When do promotions take effect?

[SergeantElbow]

I am getting promoted to A1C next week.  I appeared before promotions board and the board agreed to promote me 2 weeks ago.  Can I call myself an A1C before the official ceremony? Or do I have to wait until then?
Thanks!

[Hill CAP]

It is safe to say that you should wait till your commander officially pins on your new grade.

[MIKE]

2-4. Cadet Promotions.
a. Earning Grade. As cadets complete each achievement and their squadron commander (or deputy commander for cadets) signs their CAPF 52 series form, they earn a new grade (except for achievements 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15 or 16, which confer no promotion in grade). By signing the cadet's CAPF 52, the commander is attesting to the cadet's ability to assume the next grade and accept increased responsibilities. Cadets do not officially earn milestone awards and the promotions that accompany them until the award is posted to e-Services at www.cap.gov.

That's the old skool paper way.  You unit may also use the newer online promotion utility.

[SergeantElbow]

Thank you. I just wasn't sure about that, since I'm pretty new to CAP.

[Flying Pig]

When I was a cadet, there was nothing worse than earning my promotion, and then waiting for some Senior Member to put down their coffee cup and pin it on.  I would have been happier if they had just handed it to me as I was leaving instead of making me wait until they got around to it.

[heliodoc]

Rob!

You just didn't get awards in the mail??  You the only one this happened to?? Join the rest of the few of us

But I do remember Sqdn CC who was a NCO Motor Sgt for an M888 series outfit and he knew the score when it came to cadet promotion dog and pony shows.........the guy went all out

Sometimes those Senior Members are not up for a good Dog and Pony show or even a good [Redacted] in your shoe
AKA  Pass and Review

But you are right....if your gonna park your Maj / Lt Col fanny at the Sqdn and not make a little fanfare out of it.. then do the member a favor...just hand it over after letting it sit more than a couple of months will ya??

Oh and don't let that cup o joe get in the way of my Earhart 

[MIKE]

Thank you. I just wasn't sure about that, since I'm pretty new to CAP.

And now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

A good squadron won't leave you hanging at C/A1C (Select) with the 52 series signed, but wearing C/Amn waiting for the ceremony.  They either sign and pin you the night everything is done/As soon as it shows up in eServices... Or they hold off and sign the 52 series the night they will pin you/show up on eServices.  Do do otherwise means you aren't wearing your earned grade... Which is not permitted per CAPR 52-16.

[SergeantElbow]

Thank you. I just wasn't sure about that, since I'm pretty new to CAP.

And now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

A good squadron won't leave you hanging at C/A1C (Select) with the 52 series signed, but wearing C/Amn waiting for the ceremony.  They either sign and pin you the night everything is done/As soon as it shows up in eServices... Or they hold off and sign the 52 series the night they will pin you/show up on eServices.  Do do otherwise means you aren't wearing your earned grade... Which is not permitted per CAPR 52-16.

Let me clarify.  The meeting that they agreed to promote was the last meeting of the month, because there were 5 Tuesdays, and they promote the first meeting of the month.  There was 2 weeks between the two meetings.  I was just wondering if in the meantime I was officially an A1C.  There isn't any wrongdoing on my squadron's part.
Thanks for helping me understand how it works!

[MIKE]

Depends, did you sign the CAPF 52-1 or have it entered in the online promotion utility?  If you did then per CAPR 52-16 you are a C/A1C.

[SergeantElbow]

My squadron does it the old paper way.  According to E-Services, I'm an A1C, so that settles it.

[Hill CAP]

My squadron does it the old paper way.  According to E-Services, I'm an A1C, so that settles it.

If its showing online in eServices that means that someone in your Squadron with permissions to do so is entering it in to the new Online Cadet Promotion Module.

Congratulations on your Promotion. I am sure there are many more to come.

[SergeantElbow]

Thank you!  I hope so!

[LtCol057]

The delay in promoting you may simply be because they are out of the correct insignia.  I know in my squadron, the junior cadet grade insignia is used a whole lot more than the upper grades.  We try to keep more in supply, but sometimes that just isn't possible if we have several newer cadets promoting at same time. 

Reminds me, time to order more cadet Airman insignia.

[flyguy06]

When I was a cadet, there was nothing worse than earning my promotion, and then waiting for some Senior Member to put down their coffee cup and pin it on.  I would have been happier if they had just handed it to me as I was leaving instead of making me wait until they got around to it.

Rob,

Ceremonies are important. Especially in the cadet program. Its not so much about recognizing theperson getting promoted butmore about encouraging and motiating others.

I was told by my commander that promotion ceremonies werent about me. They were done so that the troops will see a person standing before everyone and having a big deal made about them. that in turn may motivate someone else to progress to get that same recognition.

Again, its all about Drill and CEREMONIES

[IceNine]

Just to clarify Technically promotions take effect as soon as they are posted or you sign the appropriate paperwork.

Practically however,  they take as soon as an appropriate official pins it on you.

It's not advisable to start walking around with increased stripes just because you think it's official.

At any rate, congratulations on the promotion I know the work that goes into the promotions and you should be proud of your accomplishments.  Many more to come!

[Seabee219]

 I am a senior member, and I do not sit on my rear with a cup of coffee!!!,
I am DCC and I enter all my cadets promotion data in the system.  When anyone earns a promotion, I pin it on them ASAP!!!!  There is nothing better than giving a cadet something they earned, makes he or she feel a part of the team.  When I first got to my squadron, no awards were handed out, I fixed 2 years worth of mess ups, the cadets have a lot of respect for that. SO, if you earned it, you should wear it.

JC Capt CAP

[IceNine]

^ Apparently YMMV.

If a cadet passes a test, and you tell them to wear their new insignia you have forfeited the right for fanfare.

Units vary wildly, when I was the CP guy for a squadron we did promotions once a month.  Milestones got to wear their grade but had to wait for their certificates until we could get an appropriate official.

I'm not saying its acceptable to not pin promotions in a (subjectively) timely fashion, but it is equally unacceptable to let them pin themselves.

[SergeantElbow]

I went before the promotions board on the 22nd, after the meeting, when most everybody else had left, so they couldn't do it then.  My squadron does all promotions on the first meeting of the month.  They didn't have a meeting on the 29th, when they usually do promotions board, due to the fact of there being 5 Tuesdays last month, so there were a couple weeks in between meetings.  I just wasn't sure if I could consider myself an A1C in the meantime.  I wasn't complaining about my squadron.

[SergeantElbow]

On another note, FLCAP 352, how did you make that graphic at the bottom of your posts?

[SarDragon]

Using this site - http://www.medals.lava.pl/us/uschk.htm - and a graphics editor to save out a screen grab.