Forecast of Iowa Wing.

[Al Sayre]

Here in MS, I've met a lot of the HLS & ES movers and shakers from the State and County EMA's by attending  their ICS training sessions.  They seem genuinely glad to have CAP participating.  Take your Squadron business cards and hand them out freely, you'll be suprised how well that little bit of advertising comes back when CAP wants something from the State.  It's all informal, and those are the people who are going to be pulling for or against CAP having a bigger role in State HLS & State ES when you get around to talking to the legislature.  It's a good place to start.

[RiverAux]

Even to try to do some business with a local county we have had to go through the WING's contacts. 

That doesn't make any sense to me since both squadron commanders and squadron ES officers are supposed to maintain relationships with local authorities. 

[Major Carrales]

Even to try to do some business with a local county we have had to go through the WING's contacts. 

That doesn't make any sense to me since both squadron commanders and squadron ES officers are supposed to maintain relationships with local authorities. 

Showing up to cockail parties in service coats and standing for pictures after parades with local dignitaries is one thing, actually being able to provide them CAP services...like flying or real ES work...is quite another.

[RogueLeader]

Even to try to do some business with a local county we have had to go through the WING's contacts. 

That doesn't make any sense to me since both squadron commanders and squadron ES officers are supposed to maintain relationships with local authorities. 

Showing up to cocktail parties in service coats and standing for pictures after parades with local dignitaries is one thing, actually being able to provide them CAP services...like flying or real ES work...is quite another.

It does take both though.  One to get you in the door, the other to prove that you were right.  It would likely be beneficial to create a portfolio of your local capabilities.  Current ES operational resources ie: 2- 4 member GT, 1 Aircrew, Comm, etc.  A document w/ predicted response times.

This way they know what they can expect of you.  When you have a significant change- up or down, make sure that your contacts know.  If your squadron were to disband- God forbid- they would like to know so they don't waste time and be predisposed against you if you were to reappear.  Likewise, if you get More GT's or another Plane, they might find more use for you.  If they don't know what you have or can do, you won't be used.

[Major Carrales]

Even to try to do some business with a local county we have had to go through the WING's contacts. 

That doesn't make any sense to me since both squadron commanders and squadron ES officers are supposed to maintain relationships with local authorities. 

Showing up to cocktail parties in service coats and standing for pictures after parades with local dignitaries is one thing, actually being able to provide them CAP services...like flying or real ES work...is quite another.

It does take both though.  One to get you in the door, the other to prove that you were right.  It would likely be beneficial to create a portfolio of your local capabilities.  Current ES operational resources ie: 2- 4 member GT, 1 Aircrew, Comm, etc.  A document w/ predicted response times.

This way they know what they can expect of you.  When you have a significant change- up or down, make sure that your contacts know.  If your squadron were to disband- God forbid- they would like to know so they don't waste time and be predisposed against you if you were to reappear.  Likewise, if you get More GT's or another Plane, they might find more use for you.  If they don't know what you have or can do, you won't be used.

Roger...

[RogueLeader]

If anybody wants help putting a portfolio together, I would be glad to help.

[SARMedTech]

I think what's mostly missing here with the discussion of IAWG is what I've seen only pointed out once in this thread:  what IAWG has done is great -- for Iowa Wing -- but won't necessarily play anywhere else.  The "turnkey" comment made earlier is most accurate.  Folks looking for a "one-size-fits-all" solution to the problems of membership and training should not look at the IAWG model as the be-all and end-all.

We have the same problem in my "real-world" job, education.  Somebody somewhere comes up with a pretty good idea to make test scores, etc., go up, and out of the clear blue you find school systems all over the nation trying to make it work in their systems too.  And -- 99.9% of the time -- it doesn't.  These people try to find "turnkey" solutions to local problems and either don't realize or don't care that what works in one place won't work in another.  The demographics are different ... the size of the area is different ... the motivations are different.  And trying to force a "one-size" mentality on your membership -- in education and in CAP -- is doomed to failure before it even gets started.

Jack

So Colonel-

If we applied to education/IAWG analogy to all of CAP and forced people into the One -Size way of doing things would it be called "No Officer Left Behind?"

[DeputyDog]

If we applied to education/IAWG analogy to all of CAP and forced people into the One -Size way of doing things would it be called "No Officer Left Behind?"

There would be quite a few majors and lieutenant colonels "left behind". 

[ColonelJack]

So Colonel-

If we applied to education/IAWG analogy to all of CAP and forced people into the One -Size way of doing things would it be called "No Officer Left Behind?"

After recovering from a bout of early-morning laughter that startled my dogs, I have to answer this way:  Yes.  But remember, most educators on the front-line (i.e., teachers) consider No Child Left Behind the single worst piece of education legislation ever conceived by the Federal Government.  The farther one is removed from the classroom, the more approval of NCLB you'll find.  Principals can tolerate it, Superintendents love it, and School Boards are ecstatic ... primarily because they don't have to DO it and they don't see how it stifles the classroom experience and ends up forcing teachers to "teach the test" so they can keep their jobs (bottom-lining it).

No Officer Left Behind would be a good (and awfully funny) analogy, but as Deputy Dog points out, a whole lot of field-grade officers are indeed "left behind."  Sort of like the kids who won't measure up by 2014 no matter what we teachers do ... and it'll be our fault, according to the feds.

Jack

[capchiro]

Actually the analogy is a good one and the only kids left behind are the achievers, the creative ones, the ones not reaching their maximum because they are being held behind to wait for the lower ones to catch up.  Same way in this system, your achievers, your Majors and Colonels would be left behind so your younger officers can attempt to catch up.  Any time you slow down the genius' to wait for the herd, you have lowered the gene pool.

[RogueLeader]

Hijack
Please R-T-T

[capchiro]

I am sorry, but I believe the discussion of removal of field grade officers is directly from your original post in this thread and is therefore right on topic.  What are you looking for in this discussion?

[SARMedTech]

Rogue Leader-

If you read all pages of the thread you will see that the recent posts follow it quite well and discussions among disparate individuals tend to meander and wend their way through points, counterpoints, alternatives and non-alternatives.

[SARMedTech]

Actually the analogy is a good one and the only kids left behind are the achievers, the creative ones, the ones not reaching their maximum because they are being held behind to wait for the lower ones to catch up.  Same way in this system, your achievers, your Majors and Colonels would be left behind so your younger officers can attempt to catch up.  Any time you slow down the genius' to wait for the herd, you have lowered the gene pool.

My beloved mother was also a teacher until recently when her contract was not renewed for refusing to wait for the slow members of the herd. Seems she couldnt stomach the idea of social promotion and longer.

[Major Carrales]

I am sorry, but I believe the discussion of removal of field grade officers is directly from your original post in this thread and is therefore right on topic. 

Note this Picture below...


This is a pic of the Brownsville Comp Squadron Commander, The Group V Cadet Programs Officer, The Group V Commander and myself, the Corpus Christi Squadron Commander.

If all Field Grade Officers were ripped from their commands in South Texas...every bloke in this photo would be "parked" as a member of Wing.  The persons in this photo...and other similar photos from the Texas Wing Conference, are the movers and sharkers of their SQUADRON activities that keep their programs alive and viable.

Point is, in Texas, most Squadron Commanders are Majors...most deputy Commanders and Group/Unit Staff are Majors and Lt Colonels.

Moving them all to WING is an action that needs serious thought.  That is why I maintain that some things done in Iowa cannot be directly grafted onto other Wings.

I should also point out that those awards were holding are Wing level Ones.

[ZigZag911]

As a general rule, field grade officers should be serving as squadron commanders or deputies, or on higher echelon staffs.

However, we must bear in mind that CAP does not use the military's "up or out" process. We have officers who serve many years as lieutenant colonels. As a practical matter, those people are not going to consistently have the time or energy to serve in higher level staff slots, particularly, in some cases, as their age advances.

For some, the Iowa alternative of a 'reserve squadron' is ideal; however others may prefer to serve as mentors, instructors, or simply squadron staff members in a local unit.

I'm not sure even Iowa intends the concentration of all field grade officers at Wing HQ as a permanent measure. It seems more likely it was a short term means of addressing a systemic problem. As their wing culture changes, the negative attitudes, hopefully, will evaporate as the newer senior officers advance in rank.

[SARMedTech]

What of someone like me who may have aspirations of leadership (GTL, etc) but really have very little, or more accurately no interest in command. As long as I continue to advance myself in my chosen specialties and improve myself as an officer, will I be safe from being relegated to a Triple Zero Squadron. I dont mean that I would not like to serve as Health Services or Emergency Services officer in my squadron. Just that I dont really have a taste for the politics of wing level command.

[Major Carrales]

As a general rule, field grade officers should be serving as squadron commanders or deputies, or on higher echelon staffs.

That may be true in a military organization where there is an Ofifcer Corps and a large contingent of NCOs and Enlisted, however, all we have are CAP Officers.  In CAP, rank is obtained by personal professional development.  Therefore,  one day even I may become a Lt Col based, not my my command ability, but on my ability to attend a Region Staff College, an Officer's Course and other National Level Activities.

Would then the modus operandi be for people to remian 1st Lt for life if they simply want to develop their local squadrons?  What about special promotions?  A major CFI or former military...should they not even bother to join a local unti where their expertise would enhance the Squadrons and Groups?  Or do they best serve as Warm Bodies at Wing level?


Listen, if we let squadrons "rot on the vine" because we want centralization "AT ALL COSTS" I think we are killing our effectiveness.

To the arguement that State Gaurd and Reserve and other organizations work, let me remind you all that they get funding from ABOVE, not from below.  In our unit some 85% of all things comes out of membership "pocket."  Not because they have to, but because they believe in CAP and their local Squadron.  It is foundational... All we have was locally developed.  Now, a overly centralized model will eventually "cut people off" and always lack funds.

Again, once cannot graft the "Iowa Model" on to every WING.  We should best be looking it concept by concept and taking the best.

[RiverAux]

In our unit some 85% of all things comes out of membership "pocket." 

Well, I'm not sure that is actually the case for "all things".  It is probably very true of day-to-day expenses associated with running the unit and special fun-type events, but if you include money spent on fuel for the planes for missions, flight clinics, cadet o-rides, etc. and that would drop quite a bit.  Your overall point is still generally correct though.

[isuhawkeye]

dont forget that iowa's budget coveres the majority of expenses,a nd the pass the hat mentality is no longer a requirment.