I'm going to be earning my Senior Cadet Programs Rating in the next month or so. My unit has a Deputy Commander for Cadets.
For my Master Rating, I am supposed to, "Serve 18 months as a Senior Rated officer in a supervisory CP role (DCC, CC, Asst DPC, DCP)".
I'm not going to be able to take over the job from the current squadron DCC, who is absolutely fantastic. My mentor (a wing CV) and the Wing PDO have told me that the Specialty Track requirements can be deviated from when necessary and suggested that I ask to be appointed as an Assistant Deputy Commander for Cadets in eServices or as Assistant Cadet Programs Officer at Group.
The Squadron CC, who will soon be the Group CC, has said that he doesn't think that eServices will allow him to make someone an Assistant Deputy Commander for Cadets or Assistant Cadet Programs Officer at Group.
My Squadron CC is a great guy, and I consider him a friend. He is busy as a one-armed paper hanger, usually doing CAP almost 24/7. However, based upon repeated previous experiences with him, when he says something like "I don't think I can do this" in the manner and tone that he said it to me, it usually means that he isn't familiar enough with either the CAP system or eServices to know if it can be done and doesn't want to go through the work to try or admit to someone higher that he is in novel territory and doesn't know what to do and ask for help.
Whenever in the past I have gotten the, "I don't think I can do that..." from him whether it is for something for me or for someone else in our squadron, I have put in the legwork myself by asking around, usually found out that whatever it is he thinks can't be done CAN, in fact, be done, found out the process of how to do it, and then diplomatically informed him I have learned it can be done and explained to him how to accomplish it.
Can anyone out there tell me if someone can be made an assistant Deputy Commander for Cadets for a squadron and/or an assistant Cadet Programs Officer (or whatever you indeed call the top person in charge of Cadets at the group level) in eServices or not, and if it can be done, how it is done? Alternatively, has anyone dealt with this issue in a different manner, say, by making the appointment in letter form?
Any other methods anyone might have of dealing with the issue of "Only one position, but multiple people needing that position for earning their Specialty Track rating" would be greatly appreciated. Waiting years to become DCC is not a viable option, however.
The option is available to assign an Assistant DCC on eServices on my side.
Quote from: Crashaxe on May 19, 2019, 09:19:37 PMWaiting years to become DCC CDC is not a viable option, however.
Why? What's the hurry? It's not like the position comes with a pay bump.
eServices allows for an assistant assignment for every duty position, even though CAPR 20-1 (I) doesn't specifically allow them. So while eServices will allow you to be assigned an assistant CDC duty position in your squadron, the real question is does the current CDC want an assistant and does the current CDC have supervisory responsibilities that can be assigned to you? As I'm sure you know, the specialty track duty position requirements are designed to ensure you obtain specific experiences in your progression through the track, not simply be assigned a title for a designated time period.
If your squadron CDC isn't looking for an assistant, then you could also ask the group CDC, although I would think everyone involved would want you to have squadron experience before moving to the group level.
Good luck and thank you for working in the cadet program.
There is no CDC position at the Group level as a Group is not an operational Squadron,
it is a Headquarters Component and is not supposed to have cadets assigned to it.
At the Group level your options are:
(https://i.postimg.cc/QxvZbpJy/groupcp.jpg)
(FWIW there are no Director-level positions at the Group level. Directors are Wing or higher.)
Any of the above would qualify as the role required for CP Master.
With that said, and without putting too fine a point on it, if you're asking these
types of questions, you may not have a complete enough picture of the requisite
duties and responsibilities to be reaching for a Master rating.
Further, if you're just trying to ticket-punch your way to Master by sitting in a
non-job with no duties, then that really defeats the intention.
If you are currently assigned at a Squadron level, there are plenty of real jobs
that need doing and that would fulfill the mandate.
Thank you, Fester.
I am currently serving as the assistant/junior partner to the current Deputy Commander for Cadets. I am looking at getting a title other than Cadet Activities Officer once I get my Senior Rating to meet the requirements for the Master Rating. I obviously do want a title that will "check the box" and meet the requirement for my Master rating, but I am very active in our Cadet program, and am not looking to ticket-punch with a non-job with no duties.
The DCC is all in favor of having me listed as his assistant. He had been pretty much been left to run the Cadet program by himself until I got involved, and is extremely happy to have help. I'm a former C/Lt Col so I bring some knowledge of the Cadet program into a Squadron that has no members with more than 3 years of experience.
I am not sure what the old Cadet Programs Specialty Track had in it, but this new one has led to a lot of confusion on a lot of people's parts as to just what position will and won't meet the requirement for the Master rating.
I am completely unfamiliar with what the Group position titles exist because my Group is essentially non-functional, does not have anyone serving in any Cadet-related positions, and I am not able to view what you can see, Eclipse. I have been trying to suss out positions based on conjecture from the Specialty Track Handbook.
Thanks, all!
Quote from: Crashaxe on May 19, 2019, 10:32:18 PMI am looking at getting a title other than Cadet Activities Officer once I get my Senior Rating to meet the requirements for the Master Rating.
So you aren't even Senior yet? Slow down. Not to mention Cadet Activities Officer would meet the mandate.
Quote from: Crashaxe on May 19, 2019, 10:32:18 PM
I am not sure what the old Cadet Programs Specialty Track had in it, but this new one has led to a lot of confusion on a lot of people's parts as to just what position will and won't meet the requirement for the Master rating.
The current pamphlet is as clear as the old one, and the mandate is subjective to the approver anyway.
Also, if you aren't even Senior yet, your current unit CC isn't going to be the approver of the Master anyway.
Deputy Commander of Cadets is "CDC" not "DCC".
Take it one step at a time and do meaningful things, the rest will come with the duties. If the Group is non-functional,
getting assigned there isn't going to help anyway.
BTW, I'm surprised your commander doesn't know this. He's been in longer than I have and has been around the block up there. A lot.
You don't have cadets at a group, therefore no "deputy commander for cadets."
You do have a cadet programs officer. Who could, in theory, use an assistant.
But like Eclipse said, you have room to maneuver.
Quotethe Specialty Track requirements can be deviated from when necessary
What does this even mean?
"Requirements can be deviated from"