, chairs, printers, power strips, and extension cords in the meeting rooms
- Set up and start the flight simulators
- Charge radio batteries as needed
- Distribute radios and keep a list of who received what; use list to collect them at the end
- Set up the electronic check-in station and make sure everyone uses it before entry
- Use a checklist to verify everyone has the paperwork required for every event (CAP ID, F160, and F161) and a
notepad and pen
- Protect officers from interruptions by cheerfully collecting questions from parents and visitors at the door
- Update the announcements/upcoming events board
- Help members label their belongings
- Put away printers, power strips, extension cords, HDMI cables, etc.
- Volunteer to organize a few orientation flights for fellow cadets
- Look for other ways to be helpful or find someone who looks busy and ask how you can help
- Continue your education by gradually reading the Mission Base Reference Text (link below)
5. Urban Direction-Finding prep
If you wish to be out and about during training, UDF qualification is the quickest way. Some of the skills
overlap with basic ground team prep, but you do not need as much gear to get started and there is less to
memorize.
To join a ground team as a UDF trainee, collect items on the first page of
this list.
Also, study
these five pages from the
Ground
Team Task Guide and email your chain of command when ready to be evaluated.
It may seem irrelevant to you, so use your imagination or role-play with a sibling or colleague.
6. Basic Ground Team Training
If you wish to be outdoors during training, begin or continue collecting gear on
this
list.
“Fam & prep” skills are listed at the top of the GTM3 SQTR. Rehearse the first 48 pages of the
Ground Team
Task Book (PDF, 208pp), which covers:
- Preparing your equipment†
- Preventing and treating hot/cold-weather injuries
- Identifying natural hazards
- Preventing and treating fatigue
- Conducting field sanitation and hygiene
- Using a compass
- Exercising universal precautions
- What to do if lost
As you have time, keep reading and prepare to get signed off on even more tasks. Expanded details appear
in the
Ground Team Reference Text (PDF,
150pp). Study these on your own, drill with a sibling or colleague, and email your chain of command when
you’re ready for an evaluation.
†You will read in the book about gear that is eventually expected for your personal 24-hour
pack and, later, a 72-hour pack. It is difficult at this stage to know exactly what you need—what size
pack? how durable? what brand flashlight?—and much is left to personal preference. In fact, the more
seasoned ground teams don’t even bother with a 24-hour pack. When in doubt, wait until you have
participated in a SAREX or two or three or more to see what others are using so you can make an informed decision.
OPTIONAL: Air Crew prep
Members 18 years old and above may want to serve on a search-and-rescue air crew. “Fam & prep” skills are
listed at the top of the
Mission Scanner checklist. The details
for each are in the
Air Crew & Flightline Task Guide
.
You can begin studying this information any time, regardless of age, though we recommend completing the above steps
first or simultaneously to give you a good foundation.
RECOMMENDED: Mission Base Reference Text
There are dozens of distinct duties (see below) that you can train for in the emergency services program. For
insight into the big picture, read the
Mission Base Staff Reference
Text (PDF, 147pp), which covers:
- Incident Command Structure (ICS)
- Facilities, resources, and staffing
- Common responsibilities
- Organizing for incidents and events
- Air operations
- Major incident management
- Multi-agency cooperation
- Practical scenarios
What Mission Duties Exist?
46 distinct mission duties are listed here in alphabetical order. Looking to the future, what duties look interesting? You can pursue
more than one. If you’re not sure, read the SQTR then ask around to find out what the job is really like.
To pursue an assignment, do the prerequisites, participate in SAREXs and training, get to know people, study, and verbalize your
interest.
- ADIS Aerial Digital Imaging System Operator
- AOBD Air Operations Branch Director
- AP Airborne Photographer
- CERT Community Emergency Response Team
- CSSCS Chaplain Support Specialist (CAP Support Rating)
- CSSDS Chaplain Support Specialist (Disaster Support Rating)
- CUL Communications Unit Leader
- DAARTO Domestic Operations Awareness and Assessment Response Tool
Operator (aerial photography)
- DAARTU Domestic Operations Awareness and Assessment Response Tool
User (aerial photography)
- FASC Finance/Admin Section Chief
- FLM Flight Line Marshaller
- FLS Flight Line Supervisor
- GBD Ground Branch Director
- GFMC Surrogate Unmanned Aerial System Green Flag Mission Coordinator
- GFMP Surrogate Unmanned Aerial System Green Flag Mission Pilot
- GFSO Surrogate Unmanned Aerial System Green Flag Sensor Operator
- GTL Ground Team Leader
- GTM3 Ground Team Member Basic
- GTM2 Ground Team Member Intermediate
- GTM1 Ground Team Member Advanced
- IC3 Incident Commander Basic Level
- IC2 Incident Commander Intermediate Level
- IC1 Incident Commander Advanced Level
- LO Liaison Officer
- LSC Logistics Section Chief
- MC Mission Chaplain
- MCCS Mission Chaplain (CAP Support Rating)
- MCDS Mission Chaplain (Disaster Support Rating)
- MFC Mountain Flying Certification
- MO Mission Observer (Air Crew)
- MP SAR/DR Mission Pilot
- MRO Mission Radio Operator
- MS Mission Scanner (Air Crew)
- MSA Mission Staff Assistant
- OSC Operations Section Chief
- PIO Public Information Officer
- PODC Point of Distribution
- PSC Planning Section Chief
- SFGC Shelter Field Guide Course
- SMC/BISC AFRCC SAR Management
- SPC National Inland SAR Planning Course
- TMP Transport Mission Pilot
- UAO Unit Alert Officer
- UDF Urban Direction-Finding Team
- WAO Wing Alert Officer
- WS Water Survival
- Skills Evaluator/Trainer (SET) for any of the above
Tips & Tricks
Succeeding in Civil Air Patrol is not hard, but you have to choose to make the effort.
- Be hungry for knowledge, experience, practice, feedback, and honest self-reflection.
- If you struggle with follow-through, seek a mentor in the squadron who will teach you a system and keep you accountable.
- Download PDFs to a Kindle or tablet, or open them in a reader app, so you can digest a page or two whenever you have a
few idle minutes.
- If reading on a screen demotivates you, you can print black-and-white documents for 2.5¢ per page.
Click here to get your store discount card then take your thumb drive to
any Office Depot or Office Max for friendly, on-demand help.
- Take notes using the free Evernote app/web site so your new knowledge is always backed up and accessible on your laptop
and your mobile device.
- Schedule time with a friend to drill each other on skills and facts. Start by coming early to meetings or while traveling
to/from events.
- Rehearse your new life-saving knowledge by practicing on your parents and siblings.
- Before buying consumables, ask around to see if anyone wants to split the cost of shareable items (e.g. duct tape,
flagging tape, waterproof matches).
*Questions?
- Thoroughly read this document and take notes.
- Search this page for a keyword that may bring you to an answer.
- Search the PDFs on this page for a keyword that may bring you to an answer.
- If you can’t find an answer, ask your chain of command.