USAF Distance Learning courses

Started by Holding Pattern, December 02, 2019, 06:59:24 AM

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Holding Pattern

Has anyone here recently taken a CDC or PME course? How difficult was the process of signing up? How difficult was working through the material for you?

Jester

I did NCOA a year or so ago, I'm enrolled in SNCOA now.

The signup process wasn't difficult, just took a while from when I clicked the button until I actually got enrolled, with a few steps in between. 

The tests weren't what I was expecting based off of previous AF experience.  Much more situational and scenario-based, and you have to have read the material to get the specific concepts they're looking for.


PHall

Quote from: Jester on December 02, 2019, 03:12:11 PM
I did NCOA a year or so ago, I'm enrolled in SNCOA now.

The signup process wasn't difficult, just took a while from when I clicked the button until I actually got enrolled, with a few steps in between. 

The tests weren't what I was expecting based off of previous AF experience.  Much more situational and scenario-based, and you have to have read the material to get the specific concepts they're looking for.

RTFM, what a novel concept!

Jester

Well, yeah, but the questions had a completely different structure from PDG and SKT (I haven't taken either in about a decade).  I used to score very well on those with minimal studying just by looking at the question and answer structure.

Course 14 & 15 came around after I separated, which I think morphed into the distance learning version of NCOA/SNCOA. I definitely understand the high failure rates for guys coming in and expecting a variation of the PDG/PFE test.

PHall

The material and courses have gone through a major revamp and rewrite in the past 10 years.
As have most of the Distance Learning Courses.

Fester

I wish these courses were available to those without a degree.
1stLt, CAP
Squadron CC
Group CPO
Eaker - 1996

PHall

Quote from: Fester on December 03, 2019, 06:42:18 AM
I wish these courses were available to those without a degree.

They used to be but the Air Force decided to have CAP members meet the same requirements as Air Force personnel.

Holding Pattern

The CDCs are available, and looking at the rules, I think TECHNICALLY ALS is open to all SMs as well, but I could be mistaken on that one.

PHall

Quote from: Holding Pattern on December 03, 2019, 06:03:16 PM
The CDCs are available, and looking at the rules, I think TECHNICALLY ALS is open to all SMs as well, but I could be mistaken on that one.

Airman Leadership School would be of little or no use to a CAP member.

Eclipse

The same can be said for AWC, ACSC, and SOS.

"That Others May Zoom"

Holding Pattern

Quote from: PHall on December 03, 2019, 08:02:22 PM
Quote from: Holding Pattern on December 03, 2019, 06:03:16 PM
The CDCs are available, and looking at the rules, I think TECHNICALLY ALS is open to all SMs as well, but I could be mistaken on that one.

Airman Leadership School would be of little or no use to a CAP member.

Maybe the descriptions just aren't representative of the blocks, but these sections:

Quote
Professional Airman 30 Contact Hours
The Professional Airman curriculum is a combination of profession of arms and leadership lessons. The purpose of the Professional Airman curriculum is to facilitate the development of an ethical mind-set driven by the role of Air Force staff sergeants as military professionals in an expeditionary Air Force. Topics such as Airmanship, Customs & Courtesies, Ethical Leadership, and Emergent Leadership Issues are covered.

Supervisory Communicator 21 Contact Hours
The Supervisory Communicator curriculum focuses on providing students with the knowledge to be more effective communicators in supervisory writing and speaking situations. This volume covers topics such as Communicator Skills, Culture of Engagement, Supervisory Writing, and Interpersonal Communication.

Supervisor of Airmen 39 Contact Hours
The purpose of the Supervisor of Airmen curriculum is to provide skills necessary to fulfill supervisory and reporting official responsibilities and to prepare students for future responsibilities as NCOs. Specific attention is given to areas such as Standards and Discipline, Performance Evaluation, Team Leader, Diversity, Leader Influence, Introduction to Negotiating, Resources Stewardship and Continuous Improvement.

Seem like areas that CAP members can benefit from greatly!

THRAWN

Quote from: PHall on December 03, 2019, 08:02:22 PM
Quote from: Holding Pattern on December 03, 2019, 06:03:16 PM
The CDCs are available, and looking at the rules, I think TECHNICALLY ALS is open to all SMs as well, but I could be mistaken on that one.

Airman Leadership School would be of little or no use to a CAP member.

Could be valuable for the newly minted CAP NCO. Some of these "experienced" NCOs haven't been in a uniform in a while. Setting some required PME might be a good way to standardize and professionalize the process for them.
Strup-"Belligerent....at times...."
AFRCC SMC 10-97
NSS ISC 05-00
USAF SOS 2000
USAF ACSC 2011
US NWC 2016
USMC CSCDEP 2023

Eclipse

#12
Standardize the what now?

And who are these "newly minted CAP NCOs" (which isn't a thing, BTW) communicating with?  Each other?

Supervisor of Airmen? They have no one to "supervise".

"That Others May Zoom"

Holding Pattern

Quote from: Eclipse on December 03, 2019, 08:25:45 PM
Standardize the what now?

And who are these "newly minted CAP NCOs (which isn't a thing, BTW) communicating with?  Each other?

Supervisor of Airmen? They have no one to "supervise".

We have plenty of people to supervise at meetings, activities, missions...

Eclipse

^None in a role related to being an NCO.

"That Others May Zoom"

THRAWN

Quote from: Eclipse on December 03, 2019, 08:05:44 PM
The same can be said for AWC, ACSC, and SOS.

They have great value. Ask anyone who has taken them. CAP members have jobs. Employers recognize the value of those schools and in turn increases the experience and abilities of the member. Having someone who understands concepts taught, and not just the nebulous "leadership" theory, but the operation and strategic planning skills add a lot of value to the organization.
Strup-"Belligerent....at times...."
AFRCC SMC 10-97
NSS ISC 05-00
USAF SOS 2000
USAF ACSC 2011
US NWC 2016
USMC CSCDEP 2023

Holding Pattern

Quote from: Eclipse on December 03, 2019, 08:37:17 PM
^None in a role related to being an NCO.

I argue that the NCO role is a better fit than the officer role for the majority of members in this paramilitary organization we inhabit, and that these leadership lessons can extend outside the military environment.

Eclipse

And yet after 20 years of rhetoric, there's still no NCO program in CAP.

"That Others May Zoom"

THRAWN

Quote from: Eclipse on December 03, 2019, 08:37:17 PM
^None in a role related to being an NCO.

Wasn't that the whole point of hatching this caper? NCOs do NCO stuff. Zeros do zeros stuff. They have all those fancy patches and everything...
Strup-"Belligerent....at times...."
AFRCC SMC 10-97
NSS ISC 05-00
USAF SOS 2000
USAF ACSC 2011
US NWC 2016
USMC CSCDEP 2023

Fubar

Quote from: THRAWN on December 03, 2019, 08:42:42 PM
Wasn't that the whole point of hatching this caper? NCOs do NCO stuff. Zeros do zeros stuff. They have all those fancy patches and everything...

I believe it was, but as argued here ad nauseam, CAP doesn't operate in any kind of fashion that resembles the military so you can't divide up our volunteer duties into "NCO stuff" and "Officer stuff". Typically, any solution developed that doesn't address any kind of actual problem is unlikely to succeed.