If I were Wing Commander my top priority would be....

[Eclipse]

^ movies.

[SarDragon]

Seriously Recruiting, training of new and current members, recruiting, safety,recruiting, more training, and finally more recruiting. With recruiting of new members, then training them as well as the current members this will take the burden off of the members that are at every mission, at every meeting, and makes there outside of CAP a lot better.

As I stated above, our recruiting effort is essentially successful. Our retention sucks. Why spend a lot of time and money pulling people through the door, to have them bail a year later for whatever reason?

[flyguy06]

I know there are a lot of cadets (and Senior Members) who would just love that......but there is too much chance for abuse and we would loose just as many cadets because "they were yelling at me all the time".

What makes people think that US military officer training programs are into having their cadets yell at other cadets?  CAP is NOT military basic training - if it was our cadets would bypass Basic and go straight to tech school.   

I have talked to prospective senior members at air shows and got really nervious as they get all excited about coming out and "teaching cadets about discipline and marching".  Especially when the prospective senior member had never been in the military.   

I agree with you. Military officer is not all about yelling at each other. It is about stressing someone and evalutaing how they operate in that stress.

CAP cadets are NOT basic trainees, but they are teens that have chosen to participate i activities thatcan get very stressul at times. Cadets are not the typical teenager. We have 16 year olds flying airplanes by themselves. It would be nice to know that when (not if) that engine goes out during cruise flight, that the 16 or 17 year old cadet can operate calmly and get himself to the ground safely. When that ground team made up mostly of cadrts comes upon that crash site,it would be nice to know that they have the disciplne and maturity to start working to save lives and not go off somewhee and play catch.

Do I think we need to treat cadets like SEAL trainees? of course not, but I would like to find some way to help them get used to operating in stressful situations.

[Short Field]

There are a lot of ways to build confidence other than yelling at and abusing people.  I never had a flight instructor raise his voice with me and I sure never had a CFI make me drop and give him 50 at the end of a flight.   

Confidence in flying comes from having practiced your emergency procedures so often that you know you can handle it.  Confidence in a medical emergency comes from having practiced first aid procedures so you know what to expect and how to deal with it.   I just fail to see how you can "stress" cadets to prepare them to handle a stressful situtation.     

[flyguy06]

There are a lot of ways to build confidence other than yelling at and abusing people.  I never had a flight instructor raise his voice with me and I sure never had a CFI make me drop and give him 50 at the end of a flight.   

Confidence in flying comes from having practiced your emergency procedures so often that you know you can handle it.  Confidence in a medical emergency comes from having practiced first aid procedures so you know what to expect and how to deal with it.   I just fail to see how you can "stress" cadets to prepare them to handle a stressful situtation.     

I am not suggesting yelling or abusing anyone. As you said, thats not whats it about. cant explain it. All I know is the military has a way of turning out exellent pilots and leaders

[CS]

First, making sure that every unit has an effective membership board, that only allows individuals  (senior) to join that are interested in what they can do for CAP, not what CAP can do for them.  State up front that you won't be promoted to any rank until you have contributed your skills and performed in an exemplary manner. For cadets be very clear on the expectations of achievement and participation, don't sugar coat it.  Second, make sure that everyone is in fact contributing and being mentored and the retention issue will fix itself.  I'd rather have 100 people that make the program work than a 1000 that sit on the butts and do nothing or take from the program.  The reality is it is the 100 that are doing all the work anyway so why pump up the numbers!

[RAZOR]

TAKE OUT THE TRASH :clap:

[DG]

1. Air Ops

2. Refer to No. 1

[Short Field]

1.  Integrity -  in conducting CAP buisness by being open and transparent in all dealings
2.  Integrity - in conducting CAP training programs by embracing the intent as well as the letter of the governing regulations.  Whipping out a training program just so you can say you conducted one and got some people signed off does not mean you actually trained anyone.
3.  Integrity - in advancing people by making sure they actually meet the requirements and are fully qualified if you sign them off as fully qualified.
4.  Integrity - in using requested funding to actually do what you requested the funding to do.
5.  Integrity - in conducting operations by making sure that people actually fly the missions they way they were briefed to fly.

[JC004]

I'd do the usual - communicate ineffectively, implement burdensome and ineffective requirements, keep the status quo comfortable.  Of course I would also constantly repeat the magic words "recruiting and retention" to my minions who would immediately go off to recruit and retain simply because I uttered the magic words.  Also, I'd make sure all of my wing staff officers are close to death in age and ignore cadets so that new ideas do not get into the system and mess stuff up.  Those are my initial thoughts at least. 

Later in my term, I would propose nonsensical regulation changes to the National Board, including costly and senseless uniform changes.  The importance of my legacy in the new uniform item will surely outweigh the significance of the cost to the members in the midst of a global economic crisis. 

   

[Johnny Yuma]

This is actually pretty easy to do, especially when you wave the cadets around.

Wouldn't you feel obligated to earmark funds raised by promoting the cadet program specifically to the cadets? The Red Cross got into a major trouble when they raised money during one disaster and then used it elsewhere.

Spend money raised for cadets on cadets, absoutely. However this should free up money that would have gone to CP that can be used elsewhere.

[flyguy06]

Do regions and Wings get a certain amount of money set aside for cadet programs?  And are there any stipulations on how they can be used? for instance so much for O flights, so much for encampment,etc?

[w7sar]

I'd ensure I have a good vice commander who can become the next commander and I'd have a great chief of staff with a vision that it all happens in the squadrons and the wing supports the squadron commanders.   Other than that, I'd visit squadrons, shake hands and tell people thanks for service to others.

[Gunner C]

I'd ensure I have a good vice commander who can become the next commander and I'd have a great chief of staff with a vision that it all happens in the squadrons and the wing supports the squadron commanders.   Other than that, I'd visit squadrons, shake hands and tell people thanks for service to others.

If you just visited your squadrons, you'd be better than most wing commanders just by doing that.  So much of leadership is showing the flag.  Now, if you could learn the names of all the cadet officers, heck, you'd be a hero.

Your command section line-up is critical unless you want a 60-90 hour a week non-paying job!  Chief of staff to keep the staff actions moving.  Vice commander to take care of command issues and keep the group commanders talking to you.

[Cecil DP]

To bad you come to a new wing (ILWG) and, told by the local squadron commander that your previous experience doesn't mean anything.  Your told you have to go to Chicago (and you live in the Scott AFB area, half a state away)  to take a F5/91 check ride, all on your own dime. 

Well, since that information is incorrect, either the Squadron CC is misinformed, or you misunderstood.

Since I am the one involved in coming to ILWG, I guess I am wrong.  I guess the email from wing staffers regarding my 5/91 were incorrect, when they stated that I had to go to Chicago for my ride (I am a check airman and, no one in Southern IL can do my ride).  That's fine, I still pay my dues but, don't participate, its a shame.  I had a lot to offer ILWG, just ask my 2 previous wings (TX/CA).

This may be an aftermath of a lawsuit in NER about 15 years ago when a pilot failed their check ride several times and then went to another Wing to take it. When she came back she sued over the fact that her home wing still considered her unsafe and refused to let her fly, despite the certification by the other wing.

[Nathan]

Uniforms. Every day.

Duh.

[DG]

To bad you come to a new wing (ILWG) and, told by the local squadron commander that your previous experience doesn't mean anything.  Your told you have to go to Chicago (and you live in the Scott AFB area, half a state away)  to take a F5/91 check ride, all on your own dime. 

Well, since that information is incorrect, either the Squadron CC is misinformed, or you misunderstood.

Since I am the one involved in coming to ILWG, I guess I am wrong.  I guess the email from wing staffers regarding my 5/91 were incorrect, when they stated that I had to go to Chicago for my ride (I am a check airman and, no one in Southern IL can do my ride).  That's fine, I still pay my dues but, don't participate, its a shame.  I had a lot to offer ILWG, just ask my 2 previous wings (TX/CA).

This may be an aftermath of a lawsuit in NER about 15 years ago when a pilot failed their check ride several times and then went to another Wing to take it. When she came back she sued over the fact that her home wing still considered her unsafe and refused to let her fly, despite the certification by the other wing.

I don't think it was because of shrewdness such as all that.

Rather, I would assume it was because it was to be a "check airman" ride, and the Wing DOV would want to give the check out personally.

That is not all that unusual.  In fact, it is common.

It would be naive not to expect that.

[raivo]

What makes people think that US military officer training programs are into having their cadets yell at other cadets?

That is a fairly accurate summary of my first few weeks at OTS, actually.

I would load up my staff with cronies and yes men, and immediately begin to parlay my influence on the NB into a cushy national-level slot. 

Ah, you must be from Florida Wing!