CAP Strategic Plan and Vision

[mikeylikey]

And I nominate LCOL GERRY LEVESQUE, the Commander of the Largest CAP SQUADRON to the Board.

Largest does not necessarily equate BEST.  Many factors go into making a great SQD, not just numbers. 

[SAR-EMT1]

Im just going to say that this piece that NHQ leaves something to be desired.

I DO however believe that it is a sure step in the right direction.

Colgan for President

[Earhart1971]

And I nominate LCOL GERRY LEVESQUE, the Commander of the Largest CAP SQUADRON to the Board.

Largest does not necessarily equate BEST.  Many factors go into making a great SQD, not just numbers. 

In this case, this Squadron is one of the Best and I know a little about what he is doing, and Gerry has been at National, and he is well respected there.

And if what I have heard is true, Gerry does have the best Squadron for what he does.

[mikeylikey]

And I nominate LCOL GERRY LEVESQUE, the Commander of the Largest CAP SQUADRON to the Board.

Largest does not necessarily equate BEST.  Many factors go into making a great SQD, not just numbers. 

In this case, this Squadron is one of the Best and I know a little about what he is doing, and Gerry has been at National, and he is well respected there.

And if what I have heard is true, Gerry does have the best Squadron for what he does.

Is this the guy with like 260 Cadets in a School SQD in Texas??

If so, School Initiative is a different beast than commanding a regular SQD. 

[DNall]

yes it is, but he's real Army Reserve Col & very squared away individual. He was previously on NHQ staff, and had some trouble if I recall correctly with the way the DDR money was being accounted for. That pretty much stitched up his career & he reverted to the Sq level, where we all appreciate his excellent leadership, even if we never see him around anymore.

[Earhart1971]

yes it is, but he's real Army Reserve Col & very squared away individual. He was previously on NHQ staff, and had some trouble if I recall correctly with the way the DDR money was being accounted for. That pretty much stitched up his career & he reverted to the Sq level, where we all appreciate his excellent leadership, even if we never see him around anymore.

Squadron Level is were everybody should stay.

[DNall]

It'd be a pretty jacked up organization (moreso than now anyway) with no leadership/chain of command above Sq.

[kpetersen]

Squadron Level is were everybody should stay.

And it is because so many people share this opinion, that (some) wings/groups don't have enough staff to help the squadrons and perform the duties required for their area at wing.  Therefore squadrons complain that wing doesn't help them.  And we get into this vicious spiral where "wing doesn't do anything, so why would I want to be at wing".  I would like to see a squadron organize wing-level activities, but then we run into a bigger issue of favoritism, because commander's know the cadets from their own area better.  The bigger squadrons would eat the smaller ones.

That, and who would disburse o-flight money?

That's the primary reason I was offered Director of Cadet Programs a couple months before I turned senior, because everyone should stay at the squadron.  If we didn't have someone in my position, there would have been no wing cadet competition, no cadet activities at wing conference, region cadet comp would have been elsewhere, we wouldn't have an encampment, let alone the region one, and I wouldn't be working to develop a curriculum for airman/nco to add to our wing level training weekend. 

If squadrons would get over themselves and see that wings have responsbilities too that require people to work and can help the squadrons, then this job would be a lot easier.  If you don't think levels above squadrons do anything, read here: http://level2.cap.gov/documents/CI_Guide.pdf <--This is what wings get inspected on every 3 years. 

Finally, if there was no one above the squadron level, who would help out the squadrons that are 3 hours away from the nearest squadron, and 6 hours from a squadron with more than 3 active seniors?  Squadrons are competitive entities for the most part.

[/end rant]

[Tim Medeiros]

Squadron Level is were everybody should stay.

And it is because so many people share this opinion, that (some) wings/groups don't have enough staff to help the squadrons and perform the duties required for their area at wing.  Therefore squadrons complain that wing doesn't help them.  And we get into this vicious spiral where "wing doesn't do anything, so why would I want to be at wing".  I would like to see a squadron organize wing-level activities, but then we run into a bigger issue of favoritism, because commander's know the cadets from their own area better.  The bigger squadrons would eat the smaller ones.

That, and who would disburse o-flight money?

That's the primary reason I was offered Director of Cadet Programs a couple months before I turned senior, because everyone should stay at the squadron.  If we didn't have someone in my position, there would have been no wing cadet competition, no cadet activities at wing conference, region cadet comp would have been elsewhere, we wouldn't have an encampment, let alone the region one, and I wouldn't be working to develop a curriculum for airman/nco to add to our wing level training weekend. 

If squadrons would get over themselves and see that wings have responsbilities too that require people to work and can help the squadrons, then this job would be a lot easier.  If you don't think levels above squadrons do anything, read here: http://level2.cap.gov/documents/CI_Guide.pdf <--This is what wings get inspected on every 3 years. 

Finally, if there was no one above the squadron level, who would help out the squadrons that are 3 hours away from the nearest squadron, and 6 hours from a squadron with more than 3 active seniors?  Squadrons are competitive entities for the most part.

[/end rant]

VERY well said.

[mikeylikey]

That's the primary reason I was offered Director of Cadet Programs a couple months before I turned senior, because everyone should stay at the squadron.  If we didn't have someone in my position, there would have been no wing cadet competition, no cadet activities at wing conference, region cadet comp would have been elsewhere, we wouldn't have an encampment, let alone the region one, and I wouldn't be working to develop a curriculum for airman/nco to add to our wing level training weekend. 

OR Maybe someone thought that a SPAATZ Cadet would be capable of taking on the responsibility of running a Cadet Program Wing wide??  You know the program, you were there, you've done it, and actually enjoy serving CAP for reasons other than personal needs (i.e get access to military bases etc).  Plus, you were willing to make the leap over to the Office side of the house.  WE need more members like you!  We need more Cadets like you as well.

^ I made many assumptions about you.  All for the positive though!!   

[NEBoom]

As Kat's Chief of Staff I'll second everything she said above, plus add that every section of CAP is in the same boat as CP.  Without good people at Wing HQ in Operations, Professional Development, Logistics, Admin/Personnel (plus any others I've forgotten) the units suffer for it.

The problem is compounded by a couple of other issues.  Higher HQ sets up the organization as though we have dozens of highly qualified and frequently available officers at all levels to run things.  In a smaller Wing such as ours, we are constantly and critically short of help.  When all but a couple of the Squadrons are staffed by a precious few people who wear multiple hats at that Squadron (the case with most/all of our more rural units), it makes it very hard for me to recruit folks to come up to wing.  I'm forced to go back to the well staffed units again and again, which understandably causes resentment.

To get this post back on the topic of the thread, I'll say that all the flowery "Strategic Plan(s) and Vision(s)" you want to dream up are pretty much worthless if you have nobody to step up and do the hard work it takes to make "Visions" even begin to meet reality.  Making the "vision" is actually the easy part (anyone can daydream about what the Utopia Composite Squadron would be like).  Executing is where it counts, and where we frequently fall down.

[Earhart1971]

It'd be a pretty jacked up organization (moreso than now anyway) with no leadership/chain of command above Sq.

Chain of Command is fine, but think about it, does a Wing Commander really have a Command? Or is the Wing Commander attempting to steer a ship with no rudder?

Or is a Wing Commander trying to heard cats?

Cannot explain the background of why, but Wing and National have not been very attentive to his Unit, wonder why? (Levesques Squadron).

I have been a Squadron Commander twice, other than doing reports and getting them in on time to the Pwrs that be, there is not much support for a Unit.

His squadron is self supporting, and its an island in the sea of CAP.

[M.S.]

His squadron is self supporting, and its an island in the sea of CAP.

EVERY squadron is self-supporting...  unless of course you're in a CAP I'm not familiar with.

[DeputyDog]

His squadron is self supporting, and its an island in the sea of CAP.

EVERY squadron is self-supporting...  unless of course you're in a CAP I'm not familiar with.

It must be different than yours. In my CAP, I'm supporting the ES program in two squadrons, and supporting the professional development in two other squadrons (one of which is not in my wing). If a squadron doesn't have the resources to do it themselves, they have to go for outside help.

[RiverAux]

This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kamupm9rjuI of the National Chief of Staff speaking at the NCR conference discusses this issue and the presentation has slightly different wording from what was given in the Volunteer. 

[smj58501]

So has a copy of this STARTPLAN actually been published/ posted (even a draft)? It would be helpful to crosswalk it against those of subordinate units (if yours has one) to determine alignment

[RiverAux]

I'm sure the whole plan will be released at some point.

Perhaps I was way over-optimistic as to my knowledge, our "strategic plan" has yet to be released, unless the column in the Volunteer represented the plan.  I note that in the last BoG meeting MG Courter cited the strategic plan, so it must be around somewhere.

Anyone seen it? 

[Earhart1971]

It appears there is nothing but objectives. Back to the orignal objectives stated by the BOG or the NB:


• Provide quality training;
• Build public trust;
• Brand CAP as a resource of choice;
• Promote the value and significance of CAP's Cadet Program;
• Promote the talent and opportunities of our adult membership;
• Brand CAP as a national aerospace education leader;
• Establish public awareness of CAP's missions;
• Communicate CAP's financial needs and benefits; and
• Brand CAP as a volunteer organization of choice.


I think all above would be driven by MONEY and Budget, last time I checked we were fighting for the status quo on money and budget. 

So somebody needs to come up with the sales pitch to Congress to get us were we want to go.

[Gunner C]

"A goal without a date is just a wish."

Gunner's Rules of Life and Combat #9

As I said two years ago, it's just a wish.  All smoke, no mirrors.