Taking Promotion Tests/Requirements at Other Squadrons?

[DakRadz]

So for one of the weeks next month (July) when I'll be finalizing everything for my Mitchell, I will be approximately 2000 miles from the home squadron. So my question is this- would I be able to count Character Development, CPFT, or written tests towards my Mitchell if they were performed at another squadron?

I'm not sure which I'd need to do, as encampment is throwing my squadron's schedule off, and I'd have to comply with the CAWG squadron I'd be visiting, and their activity that meeting.

I'm three months behind already: one because of my own slack (which I corrected, but then...), one because of unavoidable circumstances, and one because of weather (apparently Georgia doesn't have a lot of snow, so people aren't real big on driving in it).

I have multiple reasons for keeping this promotion on track, namely: being the proper rank for my position in the cadet side of our squadron (we've been told to remove all staff but a 1st Sgt., Flt/CC, and Flt/Sgt. unless we have cadet officers), and college/scholarship purposes. It's nothing to do with power, being saluted, etc. I think my reasons are fairly sound.

So tell me which parts I could/couldn't do, in your opinion.

[SarDragon]

PM me. I have contacts in all three cadet units in the San Diego area.

[NC Hokie]

Step number one would be to have your squadron commander sign off on this.  Once that's accomplished, talk to the people SarDragon puts you into contact with and work from there.

Good Luck!

[DakRadz]

Oh, LTC will definitely be informed of this, right after the DCC- Chain of Command, you know 

I like to be prepared, so I thought I'd see what others thought of this, if there is a precedent, or even if there's a reg towards which I would be guided. Then I wouldn't just go to my officers asking them to do for me.
I know our Col. has expressed he wouldn't have a problem with this sort of thing, but this is the Mitchell Award's parts and pieces, so perhaps a little different.

[capchiro]

I would see nothing wrong with it, as long as it's on the up and up from your end..  I have done like-wise for my cadets and others..  However, if I feel that a cadet is trying to pull a fast one.. then it's POW, right to the moon.  You do realize that the speech and essay are part of the Mitchell and I am finding some cadets are having an impossible time doing them.. If I had a cadet that was having a hard time doing that, I would not want them testing elsewhere..  I think it would be good if you had the testing squadron mail the info or call your CO and let your CO sign off for your stuff..

[DakRadz]

HOW TO BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR PROMOTION


1.   Pre-Requisite:  Be a current CAP cadet, as shown in E-Services.

2.   Leadership:  Pass a comprehensive leadership exam, with a grade of 80% or higher, closed-book. 

3.   Aerospace:   Pass a comprehensive Aerospace Education exam, with a grade of 80% or higher, closed-book.

4.   Character:   No requirement

5.   Activities:   Attend a cadet encampment

6.   Fitness: Too large to include

The speech is part of the Armstrong, sir, right before the Mitchell. I think it's clever that CAP has the hardest (IMHO) part of the program to *get* to officer rank, as part of an enlisted achievement.
The Mitchell itself is two (2) comprehensive tests [leadership and aerospace], as well as CPFT and Character Development (you must have an encampment; if you have one, you don't have to worry about CD at the squadron meeting level)- looked at the Stripes to Diamonds page. No CD requirement, so I'm golden there. I'm going to encampment right before, so I'm golden there. I would only need to do CPFT, and that's a possible. I may be good to go, actually, and not have to do anything off of homebase.

I meet requirement 1 already- Check
2 and 3 can be done in one night at the home squadron
4? Well.. Done.
5 will be done before my trip
6 is the only possible event to look into for me.

Definitely going to a CAWG squadron, just for the weekly CAP dose. I appreciate all the help!

[DakRadz]

My apologies for the category placement- I saw promotions listed under Membership, so I went with that. I did attempt to place properly  :angel:

[capchiro]

You are so right about the speech and essay being prior to the MItchell.  I guess I just think of them as being together because of the way they are set up.  It is a fairly hard requirement if someone has very little grammar, etc, skills.  I think the next hardest part is the SDA's as the guidelines are not too straightforward and a lot of CO's don't have experience with them.  Good luck..

[Майор Хаткевич]

I really wouldn't worry about delaying the promotion by a week or two. Have fun, visit the unit after asking the commander, but loosing a week from minimum time won't kill you. Took me 3 years to get my Mitchell and 1 year after that to get my Earhart.

Also, the hard part of the program is the SDA. Why? I don't know, and it's not, but that's the stumbling block that leads 15% of cadet to get the Mitchell and only 5% to get the Earhart.

[SarDragon]

And just think, SDAs have better guidance now than we ever thought of having when they were instituted. That's how I got stalled at Mitchell.

[a2capt]

Is it a hard schedule issue at the home unit? Before adopting 52-16's recommended schedule we had where each week of the month was a specific activity and that meant if you failed your test, you had to wait until the month after from that point, to do it again. Testing was offered on the 2nd week, boards were done on the 3rd week, PT was the 4th week, and promotions/awards were done the 1st week. Typically one half to 3/4ths of the meeting time were dedicated to these items.

With the fluidness of 52-16's guidelines cadets can advance at a more natural pace and it does work much better over all.

[DakRadz]

Like I said, I was just asking for pointers. I'm not necessarily needing to do this, especially after my own careful review of the Mitchell requirements.

We have encampment 27 JUN-3 JUL, which means the next CAP meeting is on a 4th of July weekend-type deal, not many people around. So that meeting is a planning session for staff. The second Tuesday is the one which I will be en absentia.
Because of the first meeting being, for all intents and purposes, cancelled, I have no idea how July's schedule is actually playing out. I will know this by next Tuesday, but better to prepare for all eventualities, eh?

My scholarships for college are coming up due soon, so that's part of my motivation for getting it done timely. Plus, who doesn't honestly want to earn something ASAP (the P stands for Proper in this case) when they've worked hard at it? YMMV.

[Cecil DP]

Just because there's no meeting doesn't mean that you can't arrange with your CC, DCC, and or Testing Officer to take the test at a time convenient to all. Also the on-line testing starts 1 July.

[DakRadz]

Just because there's no meeting doesn't mean that you can't arrange with your CC, DCC, and or Testing Officer to take the test at a time convenient to all. Also the on-line testing starts 1 July.

Tests, as it turns out, won't be a problem. CPFT is the only one I'm unclear about. The way our schedule is being rearranged (lastI heard, nothing was decided 100%), it looks like I may miss Character Development, but that won't matter.

>>> Now on the online testing, I don't want to disregard my entire last year of studying- the material in the current (being phased-out) program compliments my JROTC leadership subjects very well- I have a pretty strong grasp on it. Otherwise I'll have 2-3 weeks to learn an entirely new curriculum. Okay, more like 3-4 because I can start now with the online PDFs. But still, that's pretty extreme to me. Better to just finish up the old program while I can.<<<

If all I miss during my trip is CD, then I have absolutely no worries. I may even get with my DCC and take the CPFT before/after my trip- go to a meeting an hour early, get the CPFT done, participate in the normal activity. Since I'm not doing this because I failed a CPFT or because I want a break from CAP, I think this would be the acceptable method if necessary.

EDIT: I just realized that Cecil DP suggested the very path I was looking to take, I was thinking paper tests, but that works for CPFT as well. Credit where credit is due. Also my most likely course of action. Thanks everyone!

[NC Hokie]

Also the on-line testing starts 1 July.

Which won't be an issue in this case, as milestone tests will still be done on paper at the local squadron.

[DakRadz]

Also the on-line testing starts 1 July.

Which won't be an issue in this case, as milestone tests will still be done on paper at the local squadron.

Even if they were online, see above post. Look for the >>>    <<<

[NC Hokie]

Also the on-line testing starts 1 July.

Which won't be an issue in this case, as milestone tests will still be done on paper at the local squadron.

Even if they were online, see above post. Look for the >>>    <<<

Eh, it's summer.  You have plenty of time to learn all the new material.

[DakRadz]

Also the on-line testing starts 1 July.

Which won't be an issue in this case, as milestone tests will still be done on paper at the local squadron.

Even if they were online, see above post. Look for the >>>    <<<

Eh, it's summer.  You have plenty of time to learn all the new material.

I'm sure you're really a great guy, sir, but I'm glad you aren't my DCC...

[NC Hokie]

I'm glad that you took my statement in the light-hearted manner it was intended, DakRadz.

On a more serious note, I really wish that we didn't have to deal with dual (or is it dueling?) leadership texts, but I think NHQ got it right in allowing each cadet to choose how he/she wanted to deal with the new material.

[a2capt]

Well, there really wasn't any other way than 'dueling' leadership texts given that not every cadet may have access online, or every unit and those that are close-ish to those milestones shouldn't get royally penalized just because the whole curriculum changed.

But it is headed in the right direction.

[Cecil DP]

You don't have to learn the new curricula, unless you joined (or received your books after 1 July),. Otherwise eyou stay in the Leadership 2000 cohort.