How to Join

Thank you for your interest in Topeka Eagle Composite Squadron and Civil Air Patrol (CAP). The Civil Air Patrol is a great way to serve your community as a volunteer, learn new skills, make friends and have fun. Below are 5 steps to a successful start to your Civil Air Patrol membership.

1. Prospective members will be required to attend at least 3 of our meetings before they can join.

We want to make sure that CAP is a good fit for you and that you understand the full range of what we do. Our meetings are arranged so that each of the 4 or 5 weekly meetings of the month cover a different aspect of what we do as a whole.

2. Initial Interview.

CAP requires unit commanders to ensure every prospective senior member, cadet sponsor member, and patron member is interviewed before allowing them to join. We want to make sure that prospective cadet members have the same opportunity to ask questions before joining, so every one will have a sit down interview with the Unit Membership Board or the Squadron Commander or one of the Deputy Commanders. The initial interview should be held no sooner than the end of the second meeting the prospective member attends. We want to make sure that you have had enough exposure to CAP to know what questions to ask.

  • You should expect the interview to last at least 15 minutes.

  • Prospective Cadets will be required to have both (if applicable) custodial parents or guardians attend an interview. If it is not possible, for any reason, to have both parents or guardians attend the same meeting, then arrangements will be made for the other parent or guardian to have a separate meeting in person or by phone if necessary.

  • Some of the Items you will talk about include:

    • Code of Conduct

    • Uniform and Grooming Requirements

    • How to get your first Flight in a CAP aircraft

    • How to get your first promotion

    • Training intensity levels

    • Costs (see more details below)

3. Know how much this program costs.

The cost of the program should be discussed in the initial interview. While we do try to keep everything as inexpensive as possible (making CAP one of the least expensive youth programs and service organisations in the country) there are expenses that Topeka Eagle Squadron and CAP have to pay in order to continue to keep operating. Here is a list of the different costs members will be to expect to pay:

  • National Dues: National Dues are due upon joining and then every year by the anniversary of your membership date. Check this page for current information about the combined National and Wing dues: Membership Dues

  • Squadron Dues:

    • Cadets: $0 per year

    • Senior Members: $40 Per year

    • Squadron Dues are due in full, in October (the beginning of the Fiscal Year) and are prorated to the quarter of the year you join.

  • Uniform Costs:

    • We try to supply as many uniform items as we can, but we cannot always guarantee that we will have everything you need on hand. If we do not have certain items, you will need to purchase them. Many items can be found in military surplus stores, military clothing stores, or you can purchase them from CAP's authorized vendor: Vanguard.

    • See the Uniforms page for more information about uniforms and costs.

  • Examples of Activity Cost

    • Flying:

      • Cadets fly for free for 5 Powered Orientation Flights and 5 Glider Flights.

      • Occasionally, orientation flights in military aircraft are available to both cadets and senior members and these are always offered free of charge.

      • CAP offers various flight academies during the summer that cadets can go to which offer a curriculum up to the cadet flying solo, and while there are scholarships available, these summer programs have pre-requisites and usually run between $800 and $1200 dollars (which is actually still the best price for formal flight training available).

      • Several scholarships and flying programs are available that help cadets work toward their Private Pilot's certificate. See this page for more information about cadet flying opportunities: Cadet Flying

      • Senior Members who are on an air crew or training to be on an air crew fly for free during funded missions (real or training missions.) Otherwise, pilots and crew have the option to pay for flight time in the CAP aircraft. Contact the Squadron Commander or Operations Officer for more details about using the CAP aircraft outside of funded missions.

    • Field Trips: Unless Squadron funds are available, members will be expected to...

      • Transportation: help pay for the gas used to transport members to an activity.

      • Food: bring a lunch or to contribute a few dollars towards meal costs.

      • Fees: pay for activity fees or entrance fees, for example if we go to visit an Air and Space museum. Members will be expected to have and wear a complete uniform prescribed for a particular trip or activity.

    • Encampments and National Cadet Special Activities:

      • Cadets should try to attend an Encampment within the first year of joining. Currently Kansas Wing holds an Encampment during winter break that costs about $175 for students. All of the Wings in the states that surround Kansas offer Encampments during the summer, cost ranging from $175 to $350.

      • After a cadet attends an encampment they are eligible to attend National Cadet Special Activities (NCSA). NCSAs offer more advanced and specialized looks into the different Aerospace and Air Force Careers. Their cost ranges from $150 to $1,200. Find more information about NCSAs at www.ncsas.com.

4. On your third meeting, ask to join:

Once everyone is satisfied that you are eligible we will help you fill out the paperwork and make the first membership payments.

  • Cadets will be required to meet grooming standards at the time of joining CAP, so prospective cadets must have a correct haircut. Without meeting the program requirement we will not accept your membership application.

  • Adult member applications take longer to process, due to the FBI background investigation, so prospective Senior Members will have to wait several weeks before they can fully participate in CAP activities and meetings.

5. What do I do now that I'm a CAP member?

Now that your membership application has been accepted, you need to get your uniform items together so you can participate in unit activities and work on earning your first achievement.

  • To learn more about earning the first cadet achievement Click Here.

  • To Learn more about earning the first Senior Member achievement Click Here.