NCO development: Is there a specific program?

[Private Investigator]

Refer to ICL 19-08 to CAPR 35-5:
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/R355_with_ICL_1908_and_ICL_2004_inc_F9ADEB5A35E90.pdf

There is an officer-NCO grade conversion table.

Once your grade is converted from officer to NCO, you'll need to follow the standardized progression path for all senior members.

Section 6.3 shows the progression table for NCOs, to include time in grade and professional development levels required for advancement. NCOs also have a manning requirement for advancement, meaning that you must have served in a key position for a tenured time in order to promote to the next higher grade.

Short version:
You still need to complete the PD Levels to advance. As an NCO, you'll have different TIG requirements and additional duties at echelon to be eligible to promote.

I think it is straight forward. The former military Veteran will start where he left off, i.e., E5, E6, E7 or E8.

But what about a former E9? My previous experience in CAP most prior NCOs were CMSgt.

Another thing what about former E2 and E3? It appears the CAP NCO Program is only for E5* and above. But that makes sense because most E2 and E3 have not had any advance training beyond Boot Camp.

E5* = ICL 19-08 2 December 2019 shows E4.   

[TheSkyHornet]

CAP NCOs can roll over their military credit if they were E-4 or higher.
This is because it's inconsistent across all branches as to when the NCO Corps begins for each branch (i.e., An Air Force E-4 is not an NCO, but in the Marine Corps an E-4 is an NCO; in the Army an E-4 may or may not be an NCO depending if they are a Specialist or Corporal).


Every E-2 and E-3, after basic training/boot camp is going to go through some form of advanced skill training in respect to their particular MOS/AFSC/NES. However, that's comparative to technician or vocational training in the sense of it being job-specific. There may or may not be additional leadership subject matter in those courses, but it varies across the board.

As for the NCO Corps in each respective branch, this widely depends on the branch and how far up the ladder the enlisted person climbs. You can be an E-5 in the Army National Guard without additional training, having never been a Corporal. I have a college buddy who went straight from E-4 Specialist to E-5 Sergeant; funny dude, but entirely useless as a leader (and he knows it). But that's how the game works when slots are open and the board is relaxed.

This whole one-for-one swap logic doesn't really make sense. In some cases, you can switch military branches and retain grade, but you're still going to (most of the time) have a transition program or introductory training. This is what CAP is trying to employ by saying you still need to meet the PD Level requirements.

The problem that CAP has versus military branches is, as previously discussed, that CAP does not have a distinction between what NCOs and officers do in the organization. If you switch the Army to the Navy and want to remain an E-6, that's not a big deal. If you switch from the Army to the Navy, and want to go from E-6 to O-1, well then you have to go through the officer training program; and it's not going to be pleasant for you as an individual going "But I've already been through boot camp." The officer and NCO worlds are very different in their progression and duty responsibilities.