New Achievement Award

[lordmonar]

I am a former AFROTC scholarship cadet,
I was shown the door when my medical waiver was revoked.
I've tried to get back via both officer and enlisted channels
to any service that would take me. Army, AF, etc...
Believe me if it was as easy as calling the local recruiter, I'd have commissioned in 2006 and would already have pinned on first john.
---
I will repeat, i would rather wear one USAF item then twenty CAP mini-medals

Well, where would you wear a full sized medal? What uniform combination do you wear that with?

The mini medal is for wear on mess dress plus, IIRC, you can wear one mini medal on the blazer for formal events.

We have a use for mini medals. The only use we have for full size medals is as a keepsake.

Well same argument could be made for Active Duty uniforms as well.  I have only seen full sized medals worn by Honor Guards man and way....way....way...back in the day when we still had the formal white service uniform (Can't recall it's actual name).

A full sized medal for CAP would be nice for presentations.

I used to have a mini medal of all the milestone awards and would use it to pin on the medal for cadet promotions.   A full sized medal would have looked nice for those photo ops.

[James Shaw]

I do not take offense to anyones opinion when it comes to my designs. I have twp people in my Chain of Command the National Commander and the National Historian. As long as they are happy I am happy.

Mini medals are fine with me. The only reson we have full size of anything is for presentation. They are very strict on those. You cant order them from Vanguard. You have to get them from NHQ only after the award has been verified and compared to the list of recipients for National Level Awards.

[ColonelJack]

The only reson we have full size of anything is for presentation. They are very strict on those. You cant order them from Vanguard. You have to get them from NHQ only after the award has been verified and compared to the list of recipients for National Level Awards.

Or you could always buy one on eBay ...

Jack

[James Shaw]

Or you could always buy one on eBay ...

I have seen them on ebay for $24.99 and even saw one go for $95.00. There is a company that makes knockoffs and tries to sale them for $25.00. They have been sent a C&D letter. If you are a recipient of the SMV, BMV, DSM you can get them from NHQ for $7.50 for the full size and $7.25 for the mini. They sent mine out and I had it in two days. I got an extra SMV to send to my parents and had my name engraved on the back plus the date.

[jimmydeanno]

If you are a recipient of the SMV, BMV, DSM you can get them from NHQ for $7.50 for the full size and $7.25 for the mini.

That's nice that they do that.

[stratoflyer]

I personally like the design of the ribbon and the reason. The ribbon should be given with a certificate that specifies clearly the reason why it was awarded at an appropriate ceremony. This should work well with highly motivated cadets who are struggling with promotions yet are showing heartfelt effort (ie cadets that fail PT but are improving steadily). I see here a morale and motivation tool.

Most people who see us in uniform don't know what each ribbon stands for except for maybe "things done/accomplished". They do know that the more one has, the more that person has in experience. I think this is a good idea, if properly handled by commanders.

[Pylon]

I think this is a good idea, if properly handled by commanders.

That's the problem.  Most awards are handed out improperly, held back by commanders except for their own higher HQ staff, and little recognition ever makes it to the hard-working folks at the squadron-level.  Since Commanders Commendations have become great awards for Wing staff exclusively, the Achievement Medal will become a great award for Group staff only.

[AlphaSigOU]

I personally like the design of the ribbon and the reason. The ribbon should be given with a certificate that specifies clearly the reason why it was awarded at an appropriate ceremony. This should work well with highly motivated cadets who are struggling with promotions yet are showing heartfelt effort (ie cadets that fail PT but are improving steadily). I see here a morale and motivation tool.

Most people who see us in uniform don't know what each ribbon stands for except for maybe "things done/accomplished". They do know that the more one has, the more that person has in experience. I think this is a good idea, if properly handled by commanders.

Agree 100% with SM Rodriguez's comments above. Now if they created electronic versions of certificates such as the Unit Citation Award or the National Commander's Unit Citation that can be viewed in a member's eServices account, better still. But I'd betcha the programming involved would be a royal bear to do.

Below are a couple of example certificates I created; one for the NCUC and another for the UCA. These certs are in 8-1/2 x 11" format for individual presentation or placing in a member's personnel record file. The original 11x14 certificate can remain in the squadron/group/wing, etc. (Not to worry; these certificates are strictly unofficial and are watermarked and only contain boilerplate text; just in case the black vans are a-waiting for me.  )

[mikeylikey]

Since Commanders Commendations have become great awards for Wing staff exclusively, the Achievement Medal will become a great award for Group staff only.

Mike......you are so awesomely correct.  I think this is the case in most every Wing and Region.  Unless you somehow make it to Wing or Region Staff, usually because you are friends with those in leadership roles, you never see some of "our" CAP AWARD.

This Achievement Award should be awarded by SQD Commanders.  This will only become one more award the general membership never sees, let alone receives.

Lets hope your Group Commander likes you (or likes your SQD Commander) because if they don't you won't get a thing form him or her.  I can say from personal experience dealing with a Group Commander who had it in for one of my previous SQD Commanders that because of the poor relationship between the two, my SQD and my CAP experience at that time suffered greatly.



 

[TankerT]

Since Commanders Commendations have become great awards for Wing staff exclusively, the Achievement Medal will become a great award for Group staff only.

Mike......you are so awesomely correct.  I think this is the case in most every Wing and Region.  Unless you somehow make it to Wing or Region Staff, usually because you are friends with those in leadership roles, you never see some of "our" CAP AWARD.

This Achievement Award should be awarded by SQD Commanders.  This will only become one more award the general membership never sees, let alone receives.

Lets hope your Group Commander likes you (or likes your SQD Commander) because if they don't you won't get a thing form him or her.  I can say from personal experience dealing with a Group Commander who had it in for one of my previous SQD Commanders that because of the poor relationship between the two, my SQD and my CAP experience at that time suffered greatly.

I doubt it.  I see it getting wide use.  (Lots of people that are never on Wing Staff receive these...)  Lots of wings have their members receiving CCAs.  The biggest obstacle I have seen in my years on a Wing Awards board that hinders the rank and file members receiving a CCA is that nobody submits them for one! 

[MIKE]

This is definitely a case of YWMV.

[Pylon]

The biggest obstacle I have seen in my years on a Wing Awards board that hinders the rank and file members receiving a CCA is that nobody submits them for one! 

Uh yeah, or maybe it's a case of the Group's blocking all of the well written CCA recommendations before they ever make it to Wing. 

If I was a betting man, I know which one I'd bet on is the case.

[Cecil DP]

I think this is a good idea, if properly handled by commanders.

That's the problem.  Most awards are handed out improperly, held back by commanders except for their own higher HQ staff, and little recognition ever makes it to the hardworking folks at the squadron-level.  Since Commanders Commendations have become great awards for Wing staff exclusively, the Achievement Medal will become a great award for Group staff only.

When I was a Wing Director of Personnel, I would beg Squadron and Group Commander's to submit awards for their people. Very few did, unless they were having an awards ceremony, and then rarely.  Don't blame the Wing if the Commanders at the local level aren't submitting the awards for their people. I would even get the Wing Commander to make the presentation at the unit, but again if the local unit's can't spend 5-10 minutes to write up a Commander's Commendation, you can't complain about the scarcity of the awards. BTW any awards or promotions we received were processed that same night (including rewritting and corrections to avoid having it sent back to the originating unit).

[Camas]

When I was a Wing Director of Personnel, I would beg Squadron and Group Commander's to submit awards for their people. Very few did, unless they were having an awards ceremony, and then rarely.  Don't blame the Wing if the Commanders at the local level aren't submitting the awards for their people. If the local unit's can't spend 5-10 minutes to write up a Commander's Commendation, you can't complain about the scarcity of the awards.

I'm currently my wing DP and I agree completely. Refer to CAPR39-3; it just isn't that difficult. Send a well-written CAPF120 into wing and your nominee could get lucky. Not all nominations will be approved but your nomination doesn't have a chance unless someone takes the time to submit the paperwork.

[CadetProgramGuy]

I think this is a good idea, if properly handled by commanders.

That's the problem.  Most awards are handed out improperly, held back by commanders except for their own higher HQ staff, and little recognition ever makes it to the hard-working folks at the squadron-level.  Since Commanders Commendations have become great awards for Wing staff exclusively, the Achievement Medal will become a great award for Group staff only.

For 3 years of service on Wing staff, my former Wing / CC awarded us MS Medals.  I got Comm Comms routinly from my Squadron CC when I was there.

[stratoflyer]

How about when someone works really hard but their work goes unrewarded? It's not like that person can say "Hey I deserve an award!" All commanders should be giving awards to deserving individuals, but most importantly, those around that individual should point out that's person's contributions. Remember folks, this is a volunteer organization, and if people start to feel un-encouraged or unmotivated, CAP suffers. I've met many great cadets that felt unnoticed and a simple award from the squadron CC would have made a world of difference. Surely, members of the squadron should have spoken up.

Like I said before, this award has a lot of potential.

By the way, I liked the sample certificates posted above--they looked nice.

[356cadet]

So this is an achievement that cadets can earn as well, correct?

[RickFranz]

So this is an achievement that cadets can earn as well, correct?

From what I'm reading your answer would be yes.  It's for an outstand achievement, I think Cadets could do things that would warrant that.

[AlphaSigOU]

So this is an achievement that cadets can earn as well, correct?

Yes. CAP decorations are not limited to senior members; it's not unusual for cadets to earn the Commander's Commendation Award, or - more rarely - the Meritorious Service Award. The Exceptional Service Award and the Distinguished Service Medal can be awarded to cadets but as far as I know it has rarely, if ever been awarded to a cadet; mainly because the award criteria effectively precludes cadets from earning one (there hasn't been a cadet wing, region or national commander, for example)

Back in my days as a cadink before the institution of the Commander's Commendation Award, a cadet earning a Meritorious Service Award was extremely rare to see; I only knew of two who earned them as cadets WIWAC, and both are still active in CAP as senior members: Lt Cols Alan and Brian Berry of Georgia Wing. There is a cadet in Texas Wing that earned an MSA in 2006.

[Camas]

This Achievement Award should be awarded by SQD Commanders. The biggest obstacle I have seen in my years on a Wing Awards board that hinders the rank and file members receiving a CCA is that nobody submits them for one! 

I was under the impression that the new achievement award could be approved by wing directors such as a director of cadet programs or something along that line. Sorry, I can't find the documentation but I thought I saw it somewhere. And yes, as I pointed out earlier, awards aren't going to be issued if no one does a "write-up".