National Commander's Suspension Coming to an end Sunday

[Skyray]

This Pineda thread is starting to remind me of the coverage given to Brittney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.

In fact, doesn't Pineda live in the same area as O.J. Simpson?  Coincidence?  I think not!

Naw, O.J. lives way down by me.  Pineda lives way up in Broward.

Lindsay and Brittany only party here.

[jimmydeanno]

Regardless of the actions before hand, IMO, the BoG had enough justification to do what they did when he sent out that insubordinate letter to the entire membership.  Regardless of whether or not he is or isn't "innocent" of what he was accused of for the suspension in the first place, those actions, IMO, are what sealed his fate.

[biZarre]

Talk about efficiency....

I just took the ITO Tech test (for fun dontchaknow!)  The completion certificate for the test already shows Brig Gen Courter as Interim National Commander.

Spiffy!

[Pylon]

Talk about efficiency....

I just took the ITO Tech test (for fun dontchaknow!)  The completion certificate for the test already shows Brig Gen Courter as Interim National Commander.

Spiffy!

Yeah, it appears that NHQ made changes almost across the board.  Certificates were changed.  cap.gov homepage and about pages and welcome messages changed.  NationalCommander.com website completely pulled down.  CAPchannel.com site changed.  They moved quickly. 

[JohnKachenmeister]

This Pineda thread is starting to remind me of the coverage given to Brittney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.

In fact, doesn't Pineda live in the same area as O.J. Simpson?  Coincidence?  I think not!

Naw, O.J. lives way down by me.  Pineda lives way up in Broward.

Lindsay and Brittany only party here.

I suppose if you live down there in "North Cuba" you are laboring under the delusion that Dade and Broward counties are two different places.

[floridacyclist]

From this far off, it's ALL Miami

[Nomex Maximus]

And we made AVWEB:

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/CivilAirPatrolCommander_TonyPineda_Fired_196279-1.html

Another shot in the arm for our recruiting efforts!

[Smokey]

It's also on Military.com

[JohnKachenmeister]

The story hit the Air Force Magazine daily report, except they spelled General Courter's name as "Coulter."

How come Air Force Magazine only uses CAP rank when we screw up?

[DogCollar]

For those of us who work closely with the cadets, I would want to encourage you to use this time to provide them with good, accurate information, explaining the processes CAP used in coming to this action, and offering assurance that the organization has good people in all levels of leadership (even if you don't fully believe it, I think it is the right thing to communicate to the cadets.)

[RiverAux]

I wonder what myths are going to grow up around this episode over the years?  We still hear multiple versions of stories about why our epalets went to maroon and about various other issues involving former national commanders.  

[Grumpy]

Well, here's the AF Times web site:

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/10/ap_pineda_071003/

[ZigZag911]

But who would appoint the NB Representative?

I can think of several ways:

1) election as previous poster suggested....not necessarily my preference, rather too much like CG Aux for my taste, but it might have some benefits (though politicking would become even more widespread!)

2) a selection board could be formed in each region to periodically 'rank' candidates or applicants from the various wings....when a term expired or opening otherwise occurred, sitting wing CC could select from top three on his wing's list

3) immediate past wing CC could automatically get the post on satisfactory completion of term of command (there would need to be provisions for alternate selection if this was the main method use).

I'm sure there are other sensible ways to accomplish this, just don't occur to me right now!

[Skyray]

The major difference in the Coast Guard Auxiliary is not the elective process.  High level politics is just as bad in the Auxiliary as it is here.  The big difference is that no Auxiliarist can terminate another Auxiliarist.  To get rid of someone, you have to convince a relatively high rank active duty Coast Guard officer that the cost benefit analysis weighs toward termination.  The Coast Guard pretty much doesn't care if he is in the way of your ambition, as long as he is productive and not disruptive.

[RiverAux]

The elective process makes things work better at the local level for sure in the CG Aux.  There is a better turnover of local leaders and they get chosen more or less for their abilities not how they are liked by someone higher up in the organization. 

[Skyray]

The elective process makes things work better at the local level for sure in the CG Aux.  There is a better turnover of local leaders and they get chosen more or less for their abilities not how they are liked by someone higher up in the organization. 

Very good point.  The one year term of office with the two term limit helps, too.  The major problem with those qualities is that when you visit an older established flotilla, almost everyone you see (including me) is wearing past Flotilla Commander shoulder boards.

[SDF_Specialist]

Got this off NOTF's myspace.


In an interview with Associated Press reporter Phillip Rawls, former CAP Maj. Gen. Tony Pineda, the Civil Air Patrol's ousted national commander, was quoted as saying: "I came to this country without even speaking English and I leave this place a major general. That's something no one can take from me."
And, in reply to a request for an interview from Phil Blansett, the News of the Force Nashville, Tenn., bureau chief, Pineda wrote: "Do not send me any more e-mails. This is the fifth time, you idiot!"
The Civil Air Patrol is the volunteer, civilian Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, but their officers are not commissioned officers of either the U.S. Air Force or the military. Pineda apparently doesn't understand that he was never a "real" major general.
The Civil Air Patrol has removed its national commander after investigating complaints that another patrol member took Air Force tests for him.
Pineda denied that anyone took tests for him, and said yesterday that he never got to tell his side to the CAP's Board of Governors. "After being a volunteer in this organization for 20 years, this is how they pay me back," he told The Associated Press in a phone interview.
Pineda was suspended two months ago after another CAP member said he took tests for Pineda for the U.S. Air Force's Air Command and Staff College in 2002 and 2003. The disputed tests were for six courses with topics including national security, strategy and war, and leadership and command.
Pineda was replaced by the volunteer organization's first female leader, Brig. Gen. Amy S. Courter, of South Lyon, Mich. Courter, a board member, said the CAP inspector general's findings about the tests prompted the decision Tuesday night to change leadership. Although Pineda did not appear before the board, his denials were included in the inspector general's report, she said.
Pineda is a retired law enforcement officer from Plantation, Fla, who was a special agent of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
The investigation began after Lt. Col. Raymond Hayden of Tamarac, Fla., complained in December 2006 to the Tampa, Fla.-based online military e-zine News of the Force that Pineda had assigned him to take the tests.
Hayden, who is no longer active in CAP, said he spent three hours with investigators and was not surprised by Pineda's removal because it wasn't a case of one person's word against another's. "There had been other people who knew," he said.
Courter, 45, will serve as interim commander until the CAP's National Board meets in August 2008 to select a commander. She said she plans to seek that position.
Immediately after News of the Force first broke the story of the firing of Pineda, the story was picked up and run by no less than 59 national news outlets.

[Eclipse]

NOTF MYSPACE?!?!?!

Ok, now you guys have hit rock bottom.

[flyguy06]

Why are people making a big deal about The new CAP CC being the first female Commander of Civil Air Patrol, but no one made a big deal about the former commander being the first minority Commander of Civil Air PAtrol.

Another question: They stripped him of his rank? What does that mean exactly? its not like he was getting paid as a Maj Gen. He can still wear his uniform if he bought it. What is CAP gonna do. Arrest him if they catch him wearing his stars?

My former Squadron Commander who left CAP in 1992 still wears that ugly smurf looking flight suit with his rank and other "CAP" paraphanelia. I cant just tell him to take it off. He paid for it. It wasnt issued to him.

[Skyray]

I had a big "Scrolling" sign the first time I saw Eclipse's post.

On another subject, it is actually against the law to wear a CAP uniform if you are not in CAP.  I never heard of anyone being busted on it, and if Tony wants to wear his TPU, I say let him.