Now me, being 18, I'd be a Senior member (whatever that means), so I'd not be with the Cadets. But I'd still be around them, and having to do things with them. And it is not a pleasent prospect.
For you see, the CAPs are evil. Evil I tell you. When I was with the FLNG (or Florida National Guard) Explorers, we worked out at what I believe was the last MacDill AFB Air Show (or at least to the present date). AirFest 2000 or something like that. And there we saw the CAPs. And couldn't believe it. Most unmilitary bunch I've ever seen. They were pretty funny. We Explorers had a good time with it. A good time indeed.
And the stories I hear from a friend who's a member (former, but may be going back if I join, which is about the only reason I'd do it) make me even more fearful. Namely, the lack of effective discipline. For you see, according to them, individual discipline is "hazing" and you're more or less forced to resort to group punishment all the time, if even that. And while there are certainly merits to group punishment (that whole Team concept), you can't even SAY who is the cause of it in the first place! Which is pretty f*cked up IMHO.
So, wish me luck, and hope I make it through.
PS: The Senior Squadrons, from what I hear of the Civil Air patrol, aren't too bad. It's just the Cadet ones that have gotten somewhat whacky. Though maybe a bunch of 12 years olds will do that to you... And I swear, some of those kids I saw at the airshow couldn't have been out of 8th Grade! Not with that midgit-ness!
PPS: For you Tampa residents who went to the 2000 MacDill Air Show, you might've seen us Explorers on that Saturday. We were the ones in BDUs, with the yellow T-shirts instead of our normal camo jackets. The "Camoflauge Bananas" as we called ourselves.
