Unit Citation for NYWG

[Ozzy]

Hey, I heard an unconfirmed rumor that NYWG received a unit citation for it's Outstanding job during the Wing's Eval. Is there any place where I can confirm this? I tried the wing site, but there wasn't any and I tried NER, but nothing there too.

[Eclipse]

Ask someone on wing staff?

As the rules have now been clarified, it will likely only apply to members of NY-001 anyway.

[RiverAux]

I'm not sure I could go along on giving out a unit citation based on a eval performance alone even if you get the max score.  The reward for doing well on an eval is having a great program.  Citations should be reserved for real-world performance, not test performance. 

[Ozzy]

The reward of having a great program is doing well on an Eval. Not the other way around. Doing Outstanding on an eval just validates that you have a great program for your area of operations. And in order to have a great program, you have to train. And not just going to a SARex every once in a while, but to frequently 'train as you fight'. I know for at least my squadron and group, we were totally prepared for what ever they threw at us because we follow all three missions of CAP, even when ES is rarely -if ever- needed on Long Island.

Anyways, I'll talk with my squadron's DC of cadets... I believe he is part of wing staff...

[RiverAux]

Six of one, half a dozen of another....

[Hawk200]

As the rules have now been clarified, it will likely only apply to members of NY-001 anyway.

Where would that rule be?

[Eclipse]

As the rules have now been clarified, it will likely only apply to members of NY-001 anyway.

Where would that rule be?

The verbiege in the draft revision of 39-3 specifies you must be in the unit at the time of the award (which is supposed to have a PA attached with the names, etc.).  I have no idea why the new rev hasn't been published, but a clarification is also here: http://tinyurl.com/yzafkp7

[Eclipse]

And its also spelled out in this ICL: http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/2008_12_10_awards_87CB4A5E163E5.pdf

"l. Unit Citation Award. The Unit Citation Award ribbon may only be worn by
members assigned to the unit during any portion of the period of time shown in the
National Headquarters Personnel Action announcing the award. Individuals who join the
unit at a later date are not authorized to wear the Unit Citation Ribbon."

NYWG, as I recall, was one of several in the practice of allowing everyone in the wing to wear
a UC awarded to Wing HQ, and treating them like Army Unit citations in that anyone joining a
unit (or in this case wing) with a UC could add it to their rack themselves.

This resulted in photos of Cadet Airmen with 5 UC's before they got their Curry.

Now, if Region or NHQ decided to write the citation to specifically include everyone in the wing, that's a different story and not likely.

[Hawk200]

Now, if Region or NHQ decided to write the citation to specifically include everyone in the wing, that's a different story and not likely.

How exactly are you aware of how the citation was written? The only Unit Citation I have was written to include the entire wing.

Is it actually unlikely, or do you just want it to be unlikely?

[Eclipse]

I'm not personally not aware of anything in regards to this UC, even the original poster isn't, I'm saying they can be written that way, but its unusual.  In most cases I am aware of it was a misinterpretation of the situation;

Member 1 "Hey, did you here our wing got a UC?"
Member 2 "Cool!  We're in this wing, so we must all get to wear it."

And then member #3 is too misinformed to challenge it.

I'd say it would be even more unusual if it was tied to an eval.  We got a big "e" on our last eval and I'd say more than half the units were not represented in any way, what did they do to deserve a decoration?

Assuming they got one, its much more likely its connected to a series of good SAV's and CI's, and the eval may have been icing.  My wing just recently got one and that was specifically how it went.

[Pingree1492]

Colorado Wing has received two Unit Citations over the last several years that were awarded to everyone in the Wing.  One National CC Unit Citation for a period of a week or so in Dec 06/Jan 07 time frame (Blizzard SAR & DR).  And it received one for the operational period of May 2008. 

It was VERY clear to everyone in the wing what the awards were for and that we were authorized to wear them.  If NYWG put in for a Unit Citation for the wing, then you should know when it is approved and eligible for wear.  It certainly won't stay a secret long once the PA comes back.

[SarDragon]

In my time in CAWG, CA-000 has been awarded two UCs, and CA-001 has been awarded an additional one. That's two for the entire wing, and another just for wing HQ. WIWAC, the entire NER got a UC for some undetermined action, back in the 60s.

[lordmonar]

It depends on how the order is written.

Following the AF model.....

Say the wing does well on an ORI....AF may award an outstanding unit to just the Wing and not the subordinate units....or it could award it to the wing and include the subordinate units.

Either way.....check with NYWG HQ and see what they say.  It may be that it is taking a long time to get the word out because they have to get all the names of everyone in the the wing on the PA.

The same same thing happend when NVWG got the NCUC.  It took a while for the PA to get written....and even then it was not 100% correct.

[RiverAux]

In my time in CAWG, CA-000 has been awarded two UCs, and CA-001 has been awarded an additional one. That's two for the entire wing, and another just for wing HQ. WIWAC, the entire NER got a UC for some undetermined action, back in the 60s.

I very much doubt that CA-000 got a UC since in most wings that is the ghost squadron. 

[SarDragon]

That's why I clarified it by stating the entire wing, and wing HQ. I don't have the PAs available to verify the exact designations.

[Thrashed]

WIWAC, the entire NER got a UC for some undetermined action, back in the 60s.

That must be the one they told me about.  I'm fairly new and told my commander about the ICL saying you must be a member during the time the citation is awarded.  My commander said that we get to wear it in the PAWG even if I joined 40 years later.  I don't get it.  Why am I decorated for it?

[SilverEagle2]

My commander said that we get to wear it in the PAWG even if I joined 40 years later.

Negative Ghostrider, your commander is wrong.

The only way I see it working retroactively is if you remove it once you leave the unit it was awarded to.

[SarDragon]

I was actually in NER at the time, so I'm eligible to wear it. I never had any real validation until I saw it on the NER web site. I emailed the admin guy, and he confirmed it for me. I had heard rumours at the time, but never saw a PA, so never worried about it.

The ICL is very clear in stating that you must have been a member of the unit for the period covered by the award. There is no retroactive aspect involved.

[Thrashed]

That's what I said, but the commander insisted that we were  a "special" case and got to wear it.  I showed the ICL letter to them. I haven't worn it, and I won't. 

[Eclipse]

Commanders who believe their people are "special"...

That falls in right behind "...Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."