Professional Development

[CadetProgramGuy]

Good morning!!

I am torn as of late on how to advance my Professional Development.

I am Level III complete, and the only thing holding up my level IV is RCS.  I cannot really afford to take a week off work, but that would be the fastest path to complete.

I have also considered Squadron Officer School through the AF, but from understanding it takes considerable time to complete.

I just made Grade as Major, I have 3.5 - 4 years to complete this course.

Pro's Con's?

Thanks!!

CPG

[jimmydeanno]

SOS

PROS:
Actual college credit for the course.
Nifty device on your garber.
take it in your own time.
Free
Academically challenging

CONS:
if you're not strongly self-motivated or don't like correspondence courses, you will probably hate it.
Not CAP specific and includes things that only apply to the AF


RSC

PROS
Group learning environment
Quick way to get the box done
CAP pertinent
Usually some sort of neat location
Great seminars by some fantastic leaders and specialists
Someone to ask questions to and get feedback

CONS
Expense (week from work + cost of course, meals, etc) EDIT: Unless you are able to sell your company on the value that it would have on your work.  I was able to get my job to send me to RSC and NSC because of the management training opportunities that it afforded.  I didn't have to take vacation time and they didn't dock my pay (I had to pay for the course and related expenses though)
No college credit
Not very academically challenging

[Seabee219]

  Congrats on level 3, I am going to finish that this month. I also will find it hard to complete level 4. I have done 1, 2 and 3 early and rather quickly to learn as much as I can.  I do really enjoy CAP and all it has to offer me in my squadron. keep up the good work

[flyboy53]

Congrats.

Do SOS. You won't regret it...I don't. Sure it's intensive -- more than RSC -- but you do it from your home and you learn a lot of Air Force-related stuff in the process.

Sometimes its more rewarding to take a free course that has college credit and gives you a taste of what the Air Force requires their officers to know at the same level of rank. It also shows a different level of committment.

The con side, I worked so hard trying to complete the course, that I carried it with me everywhere to work on in my spare time. I'd even work on it in the evenings when the rest of the family was camped out in front of the TV. I got it done in 13 months. Then I had to regroup because I didn't know what do do with myself.....back to model rockets...in the living room...I have a very forgiving wife.

[Chappie]

Me on the other hand would suggest taking the RSC for two reasons:

1) it is more CAP specific and geared to the tasks/missions we perform, and more importantly

2) the networking done at a RSC and NSC is phenomeonal.  Friendships within CAP are formed, resources shared, and the list could go on.

[Capt Rivera]

do both?