Unpublished requirements/unwritten policies

[THRAWN]

Great gravy...is this your first week in CAP or something? You know how this works, and your notional IG chat just ain't it. My guess is that you're being asked to provide documentation that you meet the requirement for the second highest PD award that CAP gives. There may be something in your jacket that needs clarification, or something that needs to be documented a little better. Best bet, take it to your chain. You've been given some pretty good advice so far and all you seem to be doing is saying "I don't wanna". So that begs the question: why are you reluctant to provide what is being asked for?

[DoubleSecret]

Great gravy...is this your first week in CAP or something? You know how this works, and your notional IG chat just ain't it. My guess is that you're being asked to provide documentation that you meet the requirement for the second highest PD award that CAP gives. There may be something in your jacket that needs clarification, or something that needs to be documented a little better. Best bet, take it to your chain. You've been given some pretty good advice so far and all you seem to be doing is saying "I don't wanna". So that begs the question: why are you reluctant to provide what is being asked for?

Your guess is wrong.  The requested "dossier" requires information completely unrelated to the award or substantiation of any achievements therein.

[THRAWN]

Great gravy...is this your first week in CAP or something? You know how this works, and your notional IG chat just ain't it. My guess is that you're being asked to provide documentation that you meet the requirement for the second highest PD award that CAP gives. There may be something in your jacket that needs clarification, or something that needs to be documented a little better. Best bet, take it to your chain. You've been given some pretty good advice so far and all you seem to be doing is saying "I don't wanna". So that begs the question: why are you reluctant to provide what is being asked for?

Your guess is wrong.  The requested "dossier" requires information completely unrelated to the award or substantiation of any achievements therein.

Then quit crying about it and contact your commander or your IG. Coming here with this sob story, being given sound advice by a whole lot of people with a whole lot of experience, and not doing anything about it is a waste. If you don't want to do anything, fine. But tell your tale while you're walking....

[JeffDG]

Great gravy...is this your first week in CAP or something? You know how this works, and your notional IG chat just ain't it. My guess is that you're being asked to provide documentation that you meet the requirement for the second highest PD award that CAP gives. There may be something in your jacket that needs clarification, or something that needs to be documented a little better. Best bet, take it to your chain. You've been given some pretty good advice so far and all you seem to be doing is saying "I don't wanna". So that begs the question: why are you reluctant to provide what is being asked for?

Your guess is wrong.  The requested "dossier" requires information completely unrelated to the award or substantiation of any achievements therein.

So, you can suck it up and accept something being done not IAW the regs, or you can do something about it.

[DoubleSecret]

How about this:

Me:  Mr. IG, I have submitted my PD award, which is complete in all respects with respect to the regulations, over 3 months ago and it has not been approved.  Mr. DirPD has told me that I need to submit additional information beyond the regulations to have it approved.
D
IG:  Let me look into it
IG->DirPD:  What's holding this file up?
DPD:  He doesn't have x, y, and z
IG:  Where do the regs say that he needs x, y or z?
DPD:  Doesn't.  It's our own policy
IG:  Do you have an approved supplement?
DPD:  No
IG:  Then he doesn't need to do x, y, or z.

Your  burden is to show that you've met the regs.  Then the burden shifts to the DPD to show why he hasn't approved the PD award IAW the regs.  You don't have to prove anything of the sort.

That was actually constructive and it didn't malign me.  Thank you.

[Eclipse]

Me:  All I have is an unprocessed application that meets every written requirement.  How am I doing on preponderance of the evidence?

What.  Exactly, was submitted?

[DoubleSecret]

Me:  All I have is an unprocessed application that meets every written requirement.  How am I doing on preponderance of the evidence?

What.  Exactly, was submitted?

An. Application with attachments for the underlying achievements, plus concurrent action in e-services.

[Eclipse]

Then that's all you should have needed.

Contact the IG and get it done.

There's no value in avoiding the uncomfortable conversations.

[Storm Chaser]

I would suggest you go through your chain of command first, before filing an IG complaint. If your unit commander is not helping you, then you go to your group or wing commander, as appropriate. If you haven't done this, then you haven't really exhausted all venues to resolve your issue. I've used the chain of command to resolve issues related to unwritten policies and have never suffer reprisals.

As long as you follow your chain of command, can provide appropriate references to the regulations and applicable supplements, and are respectful and professional in the way you handle this, then you shouldn't have a problem. If you do, then that's what the IG system is there for.

But you should know this already since you've completed all your Level IV requirements, right?

[DoubleSecret]

I would suggest you go through your chain of command first, before filing an IG complaint. If your unit commander is not helping you, then you go to your group or wing commander, as appropriate. If you haven't done this, then you haven't really exhausted all venues to resolve your issue. I've used the chain of command to resolve issues related to unwritten policies and have never suffer reprisals.

As long as you follow your chain of command, can provide appropriate references to the regulations and applicable supplements, and are respectful and professional in the way you handle this, then you shouldn't have a problem. If you do, then that's what the IG system is there for.

But you should know this already since you've completed all your Level IV requirements, right?

Appreciated.  Chain used.

I know that's the way it's supposed to work.  If things always worked the way they were supposed to, there'd be no need to initiate such a process.  Right?

[Storm Chaser]

Many folks (I'm not saying you) say the used the chain of command when in fact they just talked to their commander and didn't go any further. The unit commander is just the first link in the chain.

[lordmonar]

I think you're missing the point.

a)  You're afraid of "reprisals" if someone recognizes
b)  You've claimed (without substantiation) that people are adding requirements to PD that are above and beyond the regulations
c)  You've claimed that these violations of the regulations are clear and obvious

So, I have to ask, what are these reprisals that you fear that exceed your integrity?  Not getting a PD award which has almost no practical value, or not receiving a promotion (which again has approximately zero practical value)?  It's not like they can lock you up in prison for filing an IG complaint.

Just my opinion, but there is nothing within the realm of reprisals available to anyone in CAP, up to and including the National Commander and the BoG, that would cause me to set aside my integrity and not call someone on something that was obviously and clearly inappropriate.

So you're roasting me as failing to show "integrity."  Got it.  I'm not the one who initiated the practice.  Sorry, the alleged practice.  And therein lies the rub.

You did identify one key problem, but brushed by it.  I claim, without substantiation, that unwritten requirements are being added to PD that are well outside the regulations.  How does one substantiate the existence of unwritten policy in a complaint?  How would that play out?

Me:  Dear IG, [insert office] is refusing to process my PD award until I submit items far outside the scope of the award and not required by CAPR 50-17.  Pinky swear.  Totally.

IG:  You've claimed (without substantiation) that people are adding unwritten requirements to PD that are above and beyond the regulations.  That's a pretty serious allegation.  Do you have any documentation?

Me:  So you'd like a copy of the unwritten requirement? 

IG:  Yeah, that'd be great.

Me:  All I have is an unprocessed application that meets every written requirement.  How am I doing on preponderance of the evidence?

IG:  Not well.  You haven't proved that it's more likely than not (i.e., the "51% rule") that an unwritten policy exists.  At best, you've shown that someone is slow at processing your paperwork.  Thank you for playing.

A.  No sir I don't have any documentation....but my commander Capt X, said that the Maj Y at Wing HQ said I needed it.

It is the IG's job to investigate the allegation.

I know our IG process is not perfect......it too is broken in many ways.   But we have to TRY to use the system if we think our organization is broken.   Give it a good faith effort.....then you can start screaming to the high heavens about how it's all broken.

Again......you got two choices......either fight it.....or live with it.    If you live with it.....well there you go.   If you fight it....well maybe it will be better for the next guy.

[Phil Hirons, Jr.]

I think you're missing the point.

a)  You're afraid of "reprisals" if someone recognizes
b)  You've claimed (without substantiation) that people are adding requirements to PD that are above and beyond the regulations
c)  You've claimed that these violations of the regulations are clear and obvious

So, I have to ask, what are these reprisals that you fear that exceed your integrity?  Not getting a PD award which has almost no practical value, or not receiving a promotion (which again has approximately zero practical value)?  It's not like they can lock you up in prison for filing an IG complaint.

Just my opinion, but there is nothing within the realm of reprisals available to anyone in CAP, up to and including the National Commander and the BoG, that would cause me to set aside my integrity and not call someone on something that was obviously and clearly inappropriate.

So you're roasting me as failing to show "integrity."  Got it.  I'm not the one who initiated the practice.  Sorry, the alleged practice.  And therein lies the rub.

You did identify one key problem, but brushed by it.  I claim, without substantiation, that unwritten requirements are being added to PD that are well outside the regulations.  How does one substantiate the existence of unwritten policy in a complaint?  How would that play out?

Me:  Dear IG, [insert office] is refusing to process my PD award until I submit items far outside the scope of the award and not required by CAPR 50-17.  Pinky swear.  Totally.

IG:  You've claimed (without substantiation) that people are adding unwritten requirements to PD that are above and beyond the regulations.  That's a pretty serious allegation.  Do you have any documentation?

Me:  So you'd like a copy of the unwritten requirement? 

IG:  Yeah, that'd be great.

Me:  All I have is an unprocessed application that meets every written requirement.  How am I doing on preponderance of the evidence?

IG:  Not well.  You haven't proved that it's more likely than not (i.e., the "51% rule") that an unwritten policy exists.  At best, you've shown that someone is slow at processing your paperwork.  Thank you for playing.

A.  No sir I don't have any documentation....but my commander Capt X, said that the Maj Y at Wing HQ said I needed it.

It is the IG's job to investigate the allegation.

I know our IG process is not perfect......it too is broken in many ways.   But we have to TRY to use the system if we think our organization is broken.   Give it a good faith effort.....then you can start screaming to the high heavens about how it's all broken.

Again......you got two choices......either fight it.....or live with it.    If you live with it.....well there you go.   If you fight it....well maybe it will be better for the next guy.

Investigations are ideally the last resort as they involve JAs and CCs and loads of paper work. 

The discussion between the DPD and IG below would be considered an assist.

The purpose of assistance is to quickly resolve personal issues and allow the complainant to refocus on the assigned mission.

I like that description. No mess. Lots less paper.   Hopefully everyone is happy at the end.

[Storm Chaser]

The IG system should not be used until all appropriate echelons of the chain of command have been exhausted to resolve the issue. Too often, members file IG complaints on issues that the commander at that or the next echelon would have resolved if only they knew the issue existed. On the other hand, there are members that could legitimately file an IG complaint, but don't do so due to fear of reprisal. That should never be the case. The IG system is there to help, when everything else fails.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I have been told, and sincerely hope it's true, that the IG system has been "cleaned up" from what it was 15 years ago.

I saw good people use both the chain of command and the IG system during that "era" and saw good people either quit in frustration or be on the receiving end of a 2B if the one being investigated and the investigator were part of the Wing GOBN.

[Eclipse]

One thing that has definitely helped is technology.

It's much easier to duck, cover, defer and avoid, when you're still dealing with snail mail and voice calls
as your only means of communication.

Back then it could take  month just to figure out who the IG was, let alone getting any response.

Then you had to dig the regs our of your unit's closet, assuming they were updated, etc., etc.