Duty Performance Promotion Blues

[RNOfficer]

I would like to ask about anyone's experience with "Duty Performance Promotion".

I'm a Nurse Officer, a Major. I've got time-in-grade that makes me eligible for a Duty Performance Promotion to Lt Col.

This would be a promotion without completing the Paul E. Garber Award. In fact, because the Garber Award requires Master rating in a specialty and Nurse Officers have no rating, I'm not eligible for the Garber Award unless I develop another specialty and rise to Master.

I've been performing my duties in an exemplary manner (I think) which should make me eligible to Lt Col. However, I have heard, informally, that Duty Performance Promotions  are rarely granted because of resentment applying for the promotion without earning the Garber Award.

Anyone have any actual experience with this? Any Commanders willing to discuss it?

[RiverAux]

It looks like the reg would back you up on this although the citation that professional development isn't necessary for health services folks is in the professional appointment section rather than the duty performance section of 35-5. 

Personally, I think allowing such promotions without going through the PD program is a mistake, but CAP allows it. 

However, if I was a commander a health service person would have to REALLY be exemplary before I'd promote them to Lt. Col..  And the regs would give me the leeway to make that call.  I'd want to see them running group or wing level programs that would be the equivalent of Masters level work in one of the PD programs. 

[cap235629]

what is a "Nurse Officer". There is no such animal in CAP

[tmurphy]

From my understanding it is the title one gets when you take on HSO, but when you're a nurse the title is called Nurse Officer. Similar to if a doctor takes on the HSO track and gets the title Medical Officer. Everyone else in the health service scope is simply called an HSO.

Edit: Found it under CAPR 160-1, Section D, Paragraph 8

[Eclipse]

I've been performing my duties in an exemplary manner (I think) which should make me eligible to Lt Col. However, I have heard, informally, that Duty Performance Promotions  are rarely granted because of resentment applying for the promotion without earning the Garber Award.

Advanced promotions based on professional skills still require that you catch up your professional development before being promoted to the next level.  The regs are clear that it is not just time in grade after the initial promotion.

It isn't resentment, it is the way the program is run, and for good reason.

See 160-1 & 35-5 for more details:
"SECTION D – QUALIFICATIONS OF HEALTH SERVICE PERSONNEL
8. Appointment standards for health service personnel. Any health professional or technician may qualify for a health service appointment in CAP, provided that proof of current unrestricted licensure, registration, or certification, where such is required by law or regulation, is furnished. (See the attached listing of specific disciplines). Only physician categories will have the title of "medical officer." Only nurse categories will have the title "nurse officer." All others will be known as "health service officers."

9. Members in any of the foregoing health disciplines may serve as a unit's health service program officer. If a unit has more than one health professional assigned, the most senior in terms of level of education and training should be the designated health service program officer and any others as his/her assistants.

10. Initial Appointment and Promotion: CAPR 35-5 prescribes appointment and promotion procedures for health service personnel.

The three levels technician, senior and master currently do not apply to medical or legal officers. They are covered under separate provisions of CAPR 35-5. Essentially after completing Level I, medical officers qualify for appointment as a Captain and after a year in grade promotion to Major. After that duty performance promotion requirements apply. "

[jimmydeanno]

I think the kicker is that there isn't a master rating option for hsos...

[RNOfficer]

I've been performing my duties in an exemplary manner (I think) which should make me eligible to Lt Col. However, I have heard, informally, that Duty Performance Promotions  are rarely granted because of resentment applying for the promotion without earning the Garber Award.

Advanced promotions based on professional skills still require that you catch up your professional development before being promoted to the next level.  The regs are clear that it is not just time in grade after the initial promotion.

It isn't resentment, it is the way the program is run, and for good reason.

No, you are completely mistaken. Professional Development is not required for HSO.

CAPR 35-5

5-2. Training Requirements. Professional personnel must complete Level I prior to
appointment to CAP officer grade. Health Service personnel, legal officers, professional
educators serving as aerospace education officers and financial professionals serving as finance
officers are exempt from all other training requirements prescribed for promotion to additional
grades.

As the Regulation explicitly states, HSO are exempt from all other training requirements  All, of course, includes the Garber Award.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

what is a "Nurse Officer". There is no such animal in CAP

RN Officer is a Registered Nurse.

In the Army, Navy, Air Force and U.S. Public Health Service, Registered Nurses are Officers.

[BillB]

Since Region is the approval authority for LtCol send in the form 2 citing 35-2, 5, 2 and see what happens. If Region knows the regulation, there should be no problem. This situation is probably new and Region will have to check the regulations.

[RiverAux]

Seems to me that we've got two conflicting regulations here.  35-5 says no PD requirements at all while 160-1 says PD is necessary to get promoted to Lt. Col., though not for below that. 

[ßτε]

Seems to me that we've got two conflicting regulations here.  35-5 says no PD requirements at all while 160-1 says PD is necessary to get promoted to Lt. Col., though not for below that.

Can you show where in CAPR 160-1 it says PD is necessary to get promoted to Lt Col?
I cannot find it.

[RiverAux]

See the quote in Eclipse's post above. 

[ßτε]

See the quote in Eclipse's post above.

If you are referring to

The three levels technician, senior and master currently do not apply to medical or legal officers. They are covered under separate provisions of CAPR 35-5. Essentially after completing Level I, medical officers qualify for appointment as a Captain and after a year in grade promotion to Major. After that duty performance promotion requirements apply. "

it is not in CAPR 160-1.

[RiverAux]

My mistake.  I thought he was quoting from it.  But, if he is quoting from 35-5 then that reg appears to be conflicting with itself. 

[ßτε]

I don't know where that part of the quote is from, but it is not part of CAPR 35-5 either.

[flyboy53]

I've been performing my duties in an exemplary manner (I think) which should make me eligible to Lt Col. However, I have heard, informally, that Duty Performance Promotions  are rarely granted because of resentment applying for the promotion without earning the Garber Award.

Advanced promotions based on professional skills still require that you catch up your professional development before being promoted to the next level.  The regs are clear that it is not just time in grade after the initial promotion.

It isn't resentment, it is the way the program is run, and for good reason.

See 160-1 & 35-5 for more details:
"SECTION D – QUALIFICATIONS OF HEALTH SERVICE PERSONNEL
8. Appointment standards for health service personnel. Any health professional or technician may qualify for a health service appointment in CAP, provided that proof of current unrestricted licensure, registration, or certification, where such is required by law or regulation, is furnished. (See the attached listing of specific disciplines). Only physician categories will have the title of “medical officer.” Only nurse categories will have the title “nurse officer.” All others will be known as “health service officers.”

9. Members in any of the foregoing health disciplines may serve as a unit's health service program officer. If a unit has more than one health professional assigned, the most senior in terms of level of education and training should be the designated health service program officer and any others as his/her assistants.

10. Initial Appointment and Promotion: CAPR 35-5 prescribes appointment and promotion procedures for health service personnel.

The three levels technician, senior and master currently do not apply to medical or legal officers. They are covered under separate provisions of CAPR 35-5. Essentially after completing Level I, medical officers qualify for appointment as a Captain and after a year in grade promotion to Major. After that duty performance promotion requirements apply. "

If I can add something here to what Eclipse said, IMHO you should really be taking this issue up with your commander and/or the health service officer at your next echelon of command.

When you do, please keep this in mind:  Aside from initial appointments, there is a general rule throughout CAP that higher the rank dictates higher levels of responsibility. The whole point of the professional development program is to prepare an officer to become productive and successful program managers at those higher levels of responsibility: ie, group, wing, region or even NHQ.

Of course, Health Services Officers are a special breed of CAP officer, especially if they are performing their specific duties. However, promotions of people to the grade of lieutenant colonel, without completion of the professional development, incur a lot of resentment among peers -- and I'm not talking about other health service officers -- I'm talking about others of your same rank and that could be very embarrassing for your commander.

Perhaps the HSO at the next level of command could recommend a solution, an additional duty or duty assigment that would warrant the higher rank and then mentor/sponsor you through that process. Are you prepared to accept that challenge?

[RiverAux]

I wonder why it is that with the other professional appointments you actually have to serve in the applicable CAP duty position to be eligible, but apparently not with health services folks either for the initial rank bump or later ones (except you do have to be a unit HSO to get the bump to Major as a doctor). 

[Eclipse]

The quote is from the KB.

As Lt. Col is a Region-level approval, the odds of getting it based on nothing more than TIG as an NO are near zero, and that assumes it is first approved by the unit, group, and wing.  Lt. Col., in all its flavors, represents the pinnacle and "end" for most CAP members who will never ascend to a corporate officer position.

Considering the current conservative nature of CAP in regards to Health Services, an MD or RN cannot provide anything more than an EMT in terms of training or services, so to me, to allow them to receive the highest grade most members will attain, while providing very little in terms of staff service and not having shown any CAP experience or knowledge that is exhibited by completing the four levels of PD most other members require.

Every other professional appointment has to catch up their PD, why should HSO be different?

[MSG Mac]

What it says is that no PD is  requirement. required up to Major. For LtCol you must complete the Garber.

[ol'fido]

I was at a meeting yesterday where my wing commander stated that he expects everyone to complete the PD requirements for their grade. He stated that we are "corporate" officers who should not expect to do one "thing"( i.e. flying, HSO, legal, et al) to the exclusion of the rest of the program. I, myself, was indifferent to the idea but after hearing his explanation, I find that I agree with him.