Adding ES to the Cadet Programs

Started by yolo, February 02, 2021, 06:47:01 PM

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yolo

Hey all,

So as everyone knows, the missions of CAP are Cadet Programs, Aerospace Education, and Emergency Services. Think about the promotion requirements for cadets. Leadership test, aerospace test, PT, drill test, and review board. No cadet promotion requires any kind of ES qualification. I think it should be required as I've seen far too many cadet officers have no clue about CAP's ES capabilities. Nothing much, but maybe it could look like this;

For a cadet to get their Wright Brothers, they have to have completed GenES, and for a cadet to obtain their Mitchell, they have to have their ICUT. Finally, for a cadet to obtain their Earhart, they should have GTM3/MSA/MRO/FLM/MS (they can choose one).

I understand not everyone necessarily enjoys emergency services. But it is such a crucial part of CAP, I think it is important for those climbing the ranks to have a basic understanding of ES in CAP.

What do y'all think?

Thanks,
C/Capt Meep

Ozzy

How would adding additional promotion barriers enhance the cadet program?

Emergency Services is only one tool upon many other tools that we use to teach cadets about themselves and how to be leaders/followers. If we added a promotion requirement for every activity of the program, cadet promotions would be worse then what they are now.
Ozyilmaz, MSgt, CAP
C/Lt. Colonel (Ret.)
NYWG Encampment 07, 08, 09, 10, 17
CTWG Encampment 09, 11, 16
NER Cadet Leadership School 10
GAWG Encampment 18, 19
FLWG Winter Encampment 19

Eclipse

While it may be marketed as a core mission, Emergency Services is an extracurricular to
the Cadet Program, and is treated properly as such.

The goals and mission of the CP are career exploration in aviation and STEM with an emphasis
on paramilitary organizations.

ES is there for anyone to partake if they are so inclined.

GES is arguably reasonable for Wright Brothers, and in fact it's now included in QCUA, because it doesn't require any external resources to complete, however how long would you hold back a cadet from other grades who is part of a unit that has no radios, or no SETs?

"That Others May Zoom"

jeders

Quote from: meep on February 02, 2021, 06:47:01 PMBut [ES] is such a crucial part of CAP...

IMHO, this is the fundamental flaw in your reasoning. There are places in this country where CAP is involved, and even heavily involved, in SAR and other ES functions. However, there are also places (including overseas) where CAP is all but banned from doing any real-world ES work due to any number of reasons. So requiring participation in ES in those areas where there is no CAP ES program will prevent cadets from ever achieving anything beyond Mitchell based on your criteria.

I agree that we should work ES in where practical, but it's best to leave it as a best practice or an extra item that squadrons can attempt if they want, not as a requirement that only increases the barriers to participation.
If you are confident in you abilities and experience, whether someone else is impressed is irrelevant. - Eclipse

Ned

Interestingly, the last time I checked, there were far more "primarily CP" folks with ES ratings than "primarily ES" folks with a CP rating.

But we are a happy family of three missions, married now and forever by the United States Congress.  Lots of synergy generated between the missions.

Ned Lee
Cadet Program Enthusiast
("Let me tell you about CAP: a Cadet Program with Two Supporting Missions.")

CAP9907

Quote from: Ned on February 03, 2021, 12:17:11 AM("Let me tell you about CAP: a Cadet Program with Two Supporting Missions.")

This is shockingly accurate now that I've seen it in writing!!

~9907
21 yrs of service

Our Members Code of Conduct can be found here:   http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=13.0

ZigZag911

I have long felt that all cadets should receive at least initial familiarization with ES.

Details would need consideration, but I  think  adding GENES completion for Mitchell and  some further qualification (choice of ICUT, MSA, GTM3, UDF, MSA, MRO, FLM) for Eaker would enhance the experience of cadets, without being burdensome or a barrier to promotion.

It would also relate to the career exploration previously mentioned, since first responder and emergency management are significant career opportunities in both the military and civil sectors.

SarDragon

As a long-time member, and former cadet, I must disagree. While the ES aspect is an attraction for many cadets, there are those who have zero interest. For them, aerospace is the attraction. It certainly was for me. I didn't get into ES until I had been a senior member for several years.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

Spam

So lets talk about the taboo topic, the Haves and Have Nots.

If you are a new cadet in a unit with a viable ES training program, qualified trainers/evaluators, and one which regularly participates in AFAM numbered training and actual missions, you are fortunate. You have the resources and opportunity to take advantage of these advantages.  Good for you!

If you are in a "Have Not" unit, you the new cadet may not have access to a SET qualified evaluator for any specialty that under 18 cadets can qual in. In fact, possibly your unit is small, with five or so active cadets, and has zero ES qualified people at all. Your unit may be a long drive away from the nearest unit with qualified trainers. Your unit may not have available transport or SM officers who are interested and able to drive you to the required ES training events and AFAMs to become certified. Your unit may not even have a single radio. Finally, you may lack the financial ability to afford the mandatory equipment required for your specialty, including the ABU outer wear required to participate in outdoors ES in winter.  Almost all of these factors are beyond the control of the new cadets in the Have Not units, which span the gamut of CAP from rural isolated units to urban units. We won't even explore the issue of cadets with handicaps which prevent them from earning an ES rating, which would then preclude their promotion.

When we make an ES rating a mandatory gateway for promotion, we are locking out these have nots from promoting, and with the lack of promotion we lock them out from accessing NCSAs which require a Mitchell, and are locking them out from applying for scholarships and so many other opportunities. We are widening a gap rather than creating opportunities to lift up.

So lets not do that.

R/s
Spam

(PS, the preceding commentary should not be seen as an implied endorsement of leftist ideology in any way by this poster, who has spent a career since before the end of the last Cold War working on systems to take, sink, or destroy communist and extremist enemies of the free world).

TheSkyHornet

In addition to some of the excellent points made above me, I also want to include a distinct reminder that the CAP Cadet Program's mission to to develop young leadership in aerospace.


CAPR 60-1, Section 1.5:
QuoteThe Cadet Program transforms youth into dynamic Americans and aerospace leaders. CAP accomplishes its Cadet Program through a curriculum of leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character. The program follows a military model and emphasizes Air Force traditions and values. Today's cadets are tomorrow's aerospace leaders.

THRAWN

Is it really unreasonable to have GENES added to the program? Mandatory before Mitchell. That way, if you spark some interest, the Cadet can go fill a 101.
Strup-"Belligerent....at times...."
AFRCC SMC 10-97
NSS ISC 05-00
USAF SOS 2000
USAF ACSC 2011
US NWC 2016
USMC CSCDEP 2023

Mitchell 1969

Quote from: Eclipse on February 02, 2021, 07:30:14 PMThe goals and mission of the CP are career exploration in aviation and STEM with an emphasis
on paramilitary organizations.

Where does it say that? The CP is a leadership training program conducted in a paramilitary format. "Career exploration" is peripheral to that.


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_________________
Bernard J. Wilson, Major, CAP

Mitchell 1969; Earhart 1971; Eaker 1973. Cadet Flying Encampment, License, 1970. IACE New Zealand 1971; IACE Korea 1973.

CAP has been bery, bery good to me.

SarDragon

Quote from: Mitchell 1969 on February 04, 2021, 01:13:41 AM
Quote from: Eclipse on February 02, 2021, 07:30:14 PMThe goals and mission of the CP are career exploration in aviation and STEM with an emphasis
on paramilitary organizations.

Where does it say that? The CP is a leadership training program conducted in a paramilitary format. "Career exploration" is peripheral to that.

Like he said - CAPR 60-1, Section 1.5:
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

Eclipse

See the quote above, it doesn't have to say that explicitly to be that.

Anyone can see what CAP actually is from the direction the curriculum, larger activities, and marketing
have taken over the last decade or so.

"That Others May Zoom"

Jester

I fully support making General ES a requirement for cadets at some stage, but frankly GES needs to actually be worth a crap first.  Maybe make a GES for Cadets or something.

yolo

I didn't think about a lot of the stuff you guys mentioned. I agree now, to an extent. I still stand by my initial (modified) assertion that for a cadet to obtain their Mitchell, they should have GenEs. It doesn't require any specialized equipment, and takes around 15-20 minutes to do. It would give cadet officers a basic understanding of ES.

But I do understand the cost of adding the other quals, and I agree that no ES ratings should be needed, as it puts disadvantaged cadets further at a disadvantage.

Thank you everyone for the replies!

Mitchell 1969

Quote from: SarDragon on February 04, 2021, 02:28:27 AM
Quote from: Mitchell 1969 on February 04, 2021, 01:13:41 AM
Quote from: Eclipse on February 02, 2021, 07:30:14 PMThe goals and mission of the CP are career exploration in aviation and STEM with an emphasis
on paramilitary organizations.

Where does it say that? The CP is a leadership training program conducted in a paramilitary format. "Career exploration" is peripheral to that.

Like he said - CAPR 60-1, Section 1.5:
The quoted section speaks for itself. And it says nothing about "career exploration." As I said, that is peripheral to the actual purpose, which is leadership training.

"1.5. MISSION
The Cadet Program transforms youth into dynamic Americans and aerospace leaders. CAP accomplishes its Cadet Program through a curriculum of leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character. The program follows a military model and emphasizes Air Force traditions and values. Today's cadets are tomorrow's aerospace leaders."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
_________________
Bernard J. Wilson, Major, CAP

Mitchell 1969; Earhart 1971; Eaker 1973. Cadet Flying Encampment, License, 1970. IACE New Zealand 1971; IACE Korea 1973.

CAP has been bery, bery good to me.

Brit_in_CAP

I wanted to add my 10 cents supporting Sardragon, Spam, and SkyHornet (posts 7, 8, and 9 respectively), especially the Have and Have Not (Spam), something I've found in other areas of CAP.  I've also experienced ES is being emphasized, to the detriment of the core cadet program.  There's certainly utility is at least getting ICUT / UDF trained, but more from the "get outdoors" aspect than anything else.  Serious ES involvement means significant investment of time and dollars, and that latter aspect is a problem for cadets - and Seniors - in the area where I live.  YMMV.

ZigZag911

In response to the issues of "have nots", I am not advocating excluding anyone.

However, we have an obligation to seek ways tof provide worthwhile experiences to all our members, including those in areas dealing with remote location or economic challenges.

As I said in my first post, my list was offhand suggestions, not an exhaustive set of recommendations.

Here are some more suggesions: CERT, shelter management, damage assessment. There are probably other training opportunities.

The cadet program is not just about doing what you want to do...there is a strong element of community service, and both our heritage and our Congressional charter indicate that ES is a major way of providing that service.

Also, consider that my proposal applies to those who achieve cadet officer status, essentially,  those that are members for at least 3 to 5 year. I really think anyone, cadet or senior, that is a long time member should have at least initial exposure to all 3 missions to advance.



Eclipse

#19
Quote from: ZigZag911 on February 06, 2021, 12:51:18 AMHere are some more suggesions: CERT, shelter management, damage assessment.

These are not CAP missions or capabilities, nor is there internal organizational expertise
or experience in these areas.  CERT is a 40+ hour in-face class that has to be completed
with a municipality or EMA, ditto for DA and similar. You can't make something like that a gateway
for progression regardless of age.

I'm not trying to nitpick your idea, but this is something
which comes up regularly and, just like the community service missions going on right now
with Covid, they aren't CAP things, and should be left to other agencies, which certainly
members should be encouraged to support, as long as there is awareness that many members
who get a taste of a real ops tempo with a local CERT or the ARC, probably won't be coming
to the annual "let's put on a SAREx in Dad's barn" because they are going to be too busy.

With that charged, message fork, thread hijack said...

I've long been an advocate for, including pressing the point when in Command roles, that
every member should be at least UDF-T.

That is an attainable legit goal, indoctrinates members to the ways of ES, and sets them
up to be able to earn Find Ribbons in what is still purported to be CAP's primary ES Mission.

Further, it costs zero, and doesn't really require much in the way of outside personnel or resources.

GES, + equipment that's already in a book bag, and a phone tree.  Those can be signed off remotely,
and accomplished in a couple of meetings as a group.

That's reasonable. Anything else is going to be an impediment to both progression and retention.

At the height of activity ES has always been an elective at best, even for adults. These days,
with the low ops tempo, if you mandated it for anyone, you're just inviting people to leave.

I say this with hundreds of dollars of uniforms, radios, and equipment sitting in tactical containers
ready for deployment and use.  It used to be that they were usually a jumble because they
were 3-R'ed so often.

Sadly I don't think they have been opened for anything but battery and MRE cycling in 10 years.

"That Others May Zoom"