Who has been the youngest wing commander?

Started by Cindi, February 21, 2014, 10:22:03 PM

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Cindi

I know Hal DuPont was young when he became the wing commander in Florida. I found a picture of the current or maybe now former Rhode Island wing commander. I believe he was 24 when he took the job. Anyone know of anyone younger than 24 who has been a wing commander? Congratulations to Colonel Benjamin F Emerick for rising up in the ranks so fast!


Eclipse

#1
^ He was indicated at the time as the youngest.

His tenure was challenged and he office after about two years.

He did not retain his grade of Col and now serves as a Major.

It does not appear he has been active since stepping down.

"That Others May Zoom"

Cindi

#2
Quote from: Eclipse on February 21, 2014, 10:34:31 PM
^ He was indicated at the time as the youngest.

His tenure was challenged and he office after about two years.

He did not retain his grade of Col and now serves as a Major.

It does not appear he has been active since stepping down.



Thanks for the information Eclipse. So 24 it is! It must of been tough for him at that age to be a wing commander. Kudos to him for giving it a shot!

NIN

Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

Eclipse

Quote from: cap102 link=topic=13311.msg240904#msg240904
Thanks for the info. I have been in CAP for ten years, and I am the youngest wing commander in CAP. I am only 24. The change of command was June 1st and I look forward to the challenges ahead.
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BENJAMIN F. EMERICK, COL, CAP
Commander, Rhode Island Wing

Honestly, there is no way someone with, at most, 6 years as a senior member is going to be
prepared for what it takes to be a Wing CC, even in a small wing.

Anything else not withstanding, whoever made that decision was not thinking in the best interest of Maj Emerick,
and we probably lost someone who would have continued to be a valuable asset to CAP, not to mention
possibly a very successful CAP leader at the wing and maybe even above, once he was properly prepared and experienced.

"That Others May Zoom"

Cindi

Quote from: Eclipse on February 21, 2014, 10:52:32 PM
Quote from: cap102 link=topic=13311.msg240904#msg240904
Thanks for the info. I have been in CAP for ten years, and I am the youngest wing commander in CAP. I am only 24. The change of command was June 1st and I look forward to the challenges ahead.
Report to moderator     Logged

BENJAMIN F. EMERICK, COL, CAP
Commander, Rhode Island Wing

Honestly, there is no way someone with, at most, 6 years as a senior member is going to be
prepared for what it takes to be a Wing CC, even in a small wing.

Anything else not withstanding, whoever made that decision was not thinking in the best interest of Maj Emerick,
and we probably lost someone who would have continued to be a valuable asset to CAP, not to mention
possibly a very successful CAP leader at the wing and maybe even above, once he was properly prepared and experienced.

Well said.

RiverAux

I seriously doubt CAP has any records of the ages of past wing commanders.  He probably is the youngest recent Wing Commander and I suspect would be in the running for the youngest ever, but I don't think it is something that is likely to be proved anytime soon. 

A 24-year old squadron commander?  Yeah, I could see that happening and going ok, but not a Wing Commander.  No matter what your age I'd say you need at least 5 years of regular membership, a few years as a squadron commander, and maybe a few years on Wing staff.   No way to do it that young. 

ColonelJack

I have to ask ... how in the Nine Happy Worlds does any 24-year-old become a wing commander?  Who made that incredibly strange decision?  How is anyone of that age and experience in CAP even remotely qualified to be a wing commander?

Enquiring minds deserve to know.

Jack
Jack Bagley, Ed. D.
Lt. Col., CAP (now inactive)
Gill Robb Wilson Award No. 1366, 29 Nov 1991
Admiral, Great Navy of the State of Nebraska
Honorary Admiral, Navy of the Republic of Molossia

Storm Chaser

Quote from: ColonelJack on February 22, 2014, 01:55:23 AM
I have to ask ... how in the Nine Happy Worlds does any 24-year-old become a wing commander?  Who made that incredibly strange decision?  How is anyone of that age and experience in CAP even remotely qualified to be a wing commander?

Enquiring minds deserve to know.

Jack

I was thinking the same thing. Who, in their right mind, would select someone for that position with so little CAP and life experience? It doesn't make sense. Even if he was quite talented and successful for his age, he couldn't have possibly been prepared for that challenge at 24.

RiverAux

It is entirely possible that in a very small wing he was the only person willing and technically qualified to do it. 

They've only got 97 senior members in the entire wing.  Figure only half are active and that maybe 5-10 of them meet the minimum qualifications and it could happen. 

Maybe its not entirely nuts in this specific situation though I can't see it happening anywhere else. 

Cindi

#10
Quote from: RiverAux on February 22, 2014, 03:36:57 AM
It is entirely possible that in a very small wing he was the only person willing and technically qualified to do it. 

They've only got 97 senior members in the entire wing.  Figure only half are active and that maybe 5-10 of them meet the minimum qualifications and it could happen. 

Maybe its not entirely nuts in this specific situation though I can't see it happening anywhere else.

Looks like a nice little wing. I just wish I could locate Rhode Island on my map of the US. Here are some more statistics from 2012 for the Rhode Island Wing:


Eclipse


"That Others May Zoom"

Cindi

#12
You no like them centered? I un-centered them, looks about the same left justified as centered. As long as they are not censored!  >:D

Storm Chaser

With those stats, it makes you wonder why Rhode Island is a wing at all. I mean, my squadron is half the size of their entire wing!  :o

Do they really need their own Col wing commander? Even in the Air Force, wing commander grade is partly determined by the size of the wing. A small wing gets a Col (O-6), while some larger wings get a Brig Gen (O-7). Perhaps small CAP wings like Rhode Island should have a Lt Col as wing commander.

Spaceman3750

Quote from: Storm Chaser on February 22, 2014, 01:38:23 PM
With those stats, it makes you wonder why Rhode Island is a wing at all. I mean, my squadron is half the size of their entire wing!  :o

Do they really need their own Col wing commander? Even in the Air Force, wing commander grade is partly determined by the size of the wing. A small wing gets a Col (O-6), while some larger wings get a Brig Gen (O-7). Perhaps small CAP wings like Rhode Island should have a Lt Col as wing commander.

The size of the wing doesn't change the wing CC's responsibilities. If anything, it just means there's fewer people to help out.

Eclipse

Quote from: Spaceman3750 on February 22, 2014, 06:10:32 PMThe size of the wing doesn't change the wing CC's responsibilities. If anything, it just means there's fewer people to help out.

Like any good organization, it's about the economies of scale. 

NER could probably function fine as a wing with the states being Groups.

That's less CIs, less administrative overhead, less WAs.

The groups in our wing are larger by 2-3xs and have more scope of responsibility.

"That Others May Zoom"

Storm Chaser

Quote from: Spaceman3750 on February 22, 2014, 06:10:32 PM
Quote from: Storm Chaser on February 22, 2014, 01:38:23 PM
With those stats, it makes you wonder why Rhode Island is a wing at all. I mean, my squadron is half the size of their entire wing!  :o

Do they really need their own Col wing commander? Even in the Air Force, wing commander grade is partly determined by the size of the wing. A small wing gets a Col (O-6), while some larger wings get a Brig Gen (O-7). Perhaps small CAP wings like Rhode Island should have a Lt Col as wing commander.

The size of the wing doesn't change the wing CC's responsibilities. If anything, it just means there's fewer people to help out.

The magnitude of their responsibilities does change. And so does the amount of people and subordinate units they supervise. Heck, there are group commanders in Florida Wing with a larger area of responsibility and many more resources to oversee.

NIN

Quote from: Storm Chaser on February 22, 2014, 06:56:53 PM
Heck, there are group commanders in Florida Wing with a larger area of responsibility and many more resources to oversee.

Yet, they didn't get a voice on the National Board.

Darin Ninness, Col, CAP
I have no responsibilities whatsoever
I like to have Difficult Adult Conversations™
The contents of this post are Copyright © 2007-2024 by NIN. All rights are reserved. Specific permission is given to quote this post here on CAP-Talk only.

mdickinson

#18
Quote from: Storm Chaser on February 22, 2014, 02:47:01 AM
Quote from: ColonelJack on February 22, 2014, 01:55:23 AM
I have to ask ... how in the Nine Happy Worlds does any 24-year-old become a wing commander?  Who made that incredibly strange decision?  How is anyone of that age and experience in CAP even remotely qualified to be a wing commander?
I was thinking the same thing. Who, in their right mind, would select someone for that position with so little CAP and life experience? It doesn't make sense. Even if he was quite talented and successful for his age, he couldn't have possibly been prepared for that challenge at 24.

Col Christopher Hayden, the Northeast Region Commander at the time, was the one who selected him. So that's who thought it was a good idea.

Note to high-speeds who would like to someday wear birds on their collar: move to Rhode Island (or Delaware). Your chance of ever making colonel will go up about 500%.

Below is the bio of the then-colonel, found on a cached version of the RIWG web site from 2011.
Doing some subtraction, it appears this wunderkind, born in 1987,
  • joined as a cadet at age 14
  • turned senior and took command of a squadron at age 19
  • evidently moved up from FO to TFO to SFO during his first two years as a senior [edit: or made Spaatz at 19 before taking command?]
  • made Captain at 21
  • was promoted to Major 3 years later at age 24
  • and within a year the wing commander spot opened up and he was selected.
(I also find it amazing he was able to amass 2000 flight hours by age 24.)

QuoteCOLONEL BENJAMIN F EMERICK is Commander, Rhode Island Wing CAP, Quonset Air National Guard Base, North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Wing is comprised [sic] of 4 squadrons and over 230 volunteer personnel. The Wing is responsible for
conducting Operational support to the State of Rhode Island, Youth Education, and Aerospace Education programs.

Colonel Emerick has commanded at the Squadron and Wing level. He is a former Civil Air Patrol cadet. He has held various positions at the squadron and wing levels. He currently holds a masters rating in cadet programs. Col Emerick is also a mission and command pilot with over 2000 hours. Colonel Emerick has been an active member since 2001.

EDUCATION:
  • 2007 Squadron Leadership School
  • 2007 Corporate Learning Course
  • 2007 Training Leaders of Cadets
  • 2007 Officer Basic School
  • 2010 NER Staff College

ASSIGNMENTS:
  • September 2006– July 2010, Pilot, Commander, C182T, 102nd Squadron, North Smithfield Air National
    Guard Base, Rhode Island
  • April 2007 - August 2008, Director of Cadet Programs, Rhode Island Wing, Quonset Air National Guard
    Base, Rhode Island
  • January 2011 - June 2011, Personnel Officer, Rhode Island Wing, Quonset Air National Guard Base, Rhode
    Island
  • June 2011 - present, Commander, Rhode Island Wing, Quonset Air National Guard Base, Rhode Island

FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 2,000
Aircraft flown: C-172 and C-182

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Commanders Commendation (with 4 Cluster)
Disaster Relief (with 1 V Cluster)
Unit Citation
Search and Rescue
Command Service
Leadership
Recruiter
Ten Year Service

EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION:
Colonel 4 June 2011

ColonelJack

Quote from: mdickinson on February 23, 2014, 12:49:39 AM

Col Christopher Hayden, the Northeast Region Commander at the time, was the one who selected him. So that's who thought it was a good idea.


Col. Hayden thought a 24-year-old would make a good wing commander?  Was there literally no one else available?  I don't know Col. Hayden, but I would have to question the judgment involved in promoting someone who was not ready for that kind of rank and responsibility to that rank and responsibility.  (Not that Col. Hayden, or anyone else, really cares what I think.)

I've heard of high-speed, but this guy was at warp speed.

Why does the expression, "He bit off more than he could chew" come to mind?

Jack
Jack Bagley, Ed. D.
Lt. Col., CAP (now inactive)
Gill Robb Wilson Award No. 1366, 29 Nov 1991
Admiral, Great Navy of the State of Nebraska
Honorary Admiral, Navy of the Republic of Molossia