Civil Air Patrol

Core Values

Hey y'all! I' so glad y'all are back. Today we have a chapter on CAP's core values. I should have done this chapter sooner, sorry about that. Without any further ado, let's get started!

What are CAP's core values? If you've been in CAP for any amount of time you should know these by heart. Integrity, Volunteer Service, Excellence, and Respect. A good way to remember these is: 'You get an IV in the ER'. IVER. It's that simple!

Why does CAP have core values? We have core values because they "reflect how we chose to act as an organization." We have core values to bond us together and make us better people. We have core values as a standard, both inside and outside CAP.

A little more about CAP's core values. On February 1999 CAP's national board adopted our four core values. They were based off the three core values adopted by the Air Force in 1997: Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence In All We Do. 

Now let's go over each one in a little more detail.

Integrity. This is based off of the Air Force's Integrity First. Integrity is the foundation for all the other core values. Without integrity you cannot truly succeed in the Cadet Program.  Integrity is about being honest with yourself and with others. It is also about accountability, humility,  justice, and self-discipline. 

Volunteer Service. This is based off of the Air Force's Service Before Self. This is really what CAP is about. CAP's mission is "Serving America's communities with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground services, youth development and promotion of air, space and cyber power through aerospace education." As cadets we volunteer our time effort and records to help the community. Search and Rescue people, y'all take the time, energy, and resources to go out and search for missing people and get them back. Honor Guardsmen, you take the time and effort to honor our country and those that served. Cyber, y'all take the time and effort to keep people safe online. The cadet and senior staff at events and squadrons take the time, energy, effort, and resources to train other cadets how to be better cadets. CAP is an organization built on Volunteer Service.

Excellence. This is based off of the Air Force's Excellence In All We Do. This is one of my personal favorites. Excellence is giving one hundred and ten percent one hundred percent of the time. As cadets we represent the Air Force. We have to be the best of the best. We should always strive for excellence, whether we are in front of fifty cadets or by ourselves.

Respect. This one is not based on the Air Force's core values, but it is just as important. Cadets come in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and genders and they come from different backgrounds and have different personalities. However, all cadets, from C/AB to C/Col, deserve respect.

There are the core values explained. Remember, core values are meant to be a standard for all cadets to live by, both personally and professionally. If you want to do more research on this subject see CAPP 50-2. If you have any comments, questions, addendum, or aspirations that will change the world, please comment or message me. Stay safe and soar high!