Use of Cadets on Late Night Missions

[Stonewall]

I am shocked at the number of squadrons that do not use cadets for ES missions, even on school nights.

As a cadet at age 14, my first mission was a non-distress ELT on a meeting night.  Called my parents and told them not to come pick me up.  They were like "roger that, let us know when it's over so we can get you".

My entire experience as a senior member in National Capital Wing (Virginia side) has had cadets fully involved in ES missions, regardless of time of year.  As Ice Nine said, I used a "parent's permission form" that was completed and kept on file along with the alert roster once the cadet earned their GES, UDF or GTM qualification. 

See attached form.  I also included an ES Letter to Parents.  The ES Permission slip was filled out prior to each new school year.

I have personally known of a home schooled cadet who remained on a missing aircraft mission for two weeks. 

In fact, I even pre-planned and coordinated a "practice alert" on a Saturday night where I called qualified cadets and had them bring 24/72 hour gear to the rally location and took off in the van.  About 30 minutes into the drive I advised them this is a drill.  We parked at a state park and conducted a complete gear lay out/inspection.  We then suited up and went on a 6 mile road march on the W&OD trail in Northern Virginia.

The parents were in on the planning, so when we got back at 22:00, pizza awaited us.  It proved to be a solid success with lots of lessons learned.

[caprr275]

In fact, I even pre-planned and coordinated a "practice alert" on a Saturday night where I called qualified cadets and had them bring 24/72 hour gear to the rally location and took off in the van.  About 30 minutes into the drive I advised them this is a drill.  We parked at a state park and conducted a complete gear lay out/inspection.  We then suited up and went on a 6 mile road march on the W&OD trail in Northern Virginia.

The parents were in on the planning, so when we got back at 22:00, pizza awaited us.  It proved to be a solid success with lots of lessons learned.

Very good idea! I think im going to do this with my cadets over the Christmas break.

My unit has had a long history of having a ground team of cadets. I can remember about 2 months after I joined a red cap mission in the UP of Michigan that lasted a week. I called my parents and got cleared by them to go and I was up there for a week.

While I was a cadet I got called maybe 15 times in the middle of the night over a 5 year period.  My unit always talked to mom or dad before the cadet can go out if the cadet is a minor.  It is true on a school night we try to pick the older cadets however we will still call the younger ones even if they cant go to show them that we are trying to include them. That way when we do a debrief at the next meeting they aren't pissed off that they didn't get a call even though they couldn't go.

[Gunner C]

I am shocked at the number of squadrons that do not use cadets for ES missions, even on school nights.

As a cadet at age 14, my first mission was a non-distress ELT on a meeting night.  Called my parents and told them not to come pick me up.  They were like "roger that, let us know when it's over so we can get you".

My entire experience as a senior member in National Capital Wing (Virginia side) has had cadets fully involved in ES missions, regardless of time of year.  As Ice Nine said, I used a "parent's permission form" that was completed and kept on file along with the alert roster once the cadet earned their GES, UDF or GTM qualification. 

See attached form.  I also included an ES Letter to Parents.  The ES Permission slip was filled out prior to each new school year.

I have personally known of a home schooled cadet who remained on a missing aircraft mission for two weeks. 

In fact, I even pre-planned and coordinated a "practice alert" on a Saturday night where I called qualified cadets and had them bring 24/72 hour gear to the rally location and took off in the van.  About 30 minutes into the drive I advised them this is a drill.  We parked at a state park and conducted a complete gear lay out/inspection.  We then suited up and went on a 6 mile road march on the W&OD trail in Northern Virginia.

The parents were in on the planning, so when we got back at 22:00, pizza awaited us.  It proved to be a solid success with lots of lessons learned.

Stoney - you are my hero!  I tried to do that as a squadron commander but couldn't get support until an old friend of mine joined the unit.  He recruited a couple of other people, got the cadets up to speed, recruited a truck load of cadets, and was able to do pretty much the same thing.  Guys like you are worth your weight in gold.

Gunner

[Stonewall]

Guys like you are worth your weight in gold.

Great, now I'm fat.  Thanks.   

You know what?  I did this with absolute support from my Wing.  Col McConnell was the Wing King at the time and whether he knew it or not, he signed off on this.  Submitted the request for a "no notice call out" and he signed it.

If you think about it, something like the above "call out" is easier to plan than a regular FTX.  You need next to nothing in logistics and it's over in a few hours versus a couple days.

As much as I try to keep parents away from meetings, I did communicate with them regularly.  Even sent occasional updates on squadron activities in the mail and invited them to their cadet's promotions.  I had as many as 12 qualified GTM cadets and knew pretty much everything about them.  So I didn't even have to invite the ones I knew were tied up in sports or family stuff.  Contacted the 9 other parents, even organized carpools for one cadet's parents to pick up and drop off the others.  Not to mention we had a drop-dead completion time so they weren't hanging around waiting for their cadet.

Plus, there was food!!!!

[Stonewall]

Robert L Bowden, 1st Lt, CAP

Are we related?

Peter K. (Kirt) Bowden, Lt Col, CAP

[RADIOMAN015]

Overall I don't think it's a good idea to use the younger cadets on late night wee early morning missions.  Our last two ELT missions have been 0300, 0430 local hrs stop times, & we started 2230, 1845 hrs local respectively.  Perhaps the cadets that are 16 years old or older MIGHT be utilized.  However, there's multiple problems with this in that as senior members we are fatigued enough after the mission.  IF the cadet has no ride home (and in many cases you don't want the parent up at 0300 to pickup the cadet because you are going to end up waiting at squadron headquarters even longer until the parent arrives), than one of the us is going to have to either wait for the parent or drive the cadet home.   Again with this evening into early morning missions, we are already at risk from being tired and when you add in being a shuttle bus service, I personally don't want the risk associated with it.   HOWEVER, if the cadet residence is on the way back to the senior member's residence, than each individually can make that choice.  The last mission two weeks ago, we elected not to use any cadets, since the alert time & response was 2230 hrs local & dispatch from the squadron hdqs was after 2400 hrs, with RTB around 0300 hrs local.  Although it's important to get cadets involved in all aspects of the ES program, there are limitations.  Actually in all fairness to cadets, there can be utilization limitations with senior members also due to health & work situations.
RM
     

[Stonewall]

A lot of people make it seem impossible to include cadets, as if it's an either all or nothing situation.

Situations dictate and we can all be flexible in the use of cadets with missions.  While I am an advocate for involving cadets, there have been missions that I didn't call any and it was just me and another senior.

If Senior Member Smith is called for an ELT search at 2300 at night, then it only makes sense to notify cadets in close proximity to the rally location or the senior member.  In my case, I wouldn't notify cadets who live 45 minutes west of the squadron when I live 15 minutes east.

But if it were a Thursdsay night and an over due aircraft mission, then yes, I'd call as many qualified cadets and seniors as possible.  Cadets can miss school Friday and be available for as many as 3 days.  And of course, if Saturday afternoon shows up and we're still searching, but Cadet Tentpeg has a school project due, then guess what?  Mrs. Tentpeg is going to drive 2 hours south to Anytown USA to pick their cadet up.

This is why it is key to communicate with parents; getting verbal, in writing and even a head nod approval in advance.  "YES, I GIVE LT COL RAMBO PERMISSION TO CALL MY HOUSE AT 0400 ON A WEEKNIGHT TO ACTIVATE MY CADET FOR MISSIONS".  It's that easy.  Believe it or not, out of 15 or 20 cadets, you may get as many as 33.3% with 100$ "green light" to call out cadets.

[Gunner C]

A lot of people make it seem impossible to include cadets, as if it's an either all or nothing situation.

Situations dictate and we can all be flexible in the use of cadets with missions.  While I am an advocate for involving cadets, there have been missions that I didn't call any and it was just me and another senior.

If Senior Member Smith is called for an ELT search at 2300 at night, then it only makes sense to notify cadets in close proximity to the rally location or the senior member.  In my case, I wouldn't notify cadets who live 45 minutes west of the squadron when I live 15 minutes east.

But if it were a Thursdsay night and an over due aircraft mission, then yes, I'd call as many qualified cadets and seniors as possible.  Cadets can miss school Friday and be available for as many as 3 days.  And of course, if Saturday afternoon shows up and we're still searching, but Cadet Tentpeg has a school project due, then guess what?  Mrs. Tentpeg is going to drive 2 hours south to Anytown USA to pick their cadet up.

This is why it is key to communicate with parents; getting verbal, in writing and even a head nod approval in advance.  "YES, I GIVE LT COL RAMBO PERMISSION TO CALL MY HOUSE AT 0400 ON A WEEKNIGHT TO ACTIVATE MY CADET FOR MISSIONS".  It's that easy.  Believe it or not, out of 15 or 20 cadets, you may get as many as 33.3% with 100$ "green light" to call out cadets.

We did implement another thing to help out the cadets and their parents:  We had alert teams.  The team had a specific time period (usually a week or 10 days) that they were in the window for being called out.  It worked pretty well - the parents and the cadets knew that during this time they might be called for a mission.

Some parents were even willing to drive their cadets to a rally point.  If there were grades/family problems, etc., there was communication with the GTL, temporarily taking them off the roster.  One weekend we had 5 ELT missions and we had several cadets who participated in all 5. 

I'm a big believer in having real teams - it's a great management/leadership tool.

Gunner