[AZHSer]

No we didn't. She didn't hurt me. Well maybe my pride a little, LOL. Next time we will bring a camera to record any nonsense so it won't be a we said they said type thing. At one point hubby thought he saw her coming back and started for the police but it wasn't her so he stopped.

You bringing up the Fort made me think about the fact that there were absolutely no military there that I could tell. The closest thing we saw were two little Civil Air Patrol punks.

[SandRat]

Think back to those you did see especially the males now get a real good picture of them in your mind concentrate on the hair cuts, ... you may have seen military there and didn't even know it, they were in civvies but on civilian turf so the needed to be that way but the hair cut will always point them out. That and their ramrod posture.

[Gunrunner2]

>>The closest thing we saw were two little Civil Air Patrol punks.<<

I sincerely hope you made that comment in jest.

It is shocking to me that you would insult the auxilary United States Air Force (http://www.cap.gov/). Their web site explains a lot about the organization and has links dedicated to providing information to clergy and parents.

The mission of the CAP cadet program is to "build responsible citizens for America through a positive approach to aerospace, leadership and life skills."

A better bunch of young (conservative) people you would be hard pressed to find.

These kids are interested in aviation and serving their country.

They are NOT "punks" in any way, shape for form.

Because they are wearing an approved uniform of the United States Air Force, they are not allowed to be partisan. Therefore, they were probably there because their unit is based there, and they are civic-minded and wanted to observe.

Because of my membership in the CAP many years ago, a) I recieved private pilot training, b) learned and practiced leadership skills, c) studied history and military traditions and honor, d) participated in actual search and rescue missions, e) learned survival and camping skills, and f) eventually realized my dream of serving my great nation.

Take a look at the information below.

"Punks," indeed!



From the web site:
THE ORGANIZATION

Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) corporation

THE AUXILIARY OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE (!!!!!!!)

More than 64,000 members, including 27,000 cadets ages 12- 21
Eight geographic regions, 52 wings, 1,700 units
National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., 160 support staff
World’s largest fleet (550) of single-engine, piston aircraft
Nation’s most extensive communications network
1,000 emergency services vehicles

AEROSPACE EDUCATION (MORE)
100 aerospace education workshops each year
Aerospace classroom materials, grades K through college
Nation’s premier annual aerospace education conference

CADET PROGRAMS (MORE)
Multi-step leadership training
Cadet glider and powered orientation flights, flight training scholarships
International Air Cadet Exchange program

OPERATIONS (MORE)
95% of nation’s inland search and rescue
100 lives saved per year
Aerial reconnaissance for homeland security
Disaster-relief and damage assessment
Transport for time-sensitive medical materials
Counterdrug missions

[Gunrunner2]

And, from the history of CAP:

"The CAP coastal patrol flew 24 million miles, found 173 submarines, attacked 57, hit 10 and sank two. By Presidential Executive Order, CAP became an auxiliary of the Army Air Forces in 1943.

A German commander later confirmed that coastal U-boat operations were withdrawn from the United States 'because of those damned little red and yellow airplanes.'

In all, CAP flew a half-million hours during the war, and 64 CAP aviators lost their lives in the line of duty.

The U.S. Air Force was created as an independent armed service in 1947, and CAP was designated as its official civilian auxiliary the following year."

Now. . .if you were calling those CAP cadets "punks" because you thought it was cute or funny, it was in bad taste.

If you called them punks because you actually believe them to be so, then you are wrong.

Either way, it's best to apologize for that remark.

(Didn't mean to blast, but these are good kids and we need to show them respect and support them. They are, after all, the future that will keep us free.)

[Chad Fairbanks]

The closest thing we saw were two little Civil Air Patrol punks.

I hope the use of the term "punks" wasn't meant to be derogatory... Civil Air Patrol was a great organization - at least for me. Many lost hikers and general aviation pilots owe their lives to "Civil Air Patrol Punks".

I should know - I was a "Civil Air Patrol Punk" as a teenager... ;0)