young high ranking Senior members

[flyguy06]

One thing I noticed at NESA and I wanted to get folks onhere thoughts. I saw a lot of high ranking people that were like my age. Let me explain. In my wing, most of the higher ups (Group CC's, Wing cmd staff) are grey haired folks (bless their souls) but I saw at NESA a 33 year old Wing Vice Commmader, a 46 year old Wing DO, a 30 something year old Wing Stan eval guy. I think its great. It gives me hope thatmaybe I can advance in this organization.

btw whatever happened to that WIng Commander I read about that was inhis 20's? Is he still around?

[jimmydeanno]

btw whatever happened to that WIng Commander I read about that was inhis 20's? Is he still around?

I think he's in his 30's now 

When I first joined CAP, I remember hearing a lot of talk about how people wished that former cadets would become more prominent in leadership positions.  Perhaps we're starting to see the beginnings of that come to fruition.

I think that as the leadership turns over and the organization makes progress (something that MANY "more experienced" members hate) the assumption that the young guys don't have any experience is going away.  Even leadership in the corporate world is starting to get younger.

At RSC one of the members of my seminar was a early 30's Group CC from AZ (fmr Cadet).  The former MIWG CC was pretty young too. 

Personally, I don't care about the age of the person in the spot, so long as they are doing a good job.   

[davidsinn]

) but I saw at NESA a 33 year old Wing Vice Commmader,

Lt. Col Griffith, INWG? If so I believe he's in the 3 diamond club.

[Eclipse]

Fly, what you got to see was more of the "real" CAP.  That's why its so important to get members participating
in activities outside the local unit. 

In some case the difference it literally night and day in terms of ops tempo and attitude.  I've had more than one member who was ready to quit and the remedy was to go and see the "real" CAP elsewhere.

[Stonewall]

I was a 30 year old Lt Col and a 26 year old Major.

[NIN]

I was a 30 year old Lt Col and a 26 year old Major.

But man, you didn't look a day over 12!

[SJFedor]

One thing I noticed at NESA and I wanted to get folks onhere thoughts. I saw a lot of high ranking people that were like my age. Let me explain. In my wing, most of the higher ups (Group CC's, Wing cmd staff) are grey haired folks (bless their souls) but I saw at NESA a 33 year old Wing Vice Commmader, a 46 year old Wing DO, a 30 something year old Wing Stan eval guy. I think its great. It gives me hope thatmaybe I can advance in this organization.

btw whatever happened to that WIng Commander I read about that was inhis 20's? Is he still around?

You also saw a 33 year old Wing CS up there, who is also a CAPTalk person on occasion. 

...and a 22 year old Group DO 

[flyguy06]

Fly, what you got to see was more of the "real" CAP.  That's why its so important to get members participating
in activities outside the local unit. 

In some case the difference it literally night and day in terms of ops tempo and attitude.  I've had more than one member who was ready to quit and the remedy was to go and see the "real" CAP elsewhere.

You are so right Eclipse. and I have been in CAP since 1985 continuously except for college days and when I wason active duty. It is good to see other CAP things. Before NESA I went to Ohio to the NCC and that was great as well

[flyguy06]

I was a 30 year old Lt Col and a 26 year old Major.

I wasnt talking about rank as much as I was position. I have seen many 30 something Lt Col's in CAP but they usually didnt have a prominate positionlike Wing CS or Wing VC. Our WIng ES Officer is a former Spattz and he is a young Lt Col

[SDF_Specialist]

Age really shouldn't matter as much as the member's maturity level. You could be a 35 year old Lt. Col. and be just as mature as the 72 year old Lt. Col. and no one would know. Your attitude reflects your age. Besides, in a few months, I'll be a 24 year old Captain, and in 3 years, I'll be a 28 year old Major!

If the thought of having young staff members on Wing or Region is upsetting in a sense of it making one sick, then maybe a long talk with the Wing/CC would be in order.

[cap801]

I'm doing the flight officer track right now so I'll hopefully be able to transition to Captain when I'm 21 (2 years out).  And after I get out of college I'd like to pick up a wing job wherever I end up (hopeful AF pilot so who knows where that will be).

[Cecil DP]

Don't forget that BG Hal DuPont, National commander in the early 70's was in his early 30's when he was appointed. Col Bryan Cooper was in his late 20's or early 30's when he was RIWG Commander., and there was a 21 year old Major in PAWG in the early 90's-can't recall his name, but he was awarded Captain for having a Spaatz award and then appointed a Group Commander to make him a Major. 

[dwb]

There is at least one under-40 Wing CC currently serving.

Maj Gen Courter isn't old, she's probably the youngest CAP/CC we've had in a while.  She's the first one since Brig Gen Anderson to have a hair color other than grey (well, Brig Gen Bobick wasn't completely grey...)

There are certainly pockets of this organization that suffer from Old Fogeyism, and one of the problems with that is that you never get any new ideas.  I think it's great when I see someone that can become a Wing CC in their 30s; corporate officer positions like that are usually full-time jobs unto themselves.

I'm much more interested in past accomplishments and future potential than I am in age.  I might change my mind when I'm old and grey, but for now, I believe one of the things CAP can't get enough of is younger officers.

[flyguy06]

I am not complaining about it. I was just making an observation. it doesnt matter to me as long as they can do the job. But what I have found in my CAP life ispeople in my age group (30;s) work ful time jobs and are raising families and dont have the time to commit to a position like Wing CC. That in itself is a full time job.

So, unless they are rich, own their own business and have someone supporting them its hard for someone my age to work full time for a volunteer organization.

[IceNine]

btw whatever happened to that WIng Commander I read about that was inhis 20's? Is he still around?

John Brian (on Captalk), Lt Col, Former INWG/CC

I know a 22 year old Group commander pretty well 

[Major Carrales]

I see nothing wrong with motivated folks getting rank in CAP.  If a Spaatz Cadet did an outstanding job and was made a captain upon goining, it could be argued successfully that that 21 year-old Captain my have more CAP experience than a pilot breveted to the rank of Captain for their credentials.

Simply put, everyone has a place.  The Pilot Captain is a skilled aviator, the Spaatz Captain is a CAP expert.

[proveritas]

If they can do the job...

We've had several high-flying cadets in my squadron with something like 12-15 years of CAP experience between the three of them. They've been on more real-life missions than most of our seniors, staffed Encampments, etc. Two of them are at the Academy right now.

Granted, a 21 year old won't have the level of life experience/maturity of an older member (we hope!) but I'd rather have a high ranking 21 year old like that than a 50 year old pilot with no prior CAP experience.

As a FO, I'm just a bit biased though. ;-)

[flyguy06]

Again,
Unles you own your own business or are retired or just  rich, most young people have jobs and families and dont have the time it takes to be a Wing Commander. thats almost a full time job in itself.

[RiverAux]

That is what it comes down to.  Its not that younger people can't do the very high level jobs, they just can't afford to do them.  I'd be surprised if there are many Wing staffs without someone in their 20s and probably with more than a few in their 30s.

[ZigZag911]

John Brian (on Captalk), Lt Col, Former INWG/CC

I know a 22 year old Group commander pretty well 

If he was a wing CC, how come he's only lt col?

Personally I feel under 30 is kind of young for group CC, and under 35 too young for wing CC...fresh ideas and energy is great, but the jobs call for a certain level of maturity and experience as well.