Cadets who just can't seem to get it

[TheSkyHornet]

We've all been there when we see those few cadets who just can't seem to figure out what they're doing wrong, no matter how many times they're told.

Commonly, I've seen newer cadets who have turned themselves into Michael Jackson when it comes to facing movements or saluting. We had a cadet at my own squadron who couldn't drop a salute properly, and with do some weird arch movement with his arm. A senior cadet even when to the extent of trying to teach him how to salute while holding his arm, and it would be perfect, but when he was turned loose to do it on his own, he was never able to maintain the proper, snapping, straight up-and-down movement. Similarly, another squadron I hang around has a problem with cadets who can't seem to do facing movements without using the weight of their body to spin them around. Slow motion, holding them still during instruction, real-time, it's perfect.  But you put them into a formation, and the ballerina within them comes out. Their CDC told me he even pulled one of the lads aside and tried to work one-on-one as a prior service guy who really has his drill down, and he had to give up after a couple of tries as the situation seemed to get nowhere. He said to me he doesn't know what to do at this point other than to hopefully have it figured out by the time he goes off to encampment. A lot of senior cadet NCOs and officers seem to get frustrated at this issue, which we see in many squadrons time and time again.

Then there are those cadets that, no matter how many times you try to explain it, demonstrate it, and physically assist them, they can't get their uniform squared away. I mean some serious Private Pyle stuff, and that's not to be mean, but you look at the same person again and again and think "How do they not have this down by now?" I have one of my own cadets who, granted, is new, but she has a crushed in cover every time she puts it on. Every meeting, we have to fix it. I've paired her with other cadets to help her get her uniform together, but there's always something off, even if it's a mismatched button on her BDUs. Likewise, I've seen cadets in other squadrons who can't figure out how to get their trousers tucked into their boots. You see that one pant leg tucker in semi-decent, and the other not tucked in at all and down to their ankle over the boot. It's almost stuff you would look at and think "This really isn't that difficult. This is training day 101."

I don't think it's bad habits that were picked up or even improper instruction, but you get those few oddballs who just never seem to be able to understand what it is their doing, even if you record a video of them and play it back. It's not to say they aren't "cut out" for CAP, because anything can be taught. But how the heck do you remedy what you have to fix every single meeting over and over?

We can't go the extent of getting nasty about it, especially as adults working with kids. But even still, I see the 15-year-old and 16-year-old cadets running the show starting to lose their cool and cross that line where I have to step in and tell them to chill out. I've seen groups of cadets and seniors completely lose bearing and bust up laughing at some of the stuff you witness. I, myself, have had to walk away biting my lip because I've been extraordinarily impressed at how bad something looked. You don't want anyone to feel bad about themselves, but there are times when you hear someone mutter "What the dash-dash-dash-word just happened?"

I'm really at a loss for words at times. And I look at some cadets and say "I can't recommend that this person go to encampment because they're going to have a very bad time if they don't get this resolved first." I don't want to deter anyone either, but two months, three months, even longer...that's more than enough time to know how to turn left and right, tuck in your pants, and button your top.

[vorteks]

I'm really at a loss for words at times.

I find that very hard to believe.

[TheSkyHornet]

I'm really at a loss for words at times.

I find that very hard to believe.

In person, yes. On a message board....NEVER! 

[Luis R. Ramos]

By Sky

Likewise, I've seen cadets in other squadrons who can't figure out how to get their trousers tucked into their boots. You see that one pant leg tucker in semi-decent, and the other not tucked in at all and down to their ankle over the boot. It's almost stuff you would look at and think "This really isn't that difficult. This is training day 101."

You realize tucking it in now is optional (CAPM 39-1 5.1.1.5. Trousers). It was not allowed in the previous version of CAPM 39-1.  So how do you get to have both bloused, or both tucked in? I do not now... Get her a hundred blousing band pairs???

[Holding Pattern]

Start building customized checklists for cadets that repeatedly fubar things. Laminate them on pocket sized cards. Have the cadets review them for 5 minutes before each opening formation.

[TheSkyHornet]

Start building customized checklists for cadets that repeatedly fubar things. Laminate them on pocket sized cards. Have the cadets review them for 5 minutes before each opening formation.

I think what may be able to run off of this is doing a quick inspection by element leaders/flight sergeants prior to even opening the meeting. Normally, it seems that meetings start, and then the cadets do their thing with forming up in another area and proceeding to conduct uniform inspections. Perhaps this could be an added checklist item for the cadets at the lower levels of responsibility to step up and fix it before the meeting even begins.

By Sky

Likewise, I've seen cadets in other squadrons who can't figure out how to get their trousers tucked into their boots. You see that one pant leg tucker in semi-decent, and the other not tucked in at all and down to their ankle over the boot. It's almost stuff you would look at and think "This really isn't that difficult. This is training day 101."

You realize tucking it in now is optional. It was not allowed in the previous version of CAPM 39-1.  So how do you get to have both bloused, or both tucked in? I do not now... Get him (these are male cadets in this case) a hundred blousing band pairs

Haha. I don't think it's even a matter of the pants coming out. They literally have one tucked in, and one not tucked in. I also find some cadets may have one boot tied and one untied. Picture a kid rolling out of bed and running to a meeting half-dressed. That's what it looks like.

I'm a big fan of top-down leading by example. And I have seen higher-ranking seniors (CC's, DC's) who are just as bad sometimes. It sets a terrible example.

If I had the ability to say how I felt in-person when I saw some of these issues, it would probably explain why we have certain rules on the way we can express our concerns with limitations. And that's a nice way of putting it. At what point do you tell someone to stand off to the side and fix themselves before they continue to participate? The last thing I need is a phone call from a parent asking why their kid was treated that way. Personally, I think we're too soft in some circumstances, and we're always running the risk of "being mean," whether it's seniors or cadets.