Unit Manual Section 7 - Squadrons

Category: Unit Manuals

Published date: Apr 12, 2024

SQUADRONS A Squadron may be organized by a group of CAF members for one of three fundamental purposes: 1. Airbase or Wing Support of a New Squadron • The Airbase/Wing the Squadron wishes to affiliate with must agree to support the Squadron and supervise its activities and projects for a period of time. This requires a letter of support from the Airbase/Wing Staff to Headquarters. • The letter of support must be included along with the Squadron’s petition to the Vice President of Membership for approval of the Squadron. The Airbase/Wing should determine, and state in the petition, that there are enough qualified members available with the proper qualifications, talent, and dedication to assure support for the new Squadron. • The Airbase/Wing must determine that the leadership of proposed Squadron is well-qualified and is familiar with CAF mission, regulations, policies, and procedures, is properly motivated, and will work to further the best interest of the CAF. 2. The Squadron as a Geographical Unit (Provisional) • A group of CAF members that meet the numerical requirements of 25 members to form an Airbase and at least 15 to form a wing or squadron and are in a geographically remote area away from an existing Unit, may petition the Vice President of Membership for Provisional Squadron Status, which is a two-year period. • During the two-year provisional period they will continue to organize and recruit under the supervision of the Headquarters Administrative Staff. • Headquarters Administrative Staff will periodically review the Squadron’s progress towards meeting the goals established in its Petition to form, as well as its ability to meet the basic mission of the CAF. • On completion of the two-year provisional period and on the recommendation of the Headquarters Administrative Staff, the Squadron may then petition the President for sanction as a CAF Wing, or if they choose, to remain a Squadron. • If the Squadron cannot meet the requirements for Wing status, they may ask for removal of their provisional status and continue as a Direct Reporting Unit. However, to continue as a Squadron, the requirements to maintain a solid membership base, a recruiting program, and demonstrated financial stability remain in place. 3. The Squadron as a Sponsor Group of an Aircraft • A group of members who desire to support a specific CAF Aircraft may petition the Vice President of Membership for Sponsor Group status. • In addition to meeting the basic requirements of having at least 15 active and current, dues-paid CAF members, they must meet the requirements for Pilot Sponsors, Flight Crews, Maintenance Crews, and Ground Support Crews for the aircraft. • They will have the necessary Staff to accomplish the objectives and will be under the supervision and direction of the Headquarters Administrative Staff. • The Sponsor Group must have a meeting place and a hangar available for the aircraft. If the Vice President of Membership finds that the Squadron meets all requirements outlined above, along with any special requirements placed on the group, the Squadron may be approved. The Sponsor Group will be governed and operated according to the provisions of the CAF Unit Manual and all CAF Regulations, Manuals, Guides, and policies. The Sponsor Group must meet all reporting requirements in a timely manner. Refer to Guide 2, Administrative Guide to Reports and Information Required by Headquarters.

Note: New Unit petitions that contain information regarding the proposed new Unit sharing space, facilities, or other responsibilities or liabilities with another non-profit organization will not be approved until a specific Letter of Agreement is worked out, reviewed by Headquarters staff, and signed by the President of the CAF following a legal review. A written agreement must establish a clear separation of liability and CAF members are not authorized to sign Letters of Agreement with other entities without Headquarters approval and legal review. DETACHMENTS

A Detachment is a CAF unit organized by a group of CAF members for the purpose of performing duties, which require specialized training, knowledge, or skills other than aircraft operation.

Examples of these Units (Detachments) are: • Aircraft Marshalling Detachment • Explosive Ordnance Detachment

The duties of these Detachments are as their titles imply.

The responsibility of the Detachment is to maintain a sufficient number of trained CAF members to support the CAF by being able to accept Headquarters assignments on short notice. The Detachment must maintain high standards of quality, safety and performance in its assigned duties.

A Detachment may be formed as an operational subordinate Unit of an existing Unit (Airbase, Wing or Squadron) to assist that Unit in fulfilling its assigned duties, or in support of an on-going project. However, Unit affiliation is not mandatory. A Detachment may be formed, with approval by the Vice President of Membership of the CAF, as an operational Unit under the direct supervision of Headquarters as a national detachment.

In most cases the Detachment is organized on a national basis to serve all Units and may be composed of members from many Units and members from all sections of the country.

When the need exists, there may be more than one Detachment organized to perform similar duties. The best example of this type of need within several Units is the Explosive Ordnance Detachment (EOD). If sufficient qualified personnel are available with competent leadership, an assist from the EOD could be utilized in other Units. Should a Unit (Airbase, Wing or Squadron) want to develop/support a subordinate Detachment, they should use the National Detachment as a resource for information, techniques and training.

The Detachment will be organized, governed, and operated according to the provisions of the CAF Unit Manual, Regulations, and all other applicable CAF Regulations, Guides and policies. The Vice President of Membership of the CAF will determine the makeup of the Detachment’s leadership and determine how many officers are required to operate the detachment to meet its reporting and safety requirements. Detachments that are formed in or as a part of an Airbase will report to the Airbase’s Staff.

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