EARNING THE CURRY
Civil Air Patrol offers 21 promotion opportunities for cadets and one you have a CAP membership number you can begin earning the first one, Cadet Airman (Curry Award), as soon as you feel ready.
To get started you’ll need to download the first chapter of Learn To Lead Volume 1, which is called Air Force Traditions.
Remember that an actual printed copy of this book will arrive about ten days after you join. In the mean time you can study for your first test using Chapter 1 – Air Force Traditions with the online version. The test on this chapter is an online, open-book test. If you have trouble finding how to take the test on the CAP Members website your element leader can help you find this test.
The First three achievements include tests from Learn To Lead and Aerospace Dimensions and all three tests are online and open-book. Be sure to study this material well because your fourth achievement, Cadet Staff Sergeant (Wright Brothers Award) is a comprehensive test based on the materials from your first three achievements and is closed-book and is conducted in person.
In addition to the online test, the Curry Award also requires participation in a Safety Module and taking a PT test. Both of these activities take place at squadron meetings. The PT test is typically the First meeting of the month. If available, you may also participate in a Promotion Board, which is a great way to have your fellow cadets help you to make sure you understand the material you studied and to get used to being interviewed.
After your promotion you’ll be available to promote again about two months later. There’s no pressure to promote and it’s definitely more important that you understand the materials you studied and any job functions you may have participated in before moving on to the next achievement. Learning all you can at each step of the process will ultimately make for a much more rewarding experience.
Did you know that
Maj Gen John F. Curry
served as the first
National Commander
of CAP?
His tenure coincided with the early days of WWII, at a time when ordinary citizens were searching for ways to help the war effort. So great was the desire to serve, and so successful were the efforts of Gen Curry and CAP, a force of 100,000 “Flying minutemen” was built around the nation. These aircrews were tasked with missions that were of national importance, but which the military did not have the time or ability to complete.
So great was the contribution of the members of CAP that for their efforts they have been awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award in the United States.
