SOS, ACSC, AWC

[James Shaw]

I am currently in the beginnig phase of doing ACSC. I enrolled a month or so ago. While I have been reading I was beginning to wonder if it had any practical purposes for me or my professional life. I am looking to get back into law enforcement at the State level (Pardons and Parole Officer. The real benefit for it in CAP is to allow you to take these in lieu of attending RSC or NSC. We don't get any real benefit other than that. It is not part of our normal PD but is an option. I may return to school for a graduate degree in Public Administration at a later time but other than some college transfer hours is it really worth the time and effort?

[O-Rex]

Does the Mil PME benefit Members in CAP and other venues?  Absolutely!

Does it give you an 'edge' for getting upper command positions in CAP? No.

Some CAP folks get a bit uncomfortable if you seem too "high speed/low drag" for their tastes....

Not to mention that politics still trumps competence.

Nonetheless, if you have the opportunity to take the courses, do it: post-grad military credentials are something that relatively few folks, in or out of the military, have.

All you have in CAP, rank, position, etc. is at the behest & convenience of your commander, but your PME diploma is yours to keep. . . . . . . for life!

[Phil Hirons, Jr.]

Good leadership / management training is useful in almost any aspect of life.

[Tubacap]

I am currently enrolled in SOS and actually am going to use some of the materials (with permission from AU) in an upcoming Leadership Seminar that is being held in the high school where I am a teacher.

[mmouw]

I took SOS and am currently enrolled in ACSC. It has good leadership methodology and in a way helps to show where CAP is in the "big picture".

Another benefit of taking the courses is when speaking with or to military folks, I feel it adds credibility to the CAP officer to say we have taken the same PME as the AF officers do. It speaks to professionalism and dedication to be a well rounded individual. I believe it raises our creditability with many. Let's face it these are not easy courses and we do it voluntarily where as they are required.

[Trung Si Ma]

Good leadership and management training.  Had not completed AWC then, but did get credits from SOS and ACSC towards my Master's Degrees.

[Nolan Teel]

Im currently working on SOS.  I love it!  Great Stuff.  Im sure it will help me in CAP as well as life in general!

[Gunner C]

Good leadership and management training.  Had not completed AWC then, but did get credits from SOS and ACSC towards my Master's Degrees.

Up to 27 freebie grad hours ain't bad.  I'm putting mine to work.

[dwb]

I took SOS.  I thought it was interesting, but not terribly applicable to CAP.  Like others, I found the leadership theory stuff to be most relevant.

I think about taking ACSC once in a while, but I really want to make it to NSC some day, which would be my preferred way of earning my Wilson.

[MSG Mac]

I took SOS.  I thought it was interesting, but not terribly applicable to CAP.  Like others, I found the leadership theory stuff to be most relevant.

I think about taking ACSC once in a while, but I really want to make it to NSC some day, which would be my preferred way of earning my Wilson.

ACSC doesn't preclude attending NSC. I did both ACSC to complete Level 5 and than when I made Major attended NSC. 

[Spike]

Completed AWC.  It is a good course, would have liked to sit in on a few sessions though to gain a further understanding of concepts. 

Took SOS, and ACSC as well. 

All in all, I am looking for more things to do.  Right now I applied for the Organizational Excellence Specialty Track, but I am discouraged as I have more OE experience and have more PRO DEV courses under my belt than my Group, Wing and Region Commander combined.  I have already run an SLS, CLC and taught multiple times at RSC.  I would like to go back to NSC.  As a Squadron Commander, I try to get as many of my Officers to attend courses and sign up for distance ed.  It is very beneficial.

[RADIOMAN015]

While on active duty I've taken NCO Academy, SOS, & ACSC...
Got credit for it for CAP purposes.  HOWEVER, my opinion is that CAP needs to require members' development via in residence and/or via correspondence courses more appropriate to the challenges of "volunteers" management & leadeship.
There's a vast difference in leadership between paid military (with the UCMJ stick) and Civil Air Patrol.
RM 

[DBlair]

Good leadership and management training.  Had not completed AWC then, but did get credits from SOS and ACSC towards my Master's Degrees.

Up to 27 freebie grad hours ain't bad.  I'm putting mine to work.

Interesting... are they counted as graduate program electives or are they applied as specific courses?

[BillB]

It depends on how your college/university accepts the courses. The American Council on Education has recommended credit hours in various areas such as political science, government, but it's up to your institution to accept the credits and in what areas. Most often they are in electives unless your looking for a degree in the areas recommended.

[James Shaw]

As stated earlier I am working on ACSC. I am working on the  National Security portion now. I have taken SOS as well and was given 9 credit hours worth of credit towards my degree. It saved me a couple of thousand dollars. I feel that overall it is beneficial for myself as a member and beneficial for my professional life. I will eventually start a masters program in Public Administration and this is worth a good number of hours. After I eventually make Lt. Col. I will enroll in AWC and use those hours as well.

[Flying Pig]

What courses, if any can we take as a Capt?  Beyond CAP courses?

[Spike]

^ SOS

[flyboy53]

I did the Command NCO Academy in the Air Force and SOS for CAP. I, too, really enjoyed SOS and was glad to complete it. I found the stuff relative even in my work situation. It's worth it just to be able to show that you completed something that intensive.

[a2capt]

Well, after three AU Form 23 submissions that fell on deaf ears, when submitted to the "proper" channel, vs. one that was submitted to the same channel as any other A4UDafodilECI form submission, which did get a reply saying "this needs to go to AWC@... ", we heard nothing on the others. So when I saw that there was a link on eServices if the member was eligible for it, I informed the potential student in my unit to go into eServices and do it, and he did.  .. and two weeks later got back a rejection:Sent: Wed, December 23, 2009 4:49:59 AMSubject: RE: CAP AWC Distance Learning Enrollment RequestAWC enrollment isn't open to CAP members unless on active duty within CAP.  CAP volunteers cannot enroll.  ....
[/size]
[/size]What does this .. exactly mean? Active Duty within CAP? It does say "Active Member" on the card.. what is a CAP volunteer vs. a CAP active duty?
[/size]

[rmcmanus]

I'm a "lone wolf" serving as the long-distance Admin Officer for the unit that I formerly commanded in another state.  As a full-time educational administrator at a college that operates year around, I have always had difficulty taking the time off to attend RSC, let alone NSC.  I didn't know that SOS/ACSC could be substituted for the CAP staff colleges but I am glad to that they do.  I have always planned to enroll in ACSC but when I recently attempted to do so, I encountered a considerable amount of difficulty trying to arrange for the proctored examinations while using the CAP enrollment site.  I even called NHQ yet never received a call-back with helpful information.  Has anyone else had that problem?

[DBlair]

I've heard of a lot of people having difficulty registering for the AF PME Distance Learning courses, have there been any changes as to allowing/not allowing CAP (non-RM) members to take SOS, ACSC, AWC?

[Phil Hirons, Jr.]

I've heard of a lot of people having difficulty registering for the AF PME Distance Learning courses, have there been any changes as to allowing/not allowing CAP (non-RM) members to take SOS, ACSC, AWC?

If you're eligible for ACSC or AWC there is a link to enroll on the top of the left side of e-Services. You need to figure out where you are going to test and enter the code on the app.

SOS has been a moving target for a few years. Forms, addresses, websites, how to get access have all changed .

[a2capt]

If you're eligible for ACSC or AWC there is a link to enroll on the top of the left side of e-Services. You need to figure out where you are going to test and enter the code on the app.

Thats the irony of the whole thing.


We did just that. Used the link available to the member when he signed in to eServices.


Thats the part I don't get. After three failed/ignored AU Form 23s, and the change to "use eServices"..


only to finally get acknowledgement in the form of "no, you can't take this course".  Makes no sense to me. ;-)

[a2capt]

So it seems that there was an AU policy change that unless you are Active Duty Air Force, and CAP Lt. Col. you can enroll in AWC. Otherwise, Just CAP Lt. Col. does not get you AWC.

Since eServices does not know about any AF rank/status the link will just show, and your enrollment will be kicked back. This changed about 3-4 months ago.

What it does provide is a 10 year way around any AF requirement for AWC if you are enlisted I suppose.

[jimmydeanno]

So it seems that there was an AU policy change that unless you are Active Duty Air Force, and CAP Lt. Col. you can enroll in AWC. Otherwise, Just CAP Lt. Col. does not get you AWC.

Since eServices does not know about any AF rank/status the link will just show, and your enrollment will be kicked back. This changed about 3-4 months ago.

What it does provide is a 10 year way around any AF requirement for AWC if you are enlisted I suppose.

I'm a little confused about the way this is written.

Are you saying that you can not enroll in AWC as solely a CAP Lt Col now and that you must be a commissioned O-5 equivalent to enroll?

Or are you saying that if you are both it won't let you enroll?

[a2capt]

CAP Lt. Col solely will not grant you an enrollment, what I just got off the phone from NHQ this afternoon.

AU changed their policy and will only let a CAP Lt. Col. that is also Active Duty in the Air Force enroll in AWC.

They didn't take it away, they just added that you must be any AD Air Force in addition to CAP Lt. Col. (Or, of course just plain old eligible via the AF to take it, then who needs CAP for that)

[rmcmanus]

Im still at a loss when it comes to applying for ACSC.  NHQ has not provided any information and I really want to take the course.  Has anyone else been able to enroll (that is unless we've been barred from that one too)?

[flyboy53]

You didn't say whether you were enrolled or not. If you were enrolled, you should have been able to contact the student assistance people and made the appropriate changes.

[rmcmanus]

I am not enrolled, I wish to do so.

[rmcmanus]

I ask again, does anyone have ideas on how tgo enroll in ACSC?  I have seen any responses since my post on 15 April.

[ßτε]

If you are a CAP Maj or higher, there should be a link on the left side of eServices called ACSC Enrollment. When you select it it should be almost all filled out except Test Control Facility Zip Code and Shred. You can look these up by clicking the link in this form. Then you would submit.

[a2capt]

Does anyone know if the ACSC test has gone electronic?

[AirDX]

Exam Administration

ACSC primarily uses the e-test and they are ordered through AUSIS (https://ausis.maxwell.af.mil) by the student when they are ready to take it. Most Air Force bases have e-testing capability, but if e-testing is not available, you will take the paper test. If you must paper-test, order them early to allow for mail transit time. They will be sent directly to your servicing Test Control Facility (TCF) or assigned proctor. You are responsible for scheduling your exams with the TCF or proctor.

Exam Scoring and Feedback

E-exam results are instantaneous. Paper-based exam answer sheets are returned by the TCF to Air University for electronic scoring. Exams scores can be accessed on the ACSC Distance Learning web site and will also be e-mailed to you when they post.

E-exam results are posted to AUSIS generally within 10 days after taking the test while paper tests will take longer due to mail transit times. 

[AirDX]

No problems enrolling in SOS, filled the online for and submitted on Saturday, got an e-mail back this morning (Monday) already, conforming enrollment.

[a2capt]

We'll see what I get back for ACSC .. as I noted, AWC got restricted, but the sad thing is it's still not so indicated anywhere. I was looking forward to that course availability myself. Perhaps in 3 more years things will change again. ..hopefully towards the end of it, so they don't change yet again by the time I can. Or soon, so they can change and change back

[a2capt]

I got back my notice of enrollment in ACSC just a little while ago. Submitted it on Saturday...

So that one hasn't been shut out, yet.