Air War College anyone?

[smj58501]

Hi-

Just wondering if anyone out there has taken advantage of the opportunity to go through the Air War College via CAP? How was it? What were your challenges? How much time did you have to invest to complete it? Any info you have would be appreciated.

[Short Field]

I did it in the USAF, but it is the same course.  I spent at least 8 hours a week for 40 weeks for the course for the seminar program.  The papers were the hardest part.

[Flying Pig]

What were some of the things you did?  How does going through the Air War College help as a CAP Officer?  What are the benefits?  Id be interested in doing it. How does it apply to someone (me) who is no longer in the military?

Thanks.

[IceNine]

It gives you credit for NSC and a star on your GRW ribbon.

I'm sure there are any number of educational benefits.

[bosshawk]

I did it wholely by correspondence: but too many years ago to tell you folks.

I found it one of the best correspondence courses that I had done to that point in my career: being in the military, I had done a bunch of them.  It was well-written, well-organized and very pertinent to the times.  It was an eighteen month deal, but I believe that it has been shortened to a year now.

There are several benefits that I can think of for CAP folks.  One, it has a fair amount of leadership stuff in it.  It goes into great detail on items of current interest, mostly from a military perspective.  I had to write two papers and I found that very useful to me in both my civilian career and my Army Reserve duties.  All in all, a quantum leap over the Army Command and General Staff College correspondence course, which I found dull and boring.

[Flying Pig]

Being I just made Captain, Id say I have a while since you have to be an LTC to take it.

[AirDX]

I thought that reg used to say a "major select" could do ACSC; now it say "in the grade of major".  Oh well, guess I'll have to make major to do it!  I want to do SOS this coming year, so that'll help take care of some of the time in grade. 

[Flying Pig]

What are the papers about that you had to write?  If someone is enlisted Air Force, but an LTC in CAP, does that have any bearing on if they can take it?  My brother is in CAP but is also an F-16 crew chief.  He is really seeing the value in being able to go to Sq. Officers School, Air War College, etc.  Do military enlisted attend these courses or are they only for military officers?  Also, if you attend as a CAP member, does it count the same for your military career or are there parts we miss out on?

[PHall]

What are the papers about that you had to write?  If someone is enlisted Air Force, but an LTC in CAP, does that have any bearing on if they can take it?  My brother is in CAP but is also an F-16 crew chief.  He is really seeing the value in being able to go to Sq. Officers School, Air War College, etc.  Do military enlisted attend these courses or are they only for military officers?  Also, if you attend as a CAP member, does it count the same for your military career or are there parts we miss out on?

SOS and Air War College are Officer Only. At least for the in-residence courses.

I took SOS via correspondence thru CAP and I did get credit for it, eventually, after a lot of wrangling with the Education folks.
They just couldn't wrap their minds around the fact that an enlisted troop might actually complete the course via CAP.
But it did make a pretty nice bullet on my EPR.

[Short Field]

What are the papers about that you had to write? 

One big paper was about the  WWII bombing campaign over Germany.  I think everyone had to write on it.   The bombing campaign was one of the major reasons the USAF was able to justify becoming a separate service from the Army after the war.

[bosshawk]

Rob: I don't remember what the topics were for the papers, but I seem to recall that the student could select from a list of topics.  I do remember that one of my papers was on the US unpreparedness to wage unconventional warfare and I got an A on it.  My major theme was that we were not prepared nor equipped to wage that type of warfare.  Just for grins, I graduated in 1976 or 78, can't remember which and am too lazy to look it up.

[bosshawk]

Forgot to mention that when I took it, you had to be LtCol selectee or above.

[Short Field]

The programs (ACSC & AWC) underwent major changes by the 90s with a much much heavier emphasis on doctrine, development of doctrine, and history.  There was fair less time spent on management related subjects as in the past.   Air University really embrased George Santayana's quote  'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'