Re: Tac Officers

[RiverAux]

As a final observation, I find it extremely odd that an officer of DNall's experience and longevity can not be put to some better use than as a flight level TAC officer.

I'd been thinking the same thing.  Why isn't he running it?

[Monty]

I don't really have a pony in this race, but I have found some of the points of view very counter to my own.

Consider a situation...

While dropping some equipment off at a neighboring squadron's activity on one Saturday morning (sidenote: I wasn't participating, but wanted to drop some stuff off for their use), some CAP 1st Lt Cadet Programs Officer spotted my civilian clothes-clad, baby-faced, junior-weight self.

"You there...dropping off the CAP radios?  Put those down for a second and get over here to help."

"Yes Sir, El-Tee" (perish the thought, I called a subordinate rank "sir') and went straight to the task.

I ended up moving about 14 pretty heavy boxes while several other able-bodied senior ranking cadets and quite a few other cadet programs officers sat their with a bulldog face, crossed arms, and contempt to do work that was beneath them or their self-perceived level of status in the "Air Force Auxiliary."

I had no problem doing it.  Aside from the fact that my USAF and CAP resume is for me to know and not them, as well as the fact that I'm above nothing or nobody in terms of what I can and can't do....I thought it was interesting.

Shoot, I guess I forgot to "gorilla beat" my chest, flash my credentials, pull pseudo-rank on these guys, and make them look like the fools they were.  "Meh, life's too short to fight people's egos," I thought.

For me, it's an upbringing thing...and upon the end of my AFROTC experience, a wise sage of a SMSgt reminded me that I'm not above anybody or anything, and to never rest on my laurels when tackling any situation where I'm needed - EVER.

"Remember where you've come from, and visit often."

Interesting how others' points of view - while not wrong, given the nature of a personal opinion - are very different from my own.

[RiverAux]

Pretty rude of the Lt. 

[PHall]

I don't really have a pony in this race, but I have found some of the points of view very counter to my own.

Consider a situation...

While dropping some equipment off at a neighboring squadron's activity on one Saturday morning (sidenote: I wasn't participating, but wanted to drop some stuff off for their use), some CAP 1st Lt Cadet Programs Officer spotted my civilian clothes-clad, baby-faced, junior-weight self.

"You there...dropping off the CAP radios?  Put those down for a second and get over here to help."

"Yes Sir, El-Tee" (perish the thought, I called a subordinate rank "sir') and went straight to the task.

I ended up moving about 14 pretty heavy boxes while several other able-bodied senior ranking cadets and quite a few other cadet programs officers sat their with a bulldog face, crossed arms, and contempt to do work that was beneath them or their self-perceived level of status in the "Air Force Auxiliary."

I had no problem doing it.  Aside from the fact that my USAF and CAP resume is for me to know and not them, as well as the fact that I'm above nothing or nobody in terms of what I can and can't do....I thought it was interesting.

Shoot, I guess I forgot to "gorilla beat" my chest, flash my credentials, pull pseudo-rank on these guys, and make them look like the fools they were.  "Meh, life's too short to fight people's egos," I thought.

For me, it's an upbringing thing...and upon the end of my AFROTC experience, a wise sage of a SMSgt reminded me that I'm not above anybody or anything, and to never rest on my laurels when tackling any situation where I'm needed - EVER.

"Remember where you've come from, and visit often."

Interesting how others' points of view - while not wrong, given the nature of a personal opinion - are very different from my own.

Monty, you're just too nice of a guy!  I would have pointed out the slackers and asked "what's wrong with them, they hurt or something". Probably would have still helped the poor guy, but the slackers would have either been shamed into helping or they would have left.

[Monty]

I don't really have a pony in this race, but I have found some of the points of view very counter to my own.

Consider a situation...

While dropping some equipment off at a neighboring squadron's activity on one Saturday morning (sidenote: I wasn't participating, but wanted to drop some stuff off for their use), some CAP 1st Lt Cadet Programs Officer spotted my civilian clothes-clad, baby-faced, junior-weight self.

"You there...dropping off the CAP radios?  Put those down for a second and get over here to help."

"Yes Sir, El-Tee" (perish the thought, I called a subordinate rank "sir') and went straight to the task.

I ended up moving about 14 pretty heavy boxes while several other able-bodied senior ranking cadets and quite a few other cadet programs officers sat their with a bulldog face, crossed arms, and contempt to do work that was beneath them or their self-perceived level of status in the "Air Force Auxiliary."

I had no problem doing it.  Aside from the fact that my USAF and CAP resume is for me to know and not them, as well as the fact that I'm above nothing or nobody in terms of what I can and can't do....I thought it was interesting.

Shoot, I guess I forgot to "gorilla beat" my chest, flash my credentials, pull pseudo-rank on these guys, and make them look like the fools they were.  "Meh, life's too short to fight people's egos," I thought.

For me, it's an upbringing thing...and upon the end of my AFROTC experience, a wise sage of a SMSgt reminded me that I'm not above anybody or anything, and to never rest on my laurels when tackling any situation where I'm needed - EVER.

"Remember where you've come from, and visit often."

Interesting how others' points of view - while not wrong, given the nature of a personal opinion - are very different from my own.

Monty, you're just too nice of a guy!  I would have pointed out the slackers and asked "what's wrong with them, they hurt or something". Probably would have still helped the poor guy, but the slackers would have either been shamed into helping or they would have left.

Well, I appreciate the sentiment...

But, FWIW, I think one of my cadets who did attend the event clued them in after the fact.  Maybe the guys felt like the fools they were...and maybe they didn't.  It didn't matter to me; I was long gone with my "juvenile" self, at home watching my Saturday morning cartoons...'cause that's what we "children" apparently do when not moving boxes for a few narcissists.

[Ned]

As a final observation, I find it extremely odd that an officer of DNall's experience and longevity can not be put to some better use than as a flight level TAC officer.

Strong non-concur.

As a veteran of over 30 encampments, I can think of no better position for an experienced CP officer than as a flight TAC.

The year after I served as the CAWG encampment commander, I was happy to serve as a "mere" flight TAC.

Ditto for the year after I served as commandant.

When I was the CAWG DCP, I was lucky to serve as a flight TAC.

Flight TAC is THE best CP job at encampment, bar none.  I hope to serve as a flight tac again.

Sure, you can spin the position description and slanderously call it "babysitting."

Just like every teacher and parent in the world.  And sometimes teachers and parents do little more than a mere babysitter.

But sometimes teachers (and flight TACS) mentor their charges and touch them in ways that profoundly affect the student, and make a real difference in their future.

You, me, and DNall should be so lucky.

Ned Lee
Director of Cadet Programs, Pacific Region

[CadetProgramGuy]

Having the benefit of a caouple of encampments under my belt, and planning on a NCSA this year, I have served as a TAC and as a COC of a basic Encampment.

I am planning on being a TAC for the NSCA...  Why?

Because I had much more fun as a TAC than as the COC.  I spent more time in the office as the COC, I missed ALOT of the encampment doing emcampment paperwork, certificate signing, helping with admin, ect....

Give you some advice?  Be a TAC......

[DNall]

As a final observation, I find it extremely odd that an officer of DNall's experience and longevity can not be put to some better use than as a flight level TAC officer.

I'd been thinking the same thing.  Why isn't he running it?

I appreciate that sentiment. The current encampment commander is the former Wg CC that stepped down just in the last year, and he's doing a good job from what I've seen.

I like that we are going with the smaller flights for a couple reasons. First, we had more adults apply for staff than we could accept. This way we can get more of them experience at TAC, with quality supervisors/mentors, and still not overburden them - ie give them less to mess up. Secondly, the smaller span of control gives better opportunity to engage each basic cadet in driving the standard for the individual experience.

That said... I am not a babysitter, a parent figure to other people's kids, or a school teacher, nor do I have any desire to be anything of the sort. I do not believe a TAC should be engaged with basic cadets. I do believe a TAC should be highly engaged with cadet line staff & applying leadership on a relatively constant basis, albeit in a way that'd be almost invisible to basic cadets.

...Interesting how others' points of view - while not wrong, given the nature of a personal opinion - are very different from my own.

I appreciate your position. I would caution however not to interpret my view as an overabundance of pride. The issue is not that I'm too good to be a TAC. Again, I asked to be a flight TAC. I agree with the reasons we're going with small flights. It just happens that the situation is not as fulfilling nor does it provide a challenge against which I can further develop as an officer.

Remember now, this is not jumping out of the truck & helping out. This is my primary specialty. And not only that, since the guard now monopolizes most of my time, all I do in CAP is a half dozen events per year - no mtgs, no missions, nothing else - so there is no other opportunity for me to better myself, which is a primary responsibility of officership. I'm disappointed it couldn't work out for a more productive experience.

[Stonewall]

I've been a tac and I've been commandant.  Me, I'd rather be the guy setting up and coordinating the activities or a tac officer.

As a tac, I felt that I adjusted accordingly and while I didn't lead the flight, I offered guidance, encouragement, a watchful eye of the 2 cadet leaders and in some cases stepped in to make a few corrections, on the side of course.  I enjoyed running PT with the flight and being in the background to watch them evolve.  The year I was a tac I got the AFA Senior Member of Encampment.

I'd be a tac again and I'd be encampment commander.  But it seems like too many people need that position who probably shouldn't be in that position.  I'd rather have a guy running the show that was selected and had to almost be persuaded than the young 30-something major who just_has_to_be_encampment_commander.

And no, I'm not saying anyone here who has posted regarding this topic is the latter.

[DNall]

Concur there. I don't have anything like that kind of time, but if I did, it'd still be one of those things (like wing CC) to walk the other way on. There's a degree of politics in such things that I have no desire to toy with.

[Slim]

I'd rather have a guy running the show that was selected and had to almost be persuaded than the young 30-something major who just_has_to_be_encampment_commander.

And no, I'm not saying anyone here who has posted regarding this topic is the latter.

I didn't post in this thread, but I am a 30-something (38 in a couple of weeks, actually) major who is an encampment commander.  And it represents the culmination of sixteen years of hard work to get here.

Would I have been disappointed if I didn't get it?  Yeah, in all honesty, I would.  But that's only because I spent a lot of years taking one for the team and doing the not-so-glamorous jobs to get here.

My favorite encampment position?  Training officer, the guy who really makes things happen.  Think I did that job for about six years, and just had a ball with it.  XO was ok, but I really enjoyed being the commandant and vice commander.  Not because the cadet's eyes would pop out of their heads when I would pick a table to sit down and have lunch with, but when they realized that the big cheese isn't too big to sit down and talk to them.

[Stonewall]

Come on, Chris, you know I wasn't talking to you. 

I've seen several folks in more than a couple wings that had to be encampment commander or it was nothing at all.  And I'm not talking the mature 37.8 year old, I'm talking about the guy that still thinks he's a cadet.  I'm 35 and would be encampment commander if circumstances in my life were a little different (child, back surgery, no more leave, possible deployment with ANG, etc).  But when  being encampment CC trumps someone's personal life and they'd either give up a job, miss a school semester, or fake an injury to be encampment CC rather than go to their ARNG 2-week training requirement, that's just lame.

I've got a story that made me think of this but I won't share it here.

[Slim]

Come on, Chris, you know I wasn't talking to you. 

I've seen several folks in more than a couple wings that had to be encampment commander or it was nothing at all.  And I'm not talking the mature 37.8 year old, I'm talking about the guy that still thinks he's a cadet.  I'm 35 and would be encampment commander if circumstances in my life were a little different (child, back surgery, no more leave, possible deployment with ANG, etc).  But when  being encampment CC trumps someone's personal life and they'd either give up a job, miss a school semester, or fake an injury to be encampment CC rather than go to their ARNG 2-week training requirement, that's just lame.

I've got a story that made me think of this but I won't share it here.

We're straight, bro . 

Being an ENC/CC has been one of my long time ambitions, but not for the glory or any of the other BS.  I want to be the commander standing on the reviewing stand at the end of the week with tears in my eyes, while watching MY cadets perform a flawless pass in review.

In all seriousness, my goal was almost taken from me last year, due to political wrangling by others.  Yeah, I was pretty disappointed, almost walked out on the commander the morning of our cadet staff selection (which is when they told me), and gave up on the idea.  I sometimes think the fact that I sucked it up, soldiered on, and did a good job changed a few minds.