By SeaBAS | AuxBeacon News Contributor
[Editor’s Note: AuxBeacon received a follow up comment on the Civil Air Patrol / Turning Point USA contribution. Thank you and please keep sending us your ideas and findings.]
Nice job exposing current and past abuse of Civil Air Patrol’s Air Force style uniform and logo. While the Instagram find was a good start, Basrawi’s current Facebook page will soon be a showpiece in the Civil Air Patrol Hall of Shame.
Using the safe link below, you will find that Joe Basrawi’s personal Facebook page has a far more blatant presentation. He’s wearing ABUs with CAP name tapes and posed next to a helicopter in a hangar, but he’s no pilot. Joseph Basrawi hasn’t advanced in Civil Air Patrol beyond his Mitchell Award and cadet second lieutenant rank which he attained 3-4 years ago.
He’s placed the names Turning Point USA and Civil Air Patrol right together in his Intro below his Air Force style profile photo which sits atop a Reagan Bush ’84 cover photo. He is using our Civil Air Patrol uniform, which we idealists of Search and Rescue hold as sacrosanct, to push a political agenda and to advance his chapter Presidency of Turning Point USA at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.
These in-your-face “I’m hot ‘cuz I’m deployed, you ain’t ‘cuz you’re not” presentations are leaving a poor impression of Civil Air Patrol in the eyes of a wider audience. It is also an insult to the thousands who have served in the Civil Air Patrol to see commanders turning a blind eye to this because they lack the courage to oppose it.
A Civil Air Patrol that cannot separate itself from publicly endorsing certain political views will become weaker each time the pendulum swings back against extremism. As a life-saving and educational organization, our Civil Air Patrol has no business involving itself in divisiveness.
Hey you [redacted] got Bas to change his page. Cun[Redacted]gradrelations.
So you guys think you are cool just because you were able to humiliate Civil Air Patrol’s Maj Gen Mark Smith and Joe Basrawi and force the change of Basrawi’s Facebook page? I hope all of you choke on a pancake.
I’m thankful that some members actually use chapter and verse from CAP regulations about using/wearing CAP uniforms for political reasons.
Common sense is not common. The CAP uses the same guidelines as the USAF regarding wearing their uniforms during political rallies, etc. This rule is uninforcable if the mbr has left the service. If the are still mbrs, bringing disrespect to the American Flag, will get you s courts martial fm the Air Force and a 2b removal fm CAP.
Should be common sense not to use our uniform for furthering political ends.
Using the immortal words of our great philosopher, Forrest Gump, “…Stupid is, as stupid does.”
I read this publication and laugh. Nothing will change until those who are abused by their leadership, file legal harassment charges against the organization that receives thousands of tax dollars every year!
Nothing frivolous, just provable. Not fm disgruntled junior members, but senior members who want to make the organization stronger by filing honest and provable complaints, by Lt Cols. It is these ppl who can do the most good.
I love the CAP, but was forced out due to my service-connected disability I received while serving in Iraq. I did try to defend myself, but with 28 years of service, I needed to decide whether I wanted to get thrown out, or take my Majority, and retire, which is what I did.
To new members, I say, if you have children in the program, stick around and learn everything about the regulations. Never make formal complaints unless you have 2-3 witnesses, and your concern is against ‘good order and discipline.’
New members without children? Get out. Stay out. Trouble makers are routinely forced out. Free flying is not worth the hassles you have to go through.
I agree with most of David’s comments above.
My commander told a group of us to ignore everything on Auxbeacon and that we shouldn’t care about recent crashes or the [redacted] pedophiles. He said time has a way of forgetting and that CAP has always had a short memory. I’ve also been told privately that if we ask questions in public calling attention to the bad events, that we will be punished and not get awards at the wing, region and national conferences.
I want to say that I think that is a terrible plan of action. Resolve the damn problem or step down. We don’t need leaders who think and behave like this sweeping crap under the rug.
Where the hell are you guys? No comments have been released since July 27th?
There was a CAP squadron commander backed uniform foul-up on national television. A cadet officer was wearing metal rank insignia on his ABUs and missing it on his cap. This is Peachtree City with Major Serafin.
God help us if this cadet ever becomes an elected official.
Cadet Basrawi is another right wing whack job like Jonathan Holder.
So I know the Right Atheist personally, and I know that he read every article featuring his name, he took down both of his twitter feeds and apologized to the wing commander.
Yet, Cadet Basrawi mocks Aux Beacon instead of either changing his account to say that his beliefs don’t align with the organization or taking it down in general. This really shows that he really is using his uniform to accelerate his political standing.
Joe and a few of his friends made some ridiculously false statements on his facebook page and this is a violation of Civil Air Patrol regulations to leave communication to unit PAOs and to resolve issues with the chain of command. He has embarrassed his unit commander. I have saved all that was written about this on Joe’s facebook page because I know that he is going to have to remove it.
Thith ith dethpicable. We need a 2B RIGHT NOW!
We are parents of a Civil Air Patrol cadet and this weblog has just been brought to our attention particularly because of one cadet’s twitter posts about conservatives and atheists and now this one of a Civil Air Patrol cadet leader in Turning Point USA. Can we ask you some questions about your site and some of the accusations that we have read about your operation?
[Editors: You can ask here, yes.]
We were going to ask about things Jonathan Holder is saying about you, but we looked and we don’t see anything antisemitic to justify him calling you nazis and fascists. Then our child found the swing from a tree incident, and so we will just consider the source.
According to the United States flag code, “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.”
I am a vet. Two tours in the middle east. I love my country. There are things I would never do to disrespect America.
That being said… If somebody hung a flag upside down… I WOULD HAVE TO DEFEND IT! That is what America was built upon.
I ask Maj. Gen. Mark Smith “Are you going to defend our flag or ignore it like you have on so many other important issues?”
A CAP member without honesty or ethics. How commonplace.
Joe Basrawi said “Can you believe it? Someone wrote an article bashing me! Filled with fake news!”
Is Joe claiming that he is a fake and a phony in his image?
[Editor: The fake news claim could be the new rallying cry for Civil Air Patrol cadets who band together in despising those teachers and college professors who give them low marks in English Composition class.]
So The Right Atheist Conservative Cadet had to take down his Twitter feed, but this can stay as is? That’s jacked-up.
[Editor: That is an interesting point. More to follow.]
Just in case your readers and writers didn’t notice this, Basrawi has placed his Civil Air Patrol ABU uniform in the profile photo to appear with a cover photo that includes a man holding an upside down American flag and he has run for mayor of allentown. That’s just not right.
What gives, you haven’t released any comments on this? I’ve made one in support of the story and I know from Joe’s fb page that a few have gone in that are critical?!?!
[Admin: AuxBeacon releases comments in batches when time allows for a careful review by the staff of editors. We now do this to be certain that statements represented as fact (not opinion) are verified as truthful and not defamatory and not a repetitive volley of spam. If blatantly false statements are made in a comment, we do not release it. We had many many comments come in yesterday some supportive of the story and some negative, with a few daring to claim that the ENTIRE story that was submitted to AuxBeacon from Pennsylvania was false, when the image speaks for itself.
The batch of comments that have been approved for this story will be released later today.]
Was this issue spoken to the cadet? Also what regulation is he breaking specifically?
The Turning Point USA website has been criticized for using surveillance type propaganda to manipulate ideas of truth, equality, and freedom. Critics have compared Professor Watchlist to the actions of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, who tried to publicly identify American citizens as Communists and Communist sympathizers in the 1950s.
The New York Times wrote that it was “a threat to academic freedom,” while Salon wrote that it was “a sign of the stupidity of the post truth era.”
In May 2017, Northern Arizona University criminology professor Luis Fernandez said Turning Point surveillance of him had led to multiple threats. In The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University Professor Danielle Allen also said she had been threatened after being targeted by Charlie Kirk and Turning Point.
Well this post has certainly started a shit storm on Joe’s page this morning! Because I have not seen this site before and some of his friends are accusing AuxBeacon of Fake News, I’m going to inspect a sample of the stories here and see what I find.
Starting with the article from Joe Basrawi’s fb “friend” (BTW WTF needs friends like this? Joe what were you thinking?)
“He’s wearing ABUs with CAP name tapes and posed next to a helicopter in a hangar” in his FB profile photo. That’s TRUE.
“but he’s no pilot.” That’s TRUE.
“He’s placed the names Turning Point USA and Civil Air Patrol right together in his Intro below his Air Force style profile photo which sits atop a Reagan Bush ’84 cover photo.” That’s TRUE.
This morning Joe Basrawi said “None of it is even true Mason.” but, surprisingly, it is Joe’s statement that is FALSE.
What sucks about this story is that whoever wrote it did not mention any of the Air Force and CAP regulations or if this is just about them exposing the look of it. I might come back to this point later.
Need more samples. Next story.
——- snip ——
“He was a NOT wearing his cadet uniform during, while participating, or when he is promoting anything or doing anything political… A profile photo means nothing.”
——- snip ——
This is an extract of a longer comment that came in to us. Our editors wanted to address just this piece of it.
The individual making this comment is FACTUALLY incorrect. A profile photo does “mean something” and it is specifically addressed in the Civil Air Patrol Social Media Pamphlet.
CAP Social Media Guidelines Pamphlet – Page 4
AuxBeacon was advised today that this individual ran for public office, Mayor of Allentown.
What may be happening is that one of Joe’s fb friends anonymously exposed this to AuxBeacon, rather than file a complaint up his chain of command, so as to avoid reprisals.
Most importantly, the individual who submitted the article appears to be leaving the decision up to the same national commanders who may or may not have had influence over Cadet Right Atheist deciding to take down his two feeds.
If so, that is a clever play and use of AuxBeacon.
Something you should know, Basrawi ran for mayor of Allentown, PA in the spring of 2017 and lost. This doesn’t look right to me, especially with him placing his CAP uniform opposite an upside-down Old Glory. His supporters are going to try to shout this down.
FYI, Cadet Basrawi is in direct violation of CAPM 39-1, Page 10:
[Editor: This could be interpreted this way, yes, and was cited as the reason Cadet Right Atheist deleted two twitter feeds.]
This cadet is in no way even close to doing what you are saying.You are presenting a picture lacking facts and depth. This is not the intention of the cadet here, these are his personal social media profiles, being in pictures in a Civil Air Patrol uniform should not be something to mock, it is a distinct uniform, and just because he is in front of a helicopter does not mean he is impersonating a pilot. If I stand in front a plane I am not seen as a pilot, it’s just a picture. Quit being a poor journalist that cant discern fact from assumption. His official page doesn’t have him in his uniform and doesn’t flaunt the program. This is just sad that you can pull this much crap from a profile.
You are provably wrong on this, see comments above. I’ll bet you a signed dollar that he will be required to take this down. When that happens even more stories will be sent to AuxBeacon because our leaders are filthy stinking garbage.
If you go look at Bas’ page, you will see that Carp was right!!