New CAPR 35-6, Operations Ratings, Awards and Badges

[Storm Chaser]

I just noticed there's a new CAPR 35-6, Operations Ratings, Awards and Badges. The new CAP Aircrew Rating and the (not so new) IC Badge is covered by this revision. These ratings and badges can now be approved in Ops Quals as well.

[Eclipse]

More waivers.

Why.

[Storm Chaser]

Because they can. 

Seriously, CAP does waivers differently from the Air Force. Waivers in CAP are view as something that benefits primarily the member. In the Air Force, waivers must also benefit the service.

[Luis R. Ramos]

Those ratings and badges were availabe in Ops Quals for awhile now.

I do not like what they are allowing with the badges.

If you are not qualified anymore, Wing can request you to take it off.

[Eclipse]

Those ratings and badges were availabe in Ops Quals for awhile now.

I do not like what they are allowing with the badges.

If you are not qualified anymore, Wing can request you to take it off.

That's not what it says:

"e. Once a rating, award, badge, or patch is earned in accordance with this regulation, the
member may continue to wear it even if they no longer hold the associated qualifications unless
directed by the wing, region, or national commander to remove it through another formal
command action."

This would need to be a serious disciplinary breach or similar offense requiring a formal process.
One could surmise this kind of thing is for issues like HWSRN or other "extreme prejudice" terminations
where the member is essentially marched out to the square and stripped of all grade and awards.

The average member who was "once involved but now disinterested" isn't going to have an issue.

[Storm Chaser]

Those ratings and badges were availabe in Ops Quals for awhile now.

I do not like what they are allowing with the badges.

If you are not qualified anymore, Wing can request you to take it off.

That's not what it says:

"e. Once a rating, award, badge, or patch is earned in accordance with this regulation, the
member may continue to wear it even if they no longer hold the associated qualifications unless
directed by the wing, region, or national commander to remove it through another formal
command action."

This would need to be a serious disciplinary breach or similar offense requiring a formal process.

Exactly. The award is permanent unless revoked by wing or higher for cause. This is unlike ES qualifications, which may be removed by the unit commander for cause.

[Luis R. Ramos]

"e. Once a rating, award, badge, or patch is earned in accordance with this regulation, the
member may continue to wear it even if they no longer hold the associated qualifications unless
directed by the wing, region, or national commander to remove it through another formal
command action."

How I read is that Wing, Region, or NC can publish a blanket memo, IC, or instruction stating all members of that command to do so.

However, are you telling me this is supposed to be on an individual basis? That the named authorities will do it only if the member wearing it screws up royally?

[Garibaldi]

I would assume it's more for people like me, who earned an aero rating about 20 years ago, and haven't flown since. I still wear it, but the first time someone in higher up says take it off with a memo or directive backed up by proof I have been abusing or misusing my wings for whatever reason, I guess I will remove them. I think they just need an out or a way out. I mean, it's simple to see that I have not signed up for training refreshers or missions as an observer, so I'm not likely to bull my way onto an airplane without someone noticing. Plus, eservices will show I am not anywhere near current, and a good MC or IC will notice.

[Eclipse]

However, are you telling me this is supposed to be on an individual basis? That the named authorities will do it only if the member wearing it screws up royally?

That's how I read it.

A blanket memo would not fit the definition of a "formal command action" since it would violate the regulation.

I did not read this as a CC with a random hair on a Tuesday being able to tell members to remove their badges
without cause.

I think Garabldi's example is more the intent - as we point out here on a regular basis, people don't get assigned
duties based on the badges they are wearing.

With that said, I suppose they could try anything they want, and let the complaints fall where they may. 

[Storm Chaser]

"e. Once a rating, award, badge, or patch is earned in accordance with this regulation, the
member may continue to wear it even if they no longer hold the associated qualifications unless
directed by the wing, region, or national commander to remove it through another formal
command action."

How I read is that Wing, Region, or NC can publish a blanket memo, IC, or instruction stating all members of that command to do so.

However, are you telling me this is supposed to be on an individual basis? That the named authorities will do it only if the member wearing it screws up royally?

That's what "formal command action" usually means. What this provision allows is for someone to lose an otherwise permanent award for cause. I agree that the language should have been clearer.

I would assume it's more for people like me, who earned an aero rating about 20 years ago, and haven't flown since. I still wear it, but the first time someone in higher up says take it off with a memo or directive backed up by proof I have been abusing or misusing my wings for whatever reason, I guess I will remove them. I think they just need an out or a way out. I mean, it's simple to see that I have not signed up for training refreshers or missions as an observer, so I'm not likely to bull my way onto an airplane without someone noticing. Plus, eservices will show I am not anywhere near current, and a good MC or IC will notice.

The rating or award has nothing to do with qualification or currency. If you earned the rating, then you can wear the wings even if no longer qualified.

This is not different from the way it is in the Air Force. I earned my wings and will get to keep them, even if I stop flying, unless I do something to warrant them being taken away. It's usually for cause. This provision, again, provides the means to do it.

[winterg]

I see they changed the requirements for the Senior Ground Team Badge.

b. Senior Ground Team Badge:
     (1) Be qualified as a CAP ground team leader IAW CAPR 60-3 or
     (2) Be qualified as a CAP ground team member – level one

[Eclipse]

     (2) Be qualified as a CAP ground team member – level one

A what?

Anticipation of a rework of the qualification?

[Storm Chaser]

     (2) Be qualified as a CAP ground team member – level one

A what?

Anticipation of a rework of the qualification?

What do you mean? It seems clear to me. Under the old regulation, you had to be a qualified GTL or graduate from an approved advanced GSAR school, such as the one at NESA. Now, according to the new regulation, you have to be qualified as either a GTL or a GTM1.

[Eclipse]

That's my point - why would a GTM1 get a star?

Is it really necessary to water this stuff down just to sell more badges?

It's really clear - GTM / GTL / GBD.  I can't imagine the point of changing it.
What they need to do is fold back the levels of GTM t the way they used to be.

[Eclipse]

And I also just noticed that the OLD MCs can wear the new IC badge?

What's next WWII photographers who wore the sleeve patch with the camera get
aircrew wings?

what's the point of this stuff?  How many MCs, who didn't requal into ICs, are still active
enough in CAP to care?  MC hasn't been a "thing" in CAP for what, 20 years?

[lordmonar]

That's my point - why would a GTM1 get a star?

Is it really necessary to water this stuff down just to sell more badges?

It's really clear - GTM / GTL / GBD.  I can't imagine the point of changing it.
What they need to do is fold back the levels of GTM t the way they used to be.

They have been "giving it away" at NESA for the Advanced course for years and years and years.

Now they are just making it even across the board.  Does not matter where you get your GTM1 from.

Nothing is water down.....If you want to talk about what the need to do with GTM1-3.....well that's a different subject.

[lordmonar]

And I also just noticed that the OLD MCs can wear the new IC badge?

What's next WWII photographers who wore the sleeve patch with the camera get
aircrew wings?

what's the point of this stuff?  How many MCs, who didn't requal into ICs, are still active
enough in CAP to care?  MC hasn't been a "thing" in CAP for what, 20 years?

Why all the angst?

So some 70 year old ex MC who never crossed over gets to wear the IC badge.   Is that taking something away from anyone?  Does it let him cut in front of you in the buffet line?

Geeze.....

[Eclipse]

Why all the angst?

I think "angst" might be a stretch, but it's because it's all just "fluff" to the benefit ultimately of no one,
yet these kinds of things keep getting pushed up and through, and places that actually need attention
are ignored.

If this kind of things was part and parcel of wholesale regulation fixes, and the organization was executing
at the level it's badges and bling portend, no one would care, but when this is the only thing being pushed
out, or the stuff is done in broken pieces, the appearances are skewed and backwards.

[lordmonar]

Oh....that old saw.

If it is not on YOUR agenda it is not important.  Got it.

[Eclipse]

If it is not on YOUR agenda it is not important. 

Not what I said, but if that's the road you want to walk...

Take a look at the RSS feeds for regulation updates in CY2014 and then put it alongside the feed for
new stories, and you will see where the focus and energy of the organization actually is.

Almost exclusively station-keeping and pet projects, with the former getting the lion's share.

39-1 took 10 years to update, a new revision was considered by some to be crowning achievement of
the former national CC, yet despite a year of edits and comments it was still released broken, and 6+ months
later hasn't been corrected, yet we get email footers pushed out with no notice "because".

35-6 needed updating, as much because 30-1 portended things which could not actually be approved,
but it didn't need waivers for irrelevent non-CAP service, nor verbiage for people who haven't participated this century.
It's as if those writing these things are taking cues from Congress - "no law is too clear that we can't ass
earmarks to it.."

[Storm Chaser]

That's my point - why would a GTM1 get a star?

Is it really necessary to water this stuff down just to sell more badges?

It's really clear - GTM / GTL / GBD.  I can't imagine the point of changing it.
What they need to do is fold back the levels of GTM t the way they used to be.

They have been "giving it away" at NESA for the Advanced course for years and years and years.

No, they haven't. They've been awarding them at NESA; not the same thing.

That said, I agree with Eclipse in principle. But I have an even bigger issue with the fact that someone can go from GTM3 to GTL and from UDF to GBD (the latter really bothers me).

[winterg]

That said, I agree with Eclipse in principle. But I have an even bigger issue with the fact that someone can go from GTM3 to GTL and from UDF to GBD (the latter really bothers me).

That has always confused me as well.

[Storm Chaser]

The GBD change is recent (less that two years). Some argue that the bulk of our missions are UDF, but my counter argument is that most ELT searches don't require a GBD. I discourage it in my AOR and require that any UDF-only GBD candidate be at least an experienced UDF Team Leader before starting training. I also want them to have experience working in the Operations Section, under a GBD or OSC.

[Eclipse]

That said, I agree with Eclipse in principle. But I have an even bigger issue with the fact that someone can go from GTM3 to GTL and from UDF to GBD (the latter really bothers me).

That has always confused me as well.

+1 What does a UDF only person know about missing persons, line searches, etc., or for that
matter survival (i.e. team safety) in austere conditions, etc.

One more place where "standards" made way for "quantity".

[SarDragon]

And I also just noticed that the OLD MCs can wear the new IC badge?

What's next WWII photographers who wore the sleeve patch with the camera get
aircrew wings?

what's the point of this stuff?  How many MCs, who didn't requal into ICs, are still active
enough in CAP to care?  MC hasn't been a "thing" in CAP for what, 20 years?

MC went away after 1999, so it hasn't even been 20 years. The big changes in the ES quals started in 1993/4.

[Storm Chaser]

CAP has changed drastically in the last 15+ years. While the old MCs and the current ICs shared many roles and responsibilities, they were not the same thing. I agree that granting a badge to someone with a qualification acquired 15 or more years ago makes no sense.

[skydogjack]

I earned my Wings 15 years ago.  My blue shirts are embroided with my name and wings, even though now I'm just scanner-observer.  Does anyone really think we are expected to purchase new shirts if no longer current?  Hey, it's like in the military.  Even when I was no longer actve flight status, my wings, including my service ribbons  were mine to wear.  This all seems a bit foolish to me.  If you've earned it, it's yours to wear, as long as there's room.

[LSThiker]

I earned my Wings 15 years ago.  My blue shirts are embroided with my name and wings, even though now I'm just scanner-observer.  Does anyone really think we are expected to purchase new shirts if no longer current?  Hey, it's like in the military.  Even when I was no longer actve flight status, my wings, including my service ribbons  were mine to wear.  This all seems a bit foolish to me.  If you've earned it, it's yours to wear, as long as there's room.

Yes.  If you have earned them, you can continue to wear them even if you are no longer current. 

[Storm Chaser]

I earned my Wings 15 years ago.  My blue shirts are embroided with my name and wings, even though now I'm just scanner-observer.  Does anyone really think we are expected to purchase new shirts if no longer current?  Hey, it's like in the military.  Even when I was no longer actve flight status, my wings, including my service ribbons  were mine to wear.  This all seems a bit foolish to me.  If you've earned it, it's yours to wear, as long as there's room.

Yes.  If you have earned them, you can continue to wear them even if you are no longer current.

+1.  If you earned it, you can wear it regardless of currency. That said, my previous comment was referring to the Incident Commander badge being awarded to former Mission Coordinators, as allowed by the new regulation.

[TexasBEAST]

Does this fix your comment for you, SC?

CAP has changed drastically in the last 15+ years. While the old MCs and the current ICs shared many roles and responsibilities, they were not the same thing. I agree that granting a badge for one qualification to someone with a different qualification acquired 15 or more years ago makes no sense.