So I want to join CAP...

[charles64]

But I have a bunch of questions before I join. I live in New York City and I'm 14. I already found a few squadrons that are near me, but im a bit afraid it won't turn out like the others. So here I go with the questions:

How do you join?Do they recruit you in a special place, or do you write a letter to the commander to join?

I live in a place full of buildings, streets, cars and more cars. I saw in videos cadets performing activities, but they were located in rural areas. I don't see a lot of open land in the city, what can we possibly do?

How often does CAP usally have meetings? What do you do in a meeting? What is an encampment? Is it just like a meeting except sleeping over?

My high school gives out a lot of homework, do any of you cadets ever have trouble balancing out schoolwork and CAP time?

Is there any medical requirment? I wear glasses, and my nearsightedness isn't bad enough for me to bump into poles. Do i still have to wear them during physical activites?

Is it like bootcamp, will there be people screaming in my ear? What if i can't run a mile under the amount of time given?

How long does it usally take to get promoted? How does it usally take to get the Billy Mitchell award?

What is a part you dislike in CAP? What is a part you like?

Can anybody tell me somthing about the CAP uniform and their rules?

I still have some questions that I can't dig up from the back of my head, but if you can answer these,i would really appreciate it. It would also be great if anybody from NYC can give a specfic idea what the Squadrons in our area is like. I'm planning to join during the spring time.

Please excuse any spelling or grammer mistakes.

[Brad]

My sister did CAP in Indiana - I don't know much (anything) about the squadrons in NY. It is definitely a pseudo military environment. There are a few times when it's similar to basic training, but mostly not.

The questions you have might be better directed toward a commander or member of one of the squadrons you're looking at there. We have had a few cadets here in the past, but I'm not aware of any members on the board currently that are involved.

Best of luck with your efforts