Those pesky oaths...

[jimmydeanno]

I was recently sent this (outdated) article from 2007.  The article was written shortly after the ABU first was adopted.  The history leading up to the article is in the paragraph just before the content.

http://www.andersen.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123067768

It got me thinking about our cadet oath, at first.  But then it moved me to the conduct of our officers in CAP.

Of all the paragraphs, this one struck me as particularly interesting and truth telling.

A professional does not waste his or anyone else's time spreading discontent and questioning leadership. Leaders do not put themselves in positions to have their professionalism, integrity or respect questioned. They become something larger that does not need the support of others to do what is right. Most importantly, a non-commissioned officer does not lose sight of or let something influence his moral compass.

We had a thread going about the culture of CAP, which manifested into something completely different and in many ways, unprofessional. 

However, I'm sure many will say that it is our duty to 'question' leadership.  But I contend that it is our duty to support leadership and provide better ways of doing our duty.  It makes me wonder how far we could have taken our organization so far if everyone didn't have their own personal agendas and put forth their very best effort to accomplish the mission, operating under the assumption that the leadership was acting in the best interests of the organization.

Just some random thoughts, from a random member.

PS: Sounds like that NCO got his hand slapped pretty hard for what he did...

[Gunner C]

NCOs/petty officers of any service are the keepers of the standards.  IMO, it's nearly impossible to maintain a military or paramilitary force without it.  They are the ones who get things done and whisper in the officers' ears that an idea is stupid (don't go forward unless you want to look like an idiot).  They enforce the uniform standards and weed out the problem children (either by retraining or getting rid of them).

CAP is hamstrung by not having NCOs.  We start out as 2d Lts.  I don't think this works (obviously it doesn't, look at the force as a whole:  there's no one to enforce training standards, no one to enforce uniforms, no one carry on traditions).

There are those who will poo poo away the lack of NCOs and airmen but I've been in CAP when they did exist and we were better then for it.

[MSgt Van]

 :clap:

[Short Field]

NCOs/petty officers of any service are the keepers of the standards.  IMO, it's nearly impossible to maintain a CAP is hamstrung by not having NCOs.  ... <Break> ...  We start out as 2d Lts.  I don't think this works (obviously it doesn't, look at the force as a whole:  there's no one to enforce training standards, no one to enforce uniforms, no one carry on traditions).

What makes the AD NCOs and PO effective are E-8s and E-9s with 20 to 30+ years of experience.  CAP has no ability to create the same level of senior NCO.  It is not the rank so much as the experience that makes them effective. 

[Gunner C]

Yeah, I guess you're right.  No one ever stays in CAP for that long.

[Short Field]

We are going to get people starting as Airmen and working up to Chief Master Sergeant over a 20 year period? 

Chiefs are great - but by the time I retired, we had Chiefs serving who had worked for me when I was wearing railroad tracks and they were two-stripers.  Sorry, but there was very little they could tell me about how to wear my uniform, discipline, dedication to duty, and just being squared away in general.  I did expect them to keep the troops up to speed - but when it came to officers, they could informally and politely point something out to the officer concerned or identify the problem to me.  NCOs did NOT discipline officers nor correct them in public.     So how are your NCOs going to keep the SMs in shape?

The one thing that we absolutely shared was that it was OUR Air Force - and we took offense when people wore OUR uniform poorly and reflected badly on US.  It was OUR Air Force, with well defined standards and traditions we all shared.    The "well defined standards" is something CAP is missing.