Encampment stories

[FlyTiger77]

I just remembered an interesting story about my basic encampment... I was the flight guidon bearer for India Flight. the staff stole our guidon and put pink cloth over our "I". needless to say, it was hilarious going around an AFB all week with "Pink Eye"... we got to take it off for the "Dooley 500" (P&R). PR guys took plenty of pictures of it though... almost everyone in my group knew about it. I was practically famous.

Methinks there may be a fine line between famous and infamous in this instance. Unfortunately, in today's society, this is becoming a distinction without a difference (cf: the train wreck formerly known as 'Lindsay Lohan').

[HGjunkie]

I just remembered an interesting story about my basic encampment... I was the flight guidon bearer for India Flight. the staff stole our guidon and put pink cloth over our "I". needless to say, it was hilarious going around an AFB all week with "Pink Eye"... we got to take it off for the "Dooley 500" (P&R). PR guys took plenty of pictures of it though... almost everyone in my group knew about it. I was practically famous.

Methinks there may be a fine line between famous and infamous in this instance. Unfortunately, in today's society, this is becoming a distinction without a difference (cf: the train wreck formerly known as 'Lindsay Lohan').

Yeah, I've been watching her on the news. Needless to say, her additude and manipulation towards the judge is, how shall I put it,  less than impressive.

[GTCommando]

OH wing's 2009 Summer Encampment, I was in Alpha Squadron, Bravo Flight (Gotta love Alpha Assassins). The last night, we had a dining in complete with MREs. Not very tasty, but beside the point. Afterward, during Retreat Ceremony, the staff decided to catch us off guard. They waited until after they played the National Anthem, then sneaked up behind us with enough water guns for a mini King's Island! Needless to say, two out of three squadrons rather suddenly broke ranks (The remaining squadron, I believe, had some advanced warning). After we (Finally) got back into formation, A friend of mine at the front of the flight pulled out his canteen (Which had just been refilled with seemingly ice-cold water) and gave our Flight Commander another one for good measure. After that we packed up and headed back to the dorms. 

P.S. This is unconfirmed report, but the cadet in question is believed to have been extremely thirsty the whole ride back.       

[GTM SGT Frazier]

After reading some of these (some i was laughing pretty hard others i was rolling my eyes) I can't wait to go to an encampment haha

You will love it

[Huey Driver]

Has anyone else had guidon snatchers? Every year at NJWG Encampment, there is one staff member (usually senior) who steals guidon whenever theyre posted and no ones looking. BEST place to hide guidons? Roll it up and tape it on top of a ceiling fan

[HGjunkie]

Has anyone else had guidon snatchers? Every year at NJWG Encampment, there is one staff member (usually senior) who steals guidon whenever theyre posted and no ones looking. BEST place to hide guidons? Roll it up and tape it on top of a ceiling fan

Happens every encampment here in FLWG. This recent winter enc. Squadron 3 had theirs stolen. IDK where it went though... 

[Top Dawg]

Has anyone else had guidon snatchers? Every year at NJWG Encampment, there is one staff member (usually senior) who steals guidon whenever theyre posted and no ones looking. BEST place to hide guidons? Roll it up and tape it on top of a ceiling fan

Happens every encampment here in FLWG. This recent winter enc. Squadron 3 had theirs stolen. IDK where it went though... 

Yes, yes, yes, this was my cadet. It ended up in C/Maj Tran's possession. We got squadron of encampment, anyway

[HGjunkie]

Haha I think it's funny how it's always to do with squadron 3 when it comes to guidons being stolen... Last year India flight this year squadron 3. One can only guess next years victim... 

[Top Dawg]

Haha I think it's funny how it's always to do with squadron 3 when it comes to guidons being stolen... Last year India flight this year squadron 3. One can only guess next years victim... 

Juliet Flight left their guidon at the auditorium so we picked it up. We had to give it back, though. 

[BillB]

It used to be Florida Wing policy that when stealing a guideon you only took the flag, leaving the guideon staff. This meant that the flight had a "naked" staff for formations. Since now this might cause embarassment to the guideon beare, it probably would be a violation of CPP.

[HGjunkie]

It used to be Florida Wing policy that when stealing a guideon you only took the flag, leaving the guideon staff. This meant that the flight had a "naked" staff for formations. Since now this might cause embarassment to the guideon beare, it probably would be a violation of CPP.

First the grog bowl, now guidon stealing. What isn't a CPP violation these days? 

[Eclipse]

It used to be Florida Wing policy that when stealing a guideon you only took the flag, leaving the guideon staff. This meant that the flight had a "naked" staff for formations. Since now this might cause embarassment to the guideon beare, it probably would be a violation of CPP.

First the grog bowl, now guidon stealing. What isn't a CPP violation these days?

I think you are confusing "dumb" and "immature" with "violation of CPP".

We routinely have one or more flights with a "furled" guidon because they have not met the minimum expectations
that earns their flight this recognition.  This is not hazing.

Guidon stealing is a bad idea for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the fact that in some cases it results
in people running with what is essentially a spear in their hands, and the fact that CAP guidons are not cheap.

[Slim]

How exactly does guidon stealing contribute to the objectives (the "mission"-if you will) of an encampment?

How about those core values, like integrity?  Or, since a lot of places are obsessed with preaching the honor code ripped off from USAFA: "We will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate among us those who do."  On the one hand, you're telling cadets that they can't steal.  On the other, you have some staff member (cadet or senior) who is so focused on stealing that they can't concentrate on performing their job?

We used to allow it, until it got out of control.  Cadets sleeping with their guidon, showering with it, swinging it like a baseball bat, posting a guard on it outside the DFAC or classroom.  One year, one flight commander got the bright idea to set up a separate schedule so that there was always one cadet in the flight who was awake to guard it at night. 

On the other hand, if zulu flight is 100 yards outbound from the DFAC, and their guidon isn't, it would behoove someone to recover it before it disappears.  But actually going out of your way to steal it?  Nope, don't have the time for it.  There are enough new experiences and stressors involved in an encampment that this doesn't need to be another one.

[JoeTomasone]

I certainly would not have condoned it had I been aware of it.

[a2capt]

It used to be Florida Wing policy (?!?!!!) that when stealing (!!!!) a guideon  ... Since now this might cause embarrassment   (!?!?!) to the guideon beare, it probably would be a violation of CPP.

A policy on how to carry out the act of stealing, and someone might be worried about CPPT?    Chutzpah!

[Slim]

I certainly would not have condoned it had I been aware of it.

That wasn't intended as an indictment against you, Joe.  Think of it more along the lines of "Food for thought" for the folks out there who get a kick out of it.

[tsrup]

When I was a TACO, cadet staff participated in guidon stealing.  However the rules were, you couldn't steal a properly secured guidon.  It was mainly an attention to detail drill. 
However, like most things, it got out of hand really quickly.  So next year when I was an Assistant Commandant, I put the kibosh on the idea.

This year will be the same.

I feel that this will go the way of what many cadet's call "encampment traditions".  It will be forgotten after next year..   

[MICT1362]

I have been to several encampments over the years and it happens.  The staff has always layed down some rules and rarely have we had issues.  The couple of times that an issue came up, the cadet staff did a quick review of the circumstances and made a decision.

Never was their forceful stealing of a guidon, no treachery.  But, as already stated, if you left building X, but your guidon didn't... Well, it's mine now.  This requires every person in the flight to be accountable along with the guidon bearer.

So, to each their own.  And I do not believe in any way that this can be a violation of CPP.

-Paramedic

[ProdigalJim]

OK, not a guidon story, but a prank nonetheless...

It was 1980, and Plattsburgh AFB, NY, was still, well, an Air Force Base. 200 NY Wing cadets show up for two weeks of Type A fun on the shores of Lake Champlain. We got a visit from the new CAP Executive Director, an Air Force one-star whose name, for some reason, escapes me right now. (Gen. Miller maybe?) A group of us "non-staff" cadets were selected to sit down at the lunch table with the General...mingle, talk about the program, the Encampment, so forth. I see the sugar is being passed from person to person for coffee cups (yes, I was an early addict), and I'm probably three or four passes away from the General. I realize as soon as I sip the coffee that someone has spiked the sugar container with salt, in hopes of "punking" our one-star VIP.

The gyrations that took place at that table to try to recover the sugar bottle before it made it the rest of the way down were legendary. "Oh, General, take the sugar from THAT table. It POURS better." Egad... 

It was the first, and only, encampment I ever attended where I wasn't on staff. And in some ways, it was the most fun, too.

[Reno]

I joined CAP a week before Arkansas Wing encampment took place in 08. I was 17 at the time.
By the time '09 encampment rolled around I was an 18 year old Tech Sergeant. My flight sergeant was a 14 or 15 year of Staff Sergeant. All week long I was mistaken for the flight sergeant and occasionally quizzed cadets from other squadrons on their memory work/ yelled at them to hurry up out of the latrine ect.. haha It was fun. I believe I was the oldest Cadet in attendance (staff included) except maybe the cadet encampment commander.

For '10 I was selected as Command Chief. I had to turn it down but I definitely regret it. Hopefully I'll be able to go back this year in a senior slot.