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Civil Air Patrol Specialty Tracks / Job Opportunities for Senior Members

After becoming a Civil Air Patrol Senior Member and completing Level I orientation, you will have an opportunity to select a specialty track of study. There are many different jobs available to you. Working with your Professional Development Officer (PDO) or commander, you can choose a specialty that aligns your interests & skills with the needs of the unit. Each of these specialties are listed below along with their description. Once you chose a specialty track you will recieve training material to perform the duties in that track.

Personnel Officer
Personnel technicians are responsible for a basic familiarity with all CAP personnel directives and the organization structure of CAP. They perform all duties related to processing unit personnel actions to include new membership applications, unit activations and deactivations, charter changes, assignments, reassignments, transfers, retirements, promotions, demotions, termination, actions, and awards and decorations. Establish and maintain up-to-date personnel files on individual members in coordination with the emergency services officer and the senior program officer. Ensure that all regulations, policy letters, and forms required to administer the unit's personnel programs are available. Research regulations to provide assistance and guidance to the unit commander and other staff members on all personnel matters as required.

Public Affairs Officer
In order for Civil Air Patrol, or any nonprofit organization, to survive and grow, it must rely on the good will and understanding of the public. The public affairs program includes those activities designed to tell the CAP story to both the public and CAP members, as well as how CAP fits into the local community. Public affairs could very well be explained as covering tomorrow’s history today. While every CAP member is charged with responsibility as a public affairs representative, appointed public affairs officers carry the additional responsibility of official spokesperson for the unit and commander.

The Public Affairs Officer Specialty Track Study Guide is for individuals to use in progressing from the entry level of technician to the intermediate level of senior and the highest rating of master. The technician level provides the individual with basic information to use in performing duty as a public affairs officer at unit level. The senior level prepares the public affairs officer to serve as a functional public affairs officer and also in an expanded role as an advisor to the commander. The master level provides for a person to advance to the highest level by gaining extensive knowledge of all phases of the public affairs program. The public affairs officer will then be qualified to serve in any capacity within the public affairs program throughout Civil Air Patrol.

Finance Officer
Perform duties as assigned by finance officer. Responsible for posting ledgers and preparing vouchers, checks, and deposits for unit. Prepares unit budget, controls monies, monitors transactions, and prepares monthly activity reports. Keeps commander informed on all financial matters. Performs other financial duties as assigned.

Inpsection Officer
Performs inspections when required. Prepares inspection checklists for all areas of inpsection and prepares written reports of inspection as required. Reviews publications, plans, policies, and statistics to determine areas of special interest. Briefs commander and staff on inspections and recommendations.

Senior Program Officer
Plans, coordinates, and schedules senior member training activities. Maintains unit training records, training library, and operates audio-visual equipment. Prepares documentation in support of training awards for the commander's review. Coordinates member training accomplishments with other staff members. Instructs at training courses. Advises the commander on training required to meet unit staffing needs.

Administration Officer
Maintains master publications library. Prepares correspondence, reports, schedules, inventories, and requisitions. Operates centralized correspondence and message distribution center. Reviews locally developed publications to ensure they are administratively correct prior to publication. Provides management assistance when required.

Logistics Officer
Although the logistics career field is very broad within the Air Force, it is relatively restrictive within Civil Air Patrol. The Logistics Officer will be responsible for receipt, storage, distribution, recovery, and proper disposal of all CAP property held by the unit. Recommends allocation of motor vehcile records. Responsible for vehicle maintenance, marketing, and painting. Ensures aircraft are painted and identified in accordance with current directives and makes sure aircraft are maintained in an airworthy condition in accordance with FAA requirements.

Flight Operations Officer
Responsible for the management and control of unit aircrews, aircraft, and flight operations. Understands CAP flight management policies and procedures and the administrative procedures governing flight operations. Assists in the preparation of plans, programs, and directives to govern the unit.

The Flight Operations Specialty is designed to assist those individuals who have selected operations, or specifically flight operations, as their field to progress from an entry level rating of technician to the highest level rating of Master Flight Operations Officer. This track is divided into three skill ratings: (a)Technician, (b)Senior Flight Operations, and (c)Master Flight Operations Officer.

  1. Technician. Technician is the entry level and is designed to familiarize the individual with the basic CAP flight operations and to prepare him/her for training at any unit level.
  2. Senior Flight Operations Officer. A Senior Flight Operations Officer should have a thorough knowledge and understanding of all areas of flight operations. He/she must be able to direct the flight operations at any unit level.
  3. Master Flight Operations Officer. A Master Flight Operations Officer has extensive knowledge of all phases of flight operations. He/she must be able to direct the flight operations at any until level. This is the final flight operations step designed to help the individual prepare for duties as an operations officer at any level of command.

Achievement of the above skill ratings is one of the criteria for promotion to CAP officer grades commensurate with individual qualifications and experience.

Operations Officer
Develops the operations policies and procedures to ensure mission accomplishment and provide guidance to unit personnel. These activities include developing standing operating procedures. Requests transportation and mission authorizations.

Saftey Officer
Manages the safety program. Develops safety plans, programs, and directives. Coordinates with other staff agencies to develop accident prevention procedures and collects data to determine safety program effectivness. Conducts accidents investigations.

Standardization/Evaluation Officer
Technician: Performs duties as a CAP instructor pilot and check pilot, responsible for flight and ground instruction as well as flight evaluation in CAP aircraft. Senior: Peforms duties as a CAP check pilot, administers check flights, written examinations, and maintains pilot training folders. Master: Wing pilot designated to administer check flights, written examinations, and develop wing training and evaluation procedures.

Emergency Services Officer
Assists the commander by managing and directing emergency service activities. Establishes working relationships with local agencies responsible for search and rescue, disaster relief, and other local emergencies. Develops emergency service plans, training programs, and standard operating procedures and maintains rapid alerting system to assemble emergency service resources as needed.

Communications Officer
Maintains and operates radio equipment. Familiarizes communications trainees with the basic concept of CAP communications operations. Operates CAP radio stations. Develops and implements communications plans, programs, and directives. Plans and conducts communications conferences, meetings, and workshops.

Aerospace Education Officer
Implements aerospace education activities and duties involving cadets, seniors, aerospace education members, communities, and schools. Develops materials and activities and promotes aerospace education programs for the local community. Assists the commander in making aerospace education related policy decisions.

Cadet Program Officer
Conducts cadet training in aerospace education, leadership, physical fitness, moral leadership, and other activities. As special assistant to the commander, implements and monitors programs in cadet personnel and administration, cadet activities, aerospace education or leadership laboratory.

Plans and Programs Officer
Gets programs started and completed, and keeps the commander informed on the progress of each program. Develops plans and programs to accomplish assigned tasks. Coordinatesactivities of other staff sections and assigned units in accomplishing goals and objectives set out by the commander. Assigns personnel, establishes suspense dates, and follows up to ensure task completion.

Chaplain
Provides worship, liturgies, rites, and religious observations. Conducts pastoral counseling, spiritual nurture, and ethics and values instruction. Provides group pastoral care and spiritual renewal. Gives advice on religious, ethical, and quality of life concerns and maintains ecclesiastical and clergy relations.

Historian
Responsible for unit historical program. Collects and preserves historically significant material. Publishes general and special histories, monographs, and studies. Publishes material to inform the general public about CAP history. Attends meetings of historical and other learned societies.

Moral Leadership Officer
The MLO performs in a capacity similar to a chaplain, but is not required to meet the ecclesiastical endorsement and education level prerequisites for a chaplainry. There is no MLO study guide at this time. Talk to the senior program officer and wing chaplain if you are considering this specialty.