Why do senior members do most of the fun work?

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I would have to say that so far the "activities" for the most part that SMs have are lecture based, OBC SLS aren't all that fun...

[EMT-83]

I would have to say that so far the "activities" for the most part that SMs have are lecture based, OBC SLS aren't all that fun...

Really? While OBC was kinda lonely (being an on-line course), I enjoy PD courses.

If you're not having fun, they're doing it wrong.

[Spaceman3750]

Some of the best sleep I've ever had has been at PD courses

[jeders]

Some of the best sleep I've ever had has been at PD courses

Some of the best sleep I ever had was teaching PD courses   

But if I could trade places, for even five minutes, with this cadet, I would take it in a heartbeat. Enjoy what you are doing and don't rush it.

[41839j]

It might SEEM to the Cadets that the Seniors get to do the fun work, but the reality is quite different.  Along with the "fun work" you mention also comes all the responsibility.  The responsibility takes the fun out of it.  Believe me, ALL OF US spend our lives answering to a higher authority and not just the kids.  It seems like that isn't true to you now, but you will get it when you get older.

None of us can do whatever we want.  We have to do certain things in our job, to have a job, and to keep a job.  We have to do certain things to take care of our family and keep them.  We have to pay our taxes, we have to obey laws or go to jail....it goes on and on.

We are trying to train you for what is needed to be a success in life.  Nothing would make us happier than to see you go further and be more successful than we have been.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Cadet, (too) many of the Air Force personnel that I've encountered think that the CP is the raison d'etre for the existence of CAP, period, and that the senior members are there solely to ensure that you get (at least) your Mitchell and are "gently urged" to your nearest Air Force recruiting office (read: warm bodies through the gates of Lackland AFB).

I remember a "motivational visit" by a State Director (used to be called LO) who said that almost exactly word-for-word.  Nothing about ES, nothing about AE, nothing about progressing through PD on the senior side.  Just cadets, and only cadets.  The first person I met in CAP (recruiting booth at an airshow) told me that senior members in CAP were there largely "to be counsellors for our cadets" (direct quote).

Also, to my knowledge you have never been subject to punitive action from the Air Force on uniform issues.  You have never lost your blue cadet officer epaulettes or your blue nameplates, and your enlisted/NCO insignia is exactly the same as the Air Force's, with the CAP shield glued/spot-welded on top (take one apart sometime).  All this despite the fact that an 18-21 year old cadet is MUCH more likely to be confused with an AF member than an old guy like me.

So, you're definitely on the "most-favoured" list with the Air Force, in my experience.

[ßτε]

... your enlisted/NCO insignia is exactly the same as the Air Force's, with the CAP shield glued/spot-welded on top (take one apart sometime).

The current insignia is not this way. They are single piece, not a shield glued/spot-welded on top.

[754837]

Enjoy the cadet program & make good friends.  It can be a highlight that you will enjoy for the rest of your life.

[Eclipse]

... your enlisted/NCO insignia is exactly the same as the Air Force's, with the CAP shield glued/spot-welded on top (take one apart sometime).

The current insignia is not this way. They are single piece, not a shield glued/spot-welded on top.

Cadet insignia haven't been 2-pieces since before I joined in 99.  There are still a lot in use as pass-downs, I personally like those better,
but the haven't been sold by anyone in a log time.

[EMT-83]

Anything to turn it into a uniform thread.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Anything to turn it into a uniform thread.

I hadn't intended it to. 

Nonetheless, an adult-age cadet officer with blue epaulettes and nameplate, using the silly "low-light/at-a-distance" criteria, is still easy to mistake for an AF officer.

Noted on the cadet enlisted insignia...it's been a long time since I examined any up close.

My point in including the uniform bit was to reinforce that the AF is still good with cadets looking like them, but not seniors, going back to the most-favoured status I mentioned.

[Flying Pig]

... your enlisted/NCO insignia is exactly the same as the Air Force's, with the CAP shield glued/spot-welded on top (take one apart sometime).

The current insignia is not this way. They are single piece, not a shield glued/spot-welded on top.

The old ones were pretty neat.  I thought the depth it gave them with the separate shield make them look very good.  What was cool is if you popped the shield off, they had the AF star behind the shield.  What is funny is seeing that cadets are still concerned about the same exact things I was when I was a cadet in 1987! 

[Private Investigator]

... my Sq. Commander (Whom i greatly respect) has changed our uniform hat from a BDU field cap to a baseball cap with our squadron patch sewed on it. His reasoning was that he liked the baseball cap better, he never asked the wholed squadron ehat they would prefer.

Lot of CAP Squadrons wear baseball caps. Now the Sq Commander likely talked to others about the switch but not every Cadet or new Senior Member.

[Sgt. Fischer]

I agree. The SM's in my squadron also take all of the squadron money to go on TONS of o-flights in out plane! i've only been in 2 since i joined over 2 years ago!

[Spaceman3750]

I agree. The SM's in my squadron also take all of the squadron money to go on TONS of o-flights in out plane! i've only been in 2 since i joined over 2 years ago!

That's not squadron money, that's AF money. Furthermore, at least in my wing, there's a huge push to get out and fly the cadets - the weather is nice and we have the money (we flew 13 cadets last weekend in my group - for 9 it was their first o-flight). If you want an o-flight and they're flying ask for one, but don't assume that "those seniors are up to something devious" when they're trying to do something good for YOU.

[Al Sayre]

I agree. The SM's in my squadron also take all of the squadron money to go on TONS of o-flights in out plane! i've only been in 2 since i joined over 2 years ago!

Not all flights are Cadet O'flights.  In fact the only SM that should be in the airplane on an Cadet O'flight is the pilot.  O'flight funding comes from a separate pot of money, with very specific limitations on it's uses.  Just because your pilots are flying, doesn't mean that it's an O'flight.  It may be a mission pilot proficiency, CD, SAR training flight, ROTC O'flight or some other flight activity that Cadets cannot participate in by regulation.  I highly doubt that your squadron funds are being used for any of these scenarios as they are budgeted at the Wing or Group level.  Also, if the the pilot wants to pay for it, he/she may be using the airplane to maintain his/her own proficiency.  In fact, in my experience (I've been both the wing DO and DOS, so I've seen both the bills and WIMRS entries for every flight of every aircraft in my wing for the last 5 years) the squadrons hardly ever use their funds for flying unless it is to supplement the Cadet O'flight budget when there are more cadets to fly than the USAF provides funding for.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I agree. The SM's in my squadron also take all of the squadron money to go on TONS of o-flights in out plane! i've only been in 2 since i joined over 2 years ago!

I suggest a modification in attitude, Cadet.

As has been said, the O-Flights are FOR YOUR BENEFIT.

Believe me when I say that there are a LOT of pilots in CAP who will go out of their way to avoid giving O-Flights...the ones in my former flying club senior squadron hated it.

[CAP_Marine]

We (seniors) get to go on O flights now? Rock on! All this time I was wasting my time and energy during SAREX's getting in training sorties when I could have just been flying around for funsies. 

[Sgt. Fischer]

We (seniors) get to go on O flights now? Rock on! All this time I was wasting my time and energy during SAREX's getting in training sorties when I could have just been flying around for funsies. 

Well, i'm not positive you can. i'm almost sure you can though! (at least at my squadron!) so, check with your squadron before you do anything. 

[vento]

We (seniors) get to go on O flights now? Rock on! All this time I was wasting my time and energy during SAREX's getting in training sorties when I could have just been flying around for funsies. 

Well, i'm not positive you can. i'm almost sure you can though! (at least at my squadron!) so, check with your squadron before you do anything. 

I don't think for a moment that Seniors can go on O'rides. The only time I've seen Seniors on an O-ride is when a new O'rides pilot rides along to observe how it is done, even that is very rare.

Otherwise, the rides are strictly for Cadets. The funding are allocated for cadets, not proficiency or any other sort of flights.
Also, each O'rides sortie must be meticulously recorded in WMIRS, and it becomes part of the cadet record. If your squadron is doing it, then somebody is not following the regs.