2-Month Suspension

[West MI-CAP-Ret]

Being involved with CAP, on and off, since 1974, I have found myself without allies and in trouble.  I did not get here overnight, but with a couple of mistakes, with the admonishments of "sin no more" I finally found myself in a good squadron, with a Sqdrn co who really loved his people.  We had a change of command, and poof, I crossed the brand new female 1st Lt, and instead of talking about the mistake, she labeled me a liar and sent me a Letter of Reprimand, via email.  Finally, I asked for a leave of absence until July. 

I received the wing's invitation to their annual conference, but because of illness, I could not go, so I offered my funds to one of our cadets.  This is when I received a 2-month suspension because I didn't go through her (Sqdrn co).  I have never in the past 8 years have done anything more than send my money in to attend our wing conference.  Whatever I have done, this woman has had it in for me since she took command.  My guess is that I'm a victim of gossip, in which some of it is true.  I have requested to speak with the group commander, and it has been approved.  This will be the only time in which I have given my side of the story.  Can anyone give me some guidance as to what my rights per regulations I could use?  I'd like to gently message this suspension to be armed with practical knowledge when I meet with the group commander (our group commander wears a purple heart, bronze star with V device and a CIB, so I have no desire as coming off as a Barracks Lawyer).

Anything you could share would be helpful.
Drc3dave

[FW]

Going to the Group Commander is the right thing to do.  Going with the squadron commander would be better.  A private conference to hammer out problems is the way to handle things at "the lowest possible level". 

BTW; what you do with your money is your business...

[bflynn]

This isn't about regulations, it's about values.  You don't feel like you're getting respect from your leadership and if your story is accurate, you're probably right.  Attempting to control volunteers is usually a bad idea.

You've been doing this for nearly 40 years and you just want to keep serving.  It isn't the Lt's decision who is fit to serve and who isn't.  A new leader who imposes two punitive actions on the same person in short order is suspect. 

Your GC is probably a reasonable person.

BTW - A 1stLt as squadron commander?

[Eclipse]

Going to the Group Commander is the right thing to do.  Going with the squadron commander would be better.  A private conference to hammer out problems is the way to handle things at "the lowest possible level". 

There's going to be no better advice on this...

[Grumpy]

This isn't about regulations, it's about values.  You don't feel like you're getting respect from your leadership and if your story is accurate, you're probably right.  Attempting to control volunteers is usually a bad idea.

You've been doing this for nearly 40 years and you just want to keep serving.  It isn't the Lt's decision who is fit to serve and who isn't.  A new leader who imposes two punitive actions on the same person in short order is suspect. 

Your GC is probably a reasonable person.

BTW - A 1stLt as squadron commander?

Yep, this is CAP

[whatevah]

This isn't about regulations, it's about values.  You don't feel like you're getting respect from your leadership and if your story is accurate, you're probably right.  Attempting to control volunteers is usually a bad idea.

You've been doing this for nearly 40 years and you just want to keep serving.  It isn't the Lt's decision who is fit to serve and who isn't.  A new leader who imposes two punitive actions on the same person in short order is suspect. 

Your GC is probably a reasonable person.

BTW - A 1stLt as squadron commander?

Yep, this is CAP

sheesh, I was a Squadron CC as a 22 year old 1st Lt.

[jeders]

This isn't about regulations, it's about values.  You don't feel like you're getting respect from your leadership and if your story is accurate, you're probably right.  Attempting to control volunteers is usually a bad idea.

You've been doing this for nearly 40 years and you just want to keep serving.  It isn't the Lt's decision who is fit to serve and who isn't.  A new leader who imposes two punitive actions on the same person in short order is suspect. 

Your GC is probably a reasonable person.

BTW - A 1stLt as squadron commander?

Not to derail, but why not? There are SMWOG as squadron commanders.

[Eclipse]

BTW - A 1stLt as squadron commander?

Not unusual.  The last time I looked it up, there were ten SMWOG as CC's, some with less than 6 months in CAP.

You have to play the team that shows up.

(Jeders beat me to it...)

It isn't the Lt's decision who is fit to serve and who isn't.

Yes, it is.  In fact it is the specific responsibility of a commander to make those decisions.

A new leader who imposes two punitive actions on the same person in short order is suspect. 

Or is a decisive leader who is setting a tone for behavior.  The OP admits some of the issue is true.

[bflynn]

Just surprised.  Our SCs have always been Maj or greater.

Probably because we have a larger squadron.

[Eclipse]

Probably because we have a larger squadron.

Not related, other than the luck of numbers.

[bflynn]

It isn't the Lt's decision who is fit to serve and who isn't.

Yes, it is.  In fact it is the specific responsibility of a commander to make those decisions.

It is?

I read through CAPR 20-1, but I didn't see it.  Where it it?

[Eclipse]

Page 27.

Eliminate members whose continued membership is determined undesirable in accordance with the provisions of CAPR 35-3 Membership Termination...

[bflynn]

Nice - Encyclopedia Eclipse...

[Capt_Redfox30]

sheesh, I was a Squadron CC as a 22 year old 1st Lt.

I got you beat I was a Squadron CC as 21 Year old 2nd Lt!,Quickly was promoted to 1st shortly after taking command.

[West MI-CAP-Ret]

Not knowing all the facts, the Sqdrn co could be setting the tone.  What I did was not waiting for her to return the news article I typed up regarding her change of command.  Only recently did you have to go through eServices to submit a story, so I was checking out the process.  I didn't realize, she had not sent the article back with her blessings.  So I sent the story.  Without a face-to-face, she emails me a Letter of Reprimand.  I didn't like the way it was handled.  If we could have had a meeting, I would of explained my mistake, it was stupid, and I would make sure never submit a story without first hearing from her, and if It is time sensitive, I would call.  Firing me from being the PAO, in which I was decorated for my stories to national and winning the 2008 Wg PAO of the Year award, I thought was a bit harsh, especially since I hadn't done anything else wrong.  Soon after this happened, we had a meeting with her and the deputy commander.  This is when I was called a liar again (the first time was in the LOR).  I really couldn't believe my ears. I have been a victim of gossip, but nothing major.  I have always had a good working relationship with the chain of command.  Either this woman has taken a strong disliking to me, or she has been told things about me (without checking the facts) and is acting accordingly. 
I know the group commander, and what I have heard he is fair and honest.  Also, this is a 2-month suspension, not a 2-B to the curve.  With so much going on, would it be viewed as stupid, unpractical or just not worth the bother to offer to return, and given all the facts, try to prove myself to her?  This is also a time I want to share with the group commander that this woman has made me assistant to everyone, and master of none, due to my disabilities, having contracted Multiple Sclerosis when I was in Turkey before the war.  I can make most of the meetings, but maybe a few in the winter I'll miss just because it is hard for me to get around.  Maybe the best thing to do is to listen to the group commander and if possible, ask if I could be sent to one of our struggling cadet squadrons.  I don't believe they can through me out.  I just need to keep my head down and try to be humble.

[Eclipse]

Clearly there's a whole lot going on here, and as usual it's hard to really provide anything meaningful because we aren't personally involved.

An LOR, or anything similar, must contain the following to be valid:

A description of what the member did, or failed to do, including date, time, and location.
• Language that admonishes or reprimands the member.
• A statement of what improvement is expected.
• A warning that further deviation may result in more severe action.
• A statement telling the member to acknowledge receipt of the counseling and to return a response (if any) within a fixed number of days.

The process provides an avenue to respond, and you certainly have the right to file a complaint, or address it up the chain if you feel
you were honestly wronged.

On the face, this seems somewhat extreme, however it's not unusual for members who have a "history" (as you say you do), to claim
that something happened out of the blue with a new commander, only to find later that this was the first "infraction" under the
new regime, but the "history" deemed what might seem like a harsh response to be necessary.

I have no idea whether this is applicable in your case, but it's not unusual for members with a "history" to try and test a new CC
to see if they will be susceptible to whatever it was that may have caused them "issues" with the previous CC.  The smart CC's
can see this coming and will generally stop it on the first pass.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

This looie is wayyyy out of line and is a very bad exemplar of why people finally say "sod it, I'm outta here."

In your shoes, after meeting one-on-one with this looie, if you get nowhere, I would be looking for another unit.

If you get nowhere with that...you've certainly done your bit.

Thankfully it's not a 2B.  The very existence of the 2B is one thing that imperils this organisation.  It's an axe that someone in authority can wield with near-impunity.

[Private Investigator]

I finally found myself in a good squadron, with a Sqdrn co who really loved his people.  We had a change of command, and poof, I crossed the brand new female 1st Lt, and instead of talking about the mistake, she labeled me a liar and sent me a Letter of Reprimand

So she is a 1st Lt and what are you? What type of dynamics is going on at the Unit? Because some 40 year members are like the wise man of the tribe and others is that neighbor who sprays noisy kids with water. Is the 1st Lt a middle age housewife or a 21 year old former Cadet know-it-all?

Good luck ..

[DrJbdm]

Sounds like you need to just change squadrons or better yet perhaps move to group or wing staff as the PAO. You may just be spinning you wheels in your current squadron, it isn't likely to improve regardless of the outcome with the Group Commander. Your best course of action is to remove yourself from her chain of command.

[bflynn]

I'm more than a little baffled at what could be going on here too...

How does a 38 year veteran of CAP suddenly become unfit to serve at the whim of a 1LT new squadron commander?

On the general topic of leadership, I grade "setting a new tone" as a bad thing for a new leader to do.  I've been taught again and again through leadership courses that first three months as a new leader, you make no changes at all because you don't know all the facts.  Even after that, you make changes very carefuly for the next year.

EE set aside, the duty of the SC to must out those who are unfit is not the same as deciding who is unfit and then making it work out that way.

Organizational authority - the more you use it, the less of it you have.