"...up to Lt. Col....." Insulting and discriminatory

Started by oldrugged, April 13, 2007, 05:55:07 PM

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RiverAux


JohnKachenmeister

That's where, River, you don't understand officers.

Officers are professionals.  They will avail themselves of the training once they realize that they need it to carry out their missions.

This is more true as one moves up the food chain. 

I came in as a captain.  I soldiered for my rank.  I had three years of company command time and many more years of staff time at battalion level and at the general staff level.  Once I got settled in an assignment, I saw to my training.  I put in for my waivers, and waited for the SLS/CLC classes to be offered.

I knew a lot, but I still had to learn the CAP way of doing things.     
Another former CAP officer

jimmydeanno

Quote from: DNall on April 17, 2007, 01:04:37 AM
It bothers me when units sell the org as a non-military based community service club. That is unacceptable. I realize there is significant debate about our identity, but you know as well as I that we have significant military roots that cannot be denied.  

We may have significant roots with the military, but what we were and are today, is a civilian organization.  Those subchasers in WWII weren't military pilots, the cadets during the 40's weren't in the military, they were Civilians.  The organization has always been oriented around civilians, not retired military personnel.  Those civilians that give their time freely to aide their nation.

These civilians for the past 65 years have lead CAP.  They may not be cut out to command a special forces team, or command the 8th Air Force, but the one thing they have proven is that they can work with volunteers.  If CAP grade means anything it would be that these people can be successful in an all volunteer environment, through adversity, scrutiny, and doubt; doubt in their abilities as leaders, followers, and volunteers.

All the civilians may not come from a military background, but I don't care what you say, a military background does not make you more valuable than the mother who goes and chaperones a cadet activity, or the civilian that directs a flight academy.  
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill

aveighter

John, Dennis, why are you wasting your time?  It is obvious from many of the posts here that you are engaged with the self-inflated and unteachable.

Remember what Grandmother aveighter said; Never wrestle with pigs.  You only get dirty and the pig enjoys it.

Major Carrales

Fellows, is this all really getting us anywhere?

Maybe we need a break.

I have seen some very disturbing comments here from priors and non-priors alike.  We should be working together and concentrating on the missions.  It is those missions and their successful completion that will lead to better training and maybe a platform to change the rank/grade structures.  All this is showing is just how divided it is.

Earlier this week some hammered a PAO "glitch" where someone made some comments in print against a Reserve Center that was charging a long time unit rent.  Some things said in this thread make that look like a non-event.  Please, think before you post.  "One upping" someone for a quick satisfaction at the expense of image of CAP is almost "treasonous" to the furtherance of the organization.

I think a break might give everyone a chance to think clearly and maybe find a solution instead of vitriolic exchanges. (and maybe take back some of the meshuggah things that were said by both sides) ;)
"We have been given the power to change CAP, let's keep the momentum going!"

Major Joe Ely "Sparky" Carrales, CAP
Commander
Coastal Bend Cadet Squadron
SWR-TX-454

mikeylikey

Quote from: JohnKachenmeister on April 17, 2007, 01:36:49 AM
That's where, River, you don't understand officers.

Officers are professionals.  They will avail themselves of the training once they realize that they need it to carry out their missions.

This is more true as one moves up the food chain. 

I came in as a captain.  I soldiered for my rank.  I had three years of company command time and many more years of staff time at battalion level and at the general staff level.  Once I got settled in an assignment, I saw to my training.  I put in for my waivers, and waited for the SLS/CLC classes to be offered.

I knew a lot, but I still had to learn the CAP way of doing things.     

I don't know about you, but I became an Army Officer so I could drink at the O-Club on quarter beer nights, get the parking space right next to the Company building, get paid HUGE amounts of $$ for moving myself during a PCS, finally get unlimited PX and Commissary use and of course CLASS SIX (more cheap beer), wear prettier uniforms, ALLWAYS get a BOQ/DV guest room while traveling or on vacation (more beer in the minibar), get a MIL ID (that has holograms on it), be able to buy a brand new car after Commissioning (LT mobile) even though I had HUGE amounts of debt, get a nifty .mil email address, then sign up for extra email addresses to impress my friends and family, Make people Call me Lieutenant and now Captain (even strangers I randomly talk to in Walmart), demand salutes from men and women who have been in the service way before I was even born, get that blue little sticker under the DOD decal for the car that denotes Officer status, wake up way after my battery has started morning PT and role into work while they are just finishing a 5 mile run, blame everything that goes wrong on my Platoon SGTs and new LT's, regularly send my subordinate LT's to meet with the Battalion CO with some excuse why I can't be there (when really I am hung over), and finally use my GSA card to buy new rims for my car and bid on Star Trek figurines on EBAY.

Actually I became an Officer because:

I enjoy leading young men and women in training to go to war.
I feel I am making a difference in the lives of those who trust me with their lives.
The sense of purpose and belonging I get from waking up at 4:30AM and going to do 2 hours of PT, followed by a quick shower, then breakfast at the dinning facility, followed by anywhere from 6 to 8 more hours of; preventive maintenance OR maneuver training OR (MY FAVORITE) actually getting to the range and firing off some HE rounds from one of six howitzers I am responsible for.  After that I have a final informal meeting and call it a day and hopefully get to the retreat ceremony and then off post before the traffic gets to bad.

I can see where many Senior Officers who want to come into CAP may be put out that their rank will not transfer over.  I can't speak for all of them, but if they are a Colonel, they have worked [darn] hard to get that.  BUT, CAP although not Hugely different from the military does have it's unique quirks I suppose.  Take what is offered, and use your military background to better the organization.  It is not very often that a 14 year old kid can get some one on one leadership advice from an AF Colonel. 

The first set of reasons on why I became an Officer are an exaggeration (except for some of the beer references) (CADETS, disregard any and all beer references!!!)
What's up monkeys?

MIKE

Mike Johnston