I was a Boy Scout only briefly (the troop disbanded) before I joined Civil Air Patrol as a cadet. The CAP equivalent to the Eagle Scout award is the General Carl A. Spaatz award; cadets who earn this award wear the rank of cadet colonel. (I only rose as high as cadet major and the Amelia Earhart award.)
CAP cadets wear Air Force uniforms with distinctive CAP grade insiginia, which can be either purchased from the BX (base exchange -- CAP members are allowed on base to purchase items from the military clothing sales store) or furnished by the squadron. The cadet program is much like Air Force Junior ROTC but CAP also performs ground search and rescue and flying.
I've always disliked any group (Boy Scout troop or CAP squadron) that are nothing but "award factories" -- IMHO, it cheapens the prestige of the award and once you get to the top, what's next?
More info on CAP at
www.capnhq.gov .
Threaded Mode