Senior Program Membership Requirements:

• A desire to participate in the CAP Senior program is manifested.
• Eighteen (18) years of age.
• U.S. citizenship or legal resident non-citizen.
• No felony convictions or serious misdemeanors.
• A Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) background check is required of all new members.

C.A.P. is a humanitarian and educational nonprofit organization which serves thousands of communities across America via three Congressionally chartered missions: Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs, and Emergency Services. Membership totals approximately 60,000 volunteers who share the love of aviation and community service. As the auxiliary of the United States Air Force, C.A.P serves in a subsidiary capacity to the Air Force through its three missions.

C.A.P's mission is to provide members with Aerospace Education, leadership skills, emergency service training, and life skills, thereby preparing responsible citizens for the United States Air Force and our nation.

Volunteer members fuel our mission work. There are a wide variety of volunteer opportunities available, and remember... you do not have to be a pilot to join!

Civil Air Patrol's core values are:

INTEGRITY, VOLUNTEER SERVICE, EXCELLENCE, AND RESPECT

Senior Members are adults 18 years or older. There is no requirement for a CAP member to be a pilot. The training program for senior members is a five-level, structured training and education program designed to prepare seniors to accomplish Civil Air Patrol's missions by filling leadership positions and performing specific functions within each unit.

Initially senior members are enrolled in Level-1 where fundamentals of CAP are learned including basic things such as the structure of the organization, proper wear of the Air Force style uniform, and military courtesy. Each senior member then takes a written test to advance to Level-2.

In Level-2, each senior member chooses (or is assigned) one or more specialties in which he or she will train. Specialties include things like emergency services, administration, logistics, supply, communications, cadet programs etc. - all the jobs necessary to make the unit function efficiently. It is interesting to note that, on a mission, it takes at least five people doing ground based jobs for each aircraft that is launched.

In Levels 3 through 5 senior members learn how to perform leadership positions in CAP and train others. During this training, seniors study a vast variety of topics that range from mission coordinator training to public speaking.

Senior members earn and wear Air Force officer style rank as they progress through the training programs and build up the required 'time in grade'. The main significance of the rank is to indicate a member's capabilities and experience in CAP. Authority in the CAP comes from appointment to a position and has very little to do with the rank one holds.