Winter Encampments?

[CadetProgramGuy]

Anyone know of any winter encampments?  With the latest change from the Cadet Program Team with regards to NCSA's I have cadets scrambling to find a basic encampment yet this year.

[Al Sayre]

I spoke to our Wing DCP Saturday, SER Winter Encampment is 26 Dec 2007 – 8 Jan 2008 and will be at Camp Blanding outside of Jacksonville FL.  They are apparently still soliciting for Senior Member Staff Positions.  Should you have specific questions regarding the Winter Encampment please contact Colonel Joe Knight, Deputy Chief of Staff, Cadet  Programs via e-mail: DCP@SERCAP.US .

[CadetProgramGuy]

Unfortunately that won't work according to the new guidelines.

The encampment needs to be complete at time of application.

[BillB]

Aren't the dates for the SER Winter Encampment 26 Dec-3 Jan ?

[CadetProgramGuy]

Either way, it doesn't solve the situation.

[Al Sayre]

Aren't the dates for the SER Winter Encampment 26 Dec-3 Jan ?

Could be a typo, but I took the dates from the encampment letter I got...

[Cadet Tillett]

I believe that SCWG has their own winter encampment - check out
www.scwg.cap.gov

[CadetProgramGuy]

I believe that SCWG has their own winter encampment - check out
www.scwg.cap.gov

They listed their next encampment for July 2008

[Cadet Tillett]

OK thanks for clarifying that.  I would have looked it up myself but everything takes forever to load up on my dialup internet.

[mamadinos]

The 2007 Texas Wing Winter Encampment is from 26-31 December 2007 at Camp Swift in Bastrop. 
See http://www.texascadet.org/programs/activities/0712_winterencampment/index.html

[CadetProgramGuy]

Once again it is the end date that is getting us.

[CadetProgramGuy]

Not sure of you all are aware of the urgency so I will fill you in......

NHQ is changing the requirements for application to the NCSA's

Now you have to have a basic encampment COMPLETED at the time of APPLICATION.  Application time is Oct 31 to Dec 31.

Before you could do them in the same month, now you can't

[BillB]

Since it only requires 80% completion of an encampment to get credit for an encampment, it may be possible for the Encampment Commander to sign off the encampment on the 31st and the application faxed to National that day. Maxwell AFB is a ghost town in that week anyway (I was stationed at Maxwell during my big blue days) so National won't pay any attention to applications until the 3rd or 4th of January anyway.

[CadetProgramGuy]

This sounds advanced even for National......But won't the online application process prevent a cadet from applying if there is no encampment on their record?

[floridacyclist]

From what I understand, the comment period for the proposed rule change is not over yet and will not be until the 8th. The problem that National has is cadets putting in for an NCSA and promising to go to Summer Encampment and not going for whatever reason, thus leaving an unfilled slot (and perhaps a scramble to slot the alternates). I don't think they considered the issue of cadets completing a Winter Encampment and missing the cutoff by a couple of days.

Perhaps the answer is to put in your comments now asking for a later deadline for NCSA application or asking for a slight re-wording of the new rules to require a cadet to have completed or be currently attending (not just signed up) encampment at the time of application in order to qualify. Encampment attendance would be also easy to verify during the Special Acts Selection process, which would make that a more feasible cutoff time than initial application.

[CadetProgramGuy]

You are correct the comment period is not over for another week, but take a look again at the comment.

"Note Regarding Encampment: Further, because demand for NCSAs is high, and the supply of slots is scarce, NHQ is changing the NCSA eligibility criteria. Beginning this year, cadets must have completed an encampment at the time of application. Previously, we allowed cadets to attend encampment in say, June, and then attend an NCSA in July. It would be great if we could accommodate every highly-motivated new cadet, but because demand overpowers supply, CAP needs to make this change to the eligibility criteria.

[floridacyclist]

So this would be your chance to put your comment in on that if you do not agree with it verbatim. After thinking it through and seeing several problems with the first few approaches, my .02 is going to be to suggest that they require an encampment before the selection board / process, not the initial application for NCSA. This will eliminate cadets who go straight from encampment to NCSAs while still allowing cadets to attend Winter Encampment in the Winter and an NCSA in the Summer and keeping the bulk of the "screening" at Wing Level before NHQ even gets it for any kind of decision-making purposes.

To me, the idea of a comment period is to give us a chance to have our say in the hopes that they might be listening and looking for constructive advice...here's your chance to be heard if we feel so inclined, and with one of my sharpest NCOs (our 1st Sgt) scheduled for Winter Encampment and then wanting to do an NCSA, I do feel that way.

[Fifinella]

Where do we go to input our comments on this proposed change?  I also have cadets who are planning to go to winter encampment to become eligible for next year's NCSAs.

[CadetProgramGuy]

email Curt LaFond direct at National.

[Cecil DP]

Unfortunately that won't work according to the new guidelines.

The encampment needs to be complete at time of application.

Where were these cadets when the summer encampments were being held? I'm sure that they were available during the summer, or did they have something better to do at the time? The need for an encampment  is being pushed as an emergency, but lack of planning in June, doesn't mandate an emergency situation in December.