When to pin on Observer Wings

[MacGruff]

I have a question about aeronautical ratings, and the wearing of wings on the Grey/White uniform for Senior Members. Recently, someone in our squadron completed his training as a Mission Observer. He got his two training flights in, and was signed off in e-services so that when you look at his qualifications, it states Mission Observer until such and such a date (interestingly, his Mission Scanner expiration date was changed to be the same as the Mission Observer expiration date – but that's a different topic).

According to CAPR 35-6, one has earned the CAP Observer Rating when "...qualified as a CAP mission observer in accordance with the CAP 60-series regulations..."   (CAPR 35-6 paragraph 1.h.1)

Later, in paragraph 5 "Procedures for Awarding Aeronautical Ratings..." it states:
a. Awards requests will automatically be generated when requirements for qualifications or certifications are earned and posted in the national headquarters qualification and certification system... [I assume this means e-services?]
b. CAP wing or region commanders and school/activity directors, as appropriate, are the approval authority for the award of aeronautical, ES qualification, or ground team badges, and ES Patches to members within their organization.
c. When the wing or region commander approves the request, or the school/activity director certifies completion, the appropriate entry will automatically be made in the member's online records.
d. Ratings are effective the date the entry is approved by the wing or region commander, or the date the school/activity director certifies completion as appropriate in the national headquarters qualification and certification system.

I am reading all of this to say that if e-services shows the Senior Member to be a Mission Observer, than all these requirements were met and he can wear the Observer Aviation Badge on his uniform. Is my reading of this correct?

Can that Senior Member put an Observer badge on his Grey/White uniform and get an embroidered polo with them?

Or, does he need to get some sort of certificate, recognition from some place other than e-services?

[Storm Chaser]

Yes and no. Once he's a qualified Mission Observer (showing active in Ops Quals) he qualifies for the Basic Observer Rating, but these are still two separate things that required separate approvals. Observer ratings are submitted through the CAP Ratings module under the Pilot section (left menu) in Ops Quals.

The new Ops Quals system automatically renews (resets the date) of a lower qualifications when a higher, related one is completed/renewed.

[lordmonar]

There is a place in OPS qual to offically award the wings.

So....do that first.

Then when signed by the commander it is done deal and he can wear them.

[MacGruff]

Thanks, StormChaser, I never saw that before (Not being a pilot, there was never a reason for me to go there!). I had the member do that this evening.

LordMonar - Are speaking of the same place that StormChaser is?

[MacGruff]

As a follow up to this, The Senior Member in question Submitted for Observer Qualification under the Pilot area and the Wing approved it within 24 hours. It now shows up in Ops Quals as well as under Qualifications in the Member area.

Thanks for the help, but why are there two steps to this process?

[EMT-83]

One is an ES qualification, the other is an ES badge. Same process as ground team badges.

[Phil Hirons, Jr.]

Because having Mission Observer (MO) on your 101 card is a qualification to do that job in ES.

The wings are considered awards. (You also get to keep them if your qualification lapses) and are governed by a regulation that says it has to be approved. The same reg requires approval of the Red Service Ribbon (and attachments) and the Encampment Ribbon. There have been discussions here as to why we need to approve an award for time in service and encampment participation.

[Storm Chaser]

As a follow up to this, The Senior Member in question Submitted for Observer Qualification under the Pilot area and the Wing approved it within 24 hours. It now shows up in Ops Quals as well as under Qualifications in the Member area.

Thanks for the help, but why are there two steps to this process?

The reason these two are separate is because one is a qualification that expires every three years and the other is a rating that doesn't expire. While the qualification for the basic Observer rating is the same as for the Mission Observer qualification, that's not the case for the senior and master rating. Furthermore, the basic Pilot rating requirements are not the same as the Mission Pilot qualification requirements at all.

Now, going back to your question; why are there two steps to this process? Well, there's probably no reason why approving MO in Ops Quals couldn't approve the basic Observer rating. I can't imagine a change to the software business rule that deals with this being that difficult. Unfortunately, until such change is implemented, there's no way around the additional step.

[JeffDG]

While some may differ, I don't see an issue with submitting your MO SQTR and your request for Observer Wings at the same time.  The same people approve them, and should see them come through at the same time, so shouldn't be an issue with the wings being disapproved because the rating hasn't been approved yet.

[jeders]

Now, going back to your question; why are there two steps to this process? Well, there's probably no reason why approving MO in Ops Quals couldn't approve the basic Observer rating. I can't imagine a change to the software business rule that deals with this being that difficult. Unfortunately, until such change is implemented, there's no way around the additional step.

That's actually what is supposed to happen, unfortunately another area where eServices and the regs are in conflict.