How to become a CAP Mission Scanner
Below is a step-by-step list of instructions explaining how to become an Urban Direction Finder in Civil Air Patrol.
Prerequisites
- You must have earned the Senior Member Level 1, and have attained your General ES (GES) Rating.
Training Steps
Study. Click on Aircrew and Flightline Materials at the NESA Aircrew Emergency Services Curriculum web pages and read and review:
- Mission Scanner Slide Presentation - Parts 1/2/3
- Mission Scanner Task Guide
- Mission Aircrew Reference Text: Volume 1 - Mission Scanner (MART)
Obtaining Familiarization and Preparatory (F&P) Training Task Sign-offs. Use the references above from the NESA Aircrew Emergency Services Curriculum web pages.
Locate each of the required Operations (O) or Planning (P) tasks on your printed SQTR that are listed below and study them using at minimum the Mission Scanner Task Guide. You will be quizzed on the exact questions that are found at the end of each O and P task.
Locate each of the required Operations (O) or Planning (P) tasks on your printed SQTR that are listed below and study them using at minimum the Mission Scanner Task Guide. You will be quizzed on the exact questions that are found at the end of each O and P task.
Work with a Mission Scanner skills evaluator and complete the following F&P tasks listed on your (SQTR) Worksheet - Mission Scanner tasks:
- O-2015 Demonstrate Ground Operations and Safety
- O-2017 Demonstrate Post-Crash Actions
- O-2019 Demonstrate Proper Number and Character Pronunciation
- O-2020 Use Prowords and Code Words
- O-2021 Interpret Emergency Signals and Demonstrate Air/Ground Team Coordination
- O-2024 Demonstrate Use of Sectional Charts
- P-2013 Discuss Mission Scanner Duties and Responsibilities
- P-2014 Discuss CAP Liability Coverage and Mishap Reporting
- P-2015 Enter Data into CAP Forms
- P-2016 Identify and Discuss major Aircraft Controls
- P-2017 Identify and Discuss Major Aircraft Instruments
- P-2018 Discuss Aircraft Weight and Balance
- P-2019 Identify Items Checked During an Aircraft Pre-Flight Inspection
- P-2020 Discuss the Dangers of Wake Turbulence
- P-2021 Discuss how Atmospheric and Lighting Conditions Affect Scanning Effectiveness
- P-2022 Identify Visual Clues and Wreckage Patterns
- P-2023 Discuss how Reduced Visibility and Turbulence Affect Search Operations
- P-2024 Discuss Strategies to Combat High Altitude Effects
- P-2025 Discuss Common Search Terms
- P-2026 Identify what to Look For and Record during Damage Assessment Missions
- P-2027 Describe CAP Search Patterns
- P-2028 Discuss Crew Resource Management
Enter completed F&P tasks into eServices. Once you have completed all of the Prerequisites and the Familiarization and Preparatory tasks in the SQTR-MS you need to enter your completed tasks. Login to e-Services, click on the following successive links >Operations>Operations Qualifications > Emergency Services > SQTR Entry/Worksheet > Achievement = Mission Scanner. Enter the CAP ID of your qualified skills evaluator (ask to see the black diamond beside MS on their 101 card) CAP ID, date of completion and mission number (if completed as part of an Air Force Mission). Then print out a new CAPF 101 Operational Specialty Qualification Card with your trainee Mission Scanner rating listed on it (it will say *MS on the card).
Complete the current CAPT 117 Emergency Services Continuing Education Examination. CAPT 117 is conducted in three parts: one for aircrew members and flight line personnel; one for ground and urban direction finding teams; and one for mission base staff. Complete the aircrew exam.
Complete the FEMA IS-100.a online course. Take FEMA IS-100.b Introduction to Incident Command System, IS-100.a. Enter your completion of this online course using eServices->Operations>Operations Qualifications->Entry/View Worksheet by clicking the * Functional Area - OPS-Emergency_Services, then select from the *Achievement drop-down and scroll down and select IS100 - IS-100, entering the date of the exam and clicking submit at the bottom of the page. Upload the scanned copy of the IS-100.a using eServices->Operations>Operations Qualifications->Entry/View Worksheet->View/Upload Documents-> * Emergency Services Tab and select IS100, and email the SQ150 Emergency Services Officer (or provide a hardcopy) for validation
Complete the FEMA IS-700.a online course. Take FEMA IS-700.a National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction. Enter your completion of this online course using eServices->Operations>Operations Qualifications->Entry/View Worksheet by clicking the * Functional Area - OPS-Emergency_Services, then select from the *Achievement drop-down and scroll down and select IS700 - IS-700, entering the date of the exam and clicking submit at the bottom of the page. Upload the scanned copy of the IS-700.a using eServices->Operations>Operations Qualifications->Entry/View Worksheet->View/Upload Documents-> * Emergency Services Tab and select IS700, and email the SQ150 Emergency Services Officer (or provide a hardcopy) for validation..
Download and print the Mission Scanner Specialty Qualification Training Record (SQTR-MS). Login to e-Services , click on the following successive links > My Operations Qualifications > Emergency Services > SQTR Entry/Worksheet > Achievement = Mission Scanner -> Print SQTR Worksheet. Bring this with you to all training and missions to obtain task sign-offs.
Participate in a minimum of two sorties (exercises, actual mission or even on proficiency flights) and record your participation on the SQTR. Request the Mission Pilot or Mission Observer that is a qualified skills evaluator (ask to see the black diamond beside MS on their 101 card) sign you off on those advanced training tasks you demonstrated proficiency in. Once all Advanced training tasks are completed, go back into e-Services and fill them in online using the steps above (add the Mission Number), and notify the SQ188 Emergency Services Officer for validation. Keep a copy of the SQTR for yourself. Once approved by the Squadron and Group ES Officer online, you should then be approved as a qualified Mission Scanner.
Print out a new CAPF 101 Operational Specialty Qualification Card. This will show your qualified Mission Scanner rating listed on it. You will need to present this card during SAREX's or Real World Missions.
Congratulations!
How to become a CAP Urban Direction Finder (UDF)
Prerequisites
- You must have earned the Senior Member Level 1, and have attained your General ES (GES) Rating.
Training Steps
Below is a step-by-step list of instructions explaining how to become an Urban Direction Finder in Civil Air Patrol.
UDF Teams are comprised of two or more people, DF gear and a vehicle. Locating accidentally activated ELT's is by far the most common mission we are called to do. These missions are an excellent training opportunity for the real thing. All aircrew members in Squadron 188 are expected to cross-train and qualify as a UDF team member since it is not unusual to DF a signal to an airport, land, deploy as a UDF team and then use the portable DF gear to locate it on the ground. The principles airborne and on the ground are very similar. Click on Ground Team and UDF Materials at the NESA Ground Search and Survival Curriculum web pages and read/print/review:
- Ground & Urban DF Team Task Guides
- Electronic Direction Finding Slides
- Scan the remaining links to other useful documents you may want to print and include in your kneeboard.
Complete the current CAPT 117, Emergency Services Continuing Education Examination. CAPT 117 is conducted in three parts: one for aircrew members and flight line personnel; one for ground and urban direction finding teams; and one for mission base staff. Complete the ground and urban DF team exam.
Complete the FEMA IS-100.a online course. Take FEMA IS-100.b Introduction to Incident Command System, IS-100.a. Enter your completion of this online course using eServices->Operations>Operations Qualifications->Entry/View Worksheet by clicking the * Functional Area - OPS-Emergency_Services, then select from the *Achievement drop-down and scroll down and select IS100 - IS-100, entering the date of the exam and clicking submit at the bottom of the page. Upload the scanned copy of the IS-100.a using eServices->Operations>Operations Qualifications->Entry/View Worksheet->View/Upload Documents-> * Emergency Services Tab and select IS100, and email the SQ150 Emergency Services Officer (or provide a hardcopy) for validation.
Complete the FEMA IS-700.a online course. Take FEMA IS-700.a National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction. Enter your completion of this online course using eServices->Operations>Operations Qualifications->Entry/View Worksheet by clicking the * Functional Area - OPS-Emergency_Services, then select from the *Achievement drop-down and scroll down and select IS700 - IS-700, entering the date of the exam and clicking submit at the bottom of the page. Upload the scanned copy of the IS-700.a using eServices->Operations>Operations Qualifications->Entry/View Worksheet->View/Upload Documents-> * Emergency Services Tab and select IS700, and email the SQ150 Emergency Services Officer (or provide a hardcopy) for validation.
Download and print the UDF Specialty Qualification Training Record (SQTR-MS). Login to e-Services, click on the following successive links > My Operations Qualifications > Emergency Services > SQTR Entry/Worksheet > Achievement = Urban Direction Finder -> Print SQTR Worksheet. Bring this with you to all training and missions to obtain task sign-offs.
Important Note: You cannot act as a UDF Trainee until you have completed all of the Pre-requisites and Familiarization and Preparatory training tasks on the SQTR-UDF and the Commander has approved the "Commander approval" tasks for completion of both the "Prerequisite" and the "Familiarization and Preparatory" training sections of the SQTR.
Enter completed tasks into eServices. Once you have completed all of the Pre-requisites and the Familiarization and Preparatory tasks in the SQTR-UDF, enter the CAPID, date of completion and mission number (optional) into e-Services. Login to e-Services, click on the following successive links -> Operations>Operations Qualifications -> Emergency Services -> SQTR Entry/Worksheet -> * Achievement = UDF Urban Direction Finder. Then enter all of the information for each task completed. Then print out a new CAPF 101 Operational Specialty Qualification Card with your trainee UDF Team rating listed on it (it will say *UDF on the card).
Participate in a minimum of two sorties on an exercise and/or actual mission and record your participation on the SQTR. Request the UDF / Ground Team Leader sign you off on those advanced training tasks you demonstrated proficiency in. Once all advanced training tasks are completed, go back into e-Services and fill them in online, notify the SQ150 Emergency Services Officer for validation. Keep a copy for yourself. Once approved by the Squadron and Group ES Officer online, you should then be approved as a qualified UDF Team Member.
Print out a new CAPF 101 Operational Specialty Qualification Card with your qualified UDF rating listed on it.
Congratulations!
Uniform
Squadron 150 UDF Teams respond to ELT's in the blue golf/polo shirt and gray slacks or Blue Battle Dress uniform.