New Iowa Wing commander Announced

[The Hawk]

It's pure speculation what would have happened had someone other than Lt. Col. Critelli been given the original "nod" for the Wing/CC position.  I know that at least one other candidate was well known to State Officials and National Guard personnel, given his service in the State EOC during disaster response missions.

What happened here specifically was a situation where a highly admired and respected candidate for the Wing/CC position, with strong, lengthy and detailed letters of recommendation for the position from an active duty RealMilitary Colonel, an active duty RealMilitary Brigadier General, and the senior state executive responsible for Homeland Security/Emergency Management, had been duly appointed as the Wing/CC, then had his appointment rescinded.  After the invitations to state officials and national guard personnel for the change of command ceremony had already gone out. 

There already had been concerns raised about the stability of CAP at the National level, given the remarkable series of events that had taken place under the previous National/CC.  Fair or not, the abrupt change in Wing/CC appointment is perceived as a clear sign that Iowa's ability to operate as a reliable member of the National Guard and Homeland Security / Emergency Management team can't be assured. 

I mentioned in another thread that "credibility is the coin of the realm" when dealing with legislative Appropriations Sub-committees.   You don't get six-figure funding of discretionary budget dollars, year after year, without it.  No matter how solid the working relationship (and over the last four years it was as good as I've ever seen it in sixteen years of service to this Wing), once it becomes clear that carefully-thought-out multi-year development programs had the potential to be derailed without notice or recourse...well, if you had statutory responsibility for protecting the health and well-being of three million eligible voters, where would you put your limited budget dollars...?

[CadetProgramGuy]

Wow.....you guys are feaking screwed out there.  Because one man doesn't get to be Wing Commander, the State of Iowa decides to cut your funding.  That blows of being on "shaky" ground before any of this new stuff broke.

Also that email you sent out, was pure hate.  There were no Commissions to resign from, you wrote it to make sure the Iowa Military can equate that "officers" are leaving the CAP because National and Region screwed you over. 

I hope your Iowa plan dies a quick death and the new Colonel replaces all of you very quickly. 

I am sorry this is happening but you really are spreading gas on a fire out there.

If Iowa NG pulls your funding, your meeting space locations, stops paying for your fuel, etc I really have to believe something MORE was going on in your Wing than what we all have been witness to in the past 2 weeks.

I really feel bad for the Cadets out there.  Perhaps your wing should be absorbed into region, and Region should run everything for a few years.  ??

No, this happened because Region made abrubt changes with out much regard of the future of CAP in Iowa.

Hatred?  Nah...Past hate about 4 miles ago.

[ColonelJack]

This is the fifth time I've tried to write something here.   Every time I start, I find myself tongue-tied.  (Or should it be finger-tied?)

What really troubles me isn't the decision to rescind Col. Critelli's appointment.  Like it or not, that's the Region Commander's prerogative.  If he chooses to explain why he made the call he made, he will.  He doesn't owe anyone (except, perhaps, Col. Critelli himself) an explanation.  He certainly doesn't owe anyone below him in the chain of command a reason for his choices.  I grant you it would be nice to know all the whys and wherefores, but that isn't the way the military works, and it shouldn't work that way in a military auxiliary.

I'm not really troubled by the apparent decision by Iowa state officials to cut funding for the wing based on that decision.  Frankly, if Iowa officials tied their funding to the appointment of any one individual to the Wing Commander slot, I'd be very suspicious of that ... it almost sounds like forces outside CAP want to have a major say in how CAP operates in the state.  CAP's command structure should make that call, not non-member political concerns.

I'm not especially concerned with the sudden emergence of the "Club vs Agency" debate.  I'm sure this has been on a lot of members' minds for a long time; the Iowa situation just brought it out into the open.  (Personally, I think that whole discussion is silly.  It's both a club and an agency and that's the way it should be.  CAP is what you make it and what you get out of it.  But that's my opinion, free and worth what you paid for it.)

I'm not really bothered by the words of IAWG staff who are so torqued off by what's going on that they are leaving their positions (and in some cases leaving CAP completely).  Service in CAP does not eliminate the First Amendment protection of free speech, and members have the complete right to vent their spleens in any forum that will allow them to do so.  (There are professional concerns that should govern the way we vent those spleens, but the right to vent is not removed once one joins CAP.)  In many cases, I understand where you're coming from -- all that time and effort put into the "Iowa Experiment," as it's called here, and you feel that it was all for nought with the Region Commander's decision.  I do feel your pain.

It doesn't even overly concern me that some members, in their zeal to say what is on their minds, have crossed perceived boundaries of professionalism and adopted a "I'm-taking-my-marbles-and-going-home" attitude.  This, too, is understandable.  We are human and react as humans do when things go awry from our perspective.

But what really bothers me is ... we seem to be resorting to personal attacks on each other in this forum because of our reactions to what's going on.  That makes me feel bad for everyone. 

Was the replacement of Col. Critelli a wise move?  I can't say ... I am not a current CAP member, much less a member of Iowa Wing.  Any opinion I would have would be just that ... my opinion.  And like noses, everybody has one.

Was the reaction of several IAWG staffers justified?  To them, I am sure it was.  To the rest of us, maybe not.  But these things are what they are.

But when we start questioning each others' motives for saying or doing something, we're crossing a line that we may not be able to re-cross.  Things get said that can't be taken back. 

Proceed with care.  Keep the discussions professional, please.  I have made a lot of virtual friends in this forum and don't like to see my friends sniping at one another.

Thanks.

Jack

[sparks]

The truth is Governor Culver decided to "red line" some items in the budget. As mentioned before that decision preceded the wing commander selection. This was a typical annual budget process where some programs are deemed to be less necessary than others. So far no explanation has been received about the rational of the cut or whether the House or Senate can restore some or all of the funds, we'll see.

Lacking that money training will have to be adjusted to fit within what is available. 

Personal attacks are unproductive and disturbing to read. There are detractors and supporters of every command change. This one brought more acrimony than ever because of the way it was handled. Most people and organizations resist change so it's natural to be pessimistic when it happens. It doesn't justify demonizing fellow CAP members who usually are trying their best to do the job.

I hope this public phase of the Iowa wing beating itself up in public passes quickly.

[Whocares]

No, this happened because Region made abrubt changes with out much regard of the future of CAP in Iowa.

Hatred?  Nah...Past hate about 4 miles ago.
[/quote]

And yet we keep speculating about decision process.  We do not have a clue as to what the rationale was of the deicison.  As far as we know, it could have been aliens making deicisons.  The point, we are making assumptions that we have no basis to make.


On another note, if I was your state's congress and saw this, yes I would pull funding too.  However, not because just one person not receiving the position of wing commander.  I would pull it because of the response of the general membership once it was known that he was not going to receive state funding.  One person does not get wing commander and every one starts quitting?  Yup, seriously unstable organization. 

[NIN]

I really feel bad for the Cadets out there.  Perhaps your wing should be absorbed into region, and Region should run everything for a few years.  ??

Anybody know the line that goes with this pic?



"Nuke the site from orbit. Its the only way to be sure."

Sorry, Iowa Wing, but from out here in the fringes of the country, it seems like all y'all have ceased to exist as an organized entity.

Tell the cadets to 'hold one' for about 60 days and its time to reorganize.  Not sure how (the hazards/obstacles are tremendous, I will so admit)...

(As a side note: 103 cadets?  I have nearly that many members in my squadron.... Yikes..)

[MIKE]

"Hawkeye's resignation" merged. 

[sparks]

After the members of the wing adjust to a different commander some may decide it's better to participate than take their ball and go home. Egad, presidents are replaced every 4 or 8 years and the country adjusts to new leadership, certainly the Iowa wing can do the same.

Ids that easy NO, is it necessary YES

[flyguy06]

I need popcorn with this thread. 

[RogueLeader]

To all of IAWG:

I am really sorry to hear that what you have built up has been torn so abruptly away.  while I may not have agreed with all of you on certain things, please remember that I agree with most pf the concepts, and that it is not too late to make the concepts work.  True, it can not be on the Wing level as before.  Tell me why that Dubuque can't work with Davenport or Cedar Rapids.  Tell me why that the 2 Des Moines units can't work with Fort Dodge. 

You could borrow an OKWG aspect. It's the TTT, Train The Trainer.  You have a number of Wing recognized members who meets the standards that Wing wants.  That way there can be local training, but yet maintain the standards to be a reliable and relevant force.

[Eclipse]

I find it nearly impossible to believe that any legislative body could work as quickly as is being insinuated
here.  An appropriation as large as this does not appear from thin air, nor does it disappear over night (barring accusations of malfeasance ).

Nor does the state's SAR need change because the Iowa Guv'na doesn't like the new Wing CC.  If IAWG is really the important player in Iowa SAR that has been purported, you don't just turn off the juice on a whim.  State's everywhere are strapped for cash, and I say, assuming this is true, this was in the works for a while.

Pennsylvania contributes 4-5 times the money to PAWG (last I checked), and they are notorious for lining out the appropriation every year and then "saving" it at the last minute. You can Google for articles on this.

From the way things are being portrayed here, it sounds more like Bryan Berg was the Wing CC during the "experiment".

[mikeylikey]

^ You are correct, PAWG gets much money!  And the Democratic Gov. each year cuts it all and the Republicans get it back in.  Sometimes they even get more than was originally asked for.

As far as Iowa goes, I agree that this whole thing was in the works a lot longer than suspected.  Perhaps that is why the guy who was selected to be Wing King and then replaced last minute.......because Region found out there were "side-deals" or bad mojo going on there.  Seriously, the STATE Governments DO NOT RUN CAP!  CAP runs CAP.

This whole thing shows that the Iowa Experiment is a total and complete failure.  I am sorry that it took 4 years or how ever long was stated above for it to come to light.

I think those that are sending emails out to Iowa, and resigning are showing what type of people are really in Iowa Wing.  The "if I can't play by my rules, and you don't do what we say" we will leave and ruin everything for everyone!

I was totally serious when I said Region should absorb Iowa and take over total control.  The experiment failed, to be able to recover now and get them back in line with the rest of the Wings now requires outside players.  Move all members back to Squadrons, and replace all staff at Wing HQ with region people.  Then after the dust settles, and things are starting to get back on track, slowly find members that are deserving enough in Iowa to fill Key Staff Positions.

I just CAN NOT believe this all happened because 1 (one) man was not given Command of the Wing.  No one in CAP is that important!

No one person in CAP is THAT IMPORTANT!

[DaTower]

2b or not 2b?
------------------------
"To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?"

I have remind mostly silent about the past weeks events so far. Like many others I have found it difficult to find my footing, with what seems like an endless stream of bad news. I have not commented on these events thus far because I know I have a tendency to respond to such things with too much fire and vitriol, and such things have been in far too much abundance as of late. I feel my head has at last cooled enough, and I have at last found my voice.

The "Old" Iowa Wing is long gone, the "New" Iowa Wing soon to be a memory, a result of not only the recent Wing Commander debacle, but also because of our response to it.

Lt Col Scheitzach is the next Wing Commander. The state funding is no more. These are facts.

The question we are now faced with is, "What comes next?"

Yesterday I had a short conversation with Lt Col Scheitzach about this very point. While I'll leave it to him to lay out most of his plans, there is one point that caught my attention and I feel needs to be shared. It is his intention to listen to the squadron commanders and the membership before he sets policy.

To listen.

Not to "change things back to the way they used to be", just to listen. To take what we the members like about the "New" wing, and improve upon it.

And then I started to realize, to whom would he be listening? To the members who resign their commission before he even becomes Wing Commander? No, for when they left, their voice went silent.

It is the voice of those who remain that will be heard, the voices that must be heard. And so I urge every member to speak to their Commander, and let them know the projects and plans that you feel must be preserved.

Use your voice to help shape the Next Iowa Wing.

And to those in the NG, HLSEM, or any other set of initials that believes CAP is too unstable to be relied upon for missions I say this: we will be here. If in ten, twenty, or thirty years you find yourself in need of help, we will still be here.

The Experiment has not ended, it has Evolved.

I'm Capt Don Wood, Commander of the Des Moines Senior Squadron, and I approved this message.

[RogueLeader]

This whole thing shows that the Iowa Experiment is a total and complete failure.  I am sorry that it took 4 years or how ever long was stated above for it to come to light.

I think those that are sending emails out to Iowa, and resigning are showing what type of people are really in Iowa Wing.  The "if I can't play by my rules, and you don't do what we say" we will leave and ruin everything for everyone!

I would really have to disagree.  While there are aspects of the experiment that I do not like, all in all, it is a great idea.  Give it some tweaking, it would be outstanding.

As for the second statement.  Those people have worked hard for what was there, and can not stand to see it "disappear."  As for the majority of the Wing, they are hard working people.  They take the opportunities available, and make the most of them.  They are like you.  In fact, I know most of the people resigning, and I have no doubt that their decision was not an easy one, nor did they take much joy in the fact that they were doing it.  After all, a person can only do so much before they throw the towel in.

In my opinion, they should have stayed, but the decision is not mine.  I am sorry that they are leaving the program, and I salute them for having the presence of mind to make the hard call.  Semper Vi to you all.  You will be missed.

[flyguy06]

Exactly how big membership wise is IAWG anyway? I mean all this drama because a guy wasnt selected as Wing Commander? IAWG isnt exaxctly a large Wing. I agree with mikeylikey in that I find it hard to phathom that if the state pulled funding just because "there man" wasnt selcted there is something else going on there. Also the people leaving becaue of this, wel, that just says something about them I guess.

[NIN]

Exactly how big membership wise is IAWG anyway? I mean all this drama because a guy wasnt selected as Wing Commander? IAWG isnt exaxctly a large Wing. I agree with mikeylikey in that I find it hard to phathom that if the state pulled funding just because "there man" wasnt selcted there is something else going on there. Also the people leaving becaue of this, wel, that just says something about them I guess.

EDIT: 216 seniors, 103 cadet

250-ish + seniors
100-ish cadets

[mikeylikey]

^ Gained 3 Cadets!  Good to go Iowa!

[Eclipse]

...

[flyguy06]

Exactly how big membership wise is IAWG anyway? I mean all this drama because a guy wasnt selected as Wing Commander? IAWG isnt exaxctly a large Wing. I agree with mikeylikey in that I find it hard to phathom that if the state pulled funding just because "there man" wasnt selcted there is something else going on there. Also the people leaving becaue of this, wel, that just says something about them I guess.

EDIT: 216 seniors, 103 cadet

250-ish + seniors
100-ish cadets

Are you kidding me? All this fuss over 319 people? FLWG has Groups bigger than that. I am not trying to make light out of it because we need all the "good, motivated" help we can get but I was under the imprsession that IAWG was some super 3,000 member Wing or something

[Major Carrales]

Over the course of the last two weeks I have read about one of CAP's most progressive cutting edge WINGS suddenly shatter.  This concerns me greatly.

Are we now to build our local units to the point where we can be shielded from the politics of COMMAND LEVEL should a 'nuclear' optiont ake place?

Many of these events have confirmed my belief that CAP shoud avoid the machinations presented here  en re the State Government level.  Yes, we must be a good partner to our States, however, once we merge our funding with them we are subject to these sorts of situations.  If CAP comes under the National Guard level, we will that 52 Wings more interested in securing State Funding and answering to 53 masters.

Let us not forget that there are still units in IOWA, life MUST go on!  CAP must go on.  Sure, the funding might be gone or changed, but you people are all STILL CAP.

I don't really have any concept of what the loss has been.  I am the commander of a squadron where a good amount of our success comes from member resources.  That includes member funding.

We take advantage of WING trainings, but do our best to be autonomous because we are hundreds of miles from the nearest squadron and Group HQ.  We are to be a stoung link in what makes TEXAS WING strong.  Having Field Grade and Trained CAP Officers and Cadets in the unit is not a "threat to the WINGS plan" but rather a function of it.  It is our goal to be an agent of the TEXAS wing in our area.   A hub of future growth in our part of Texas and part of the overall plan.

Centralization can have all sorts of benefits, however, it can also leave the arms week. Des Moines, keep going...take your training and trained people and keep the momentum going.  I fnot, you will wimper and the IOWA Wing will be finished.

Now is the time for the Iowa wing to come together...there is no alternative but oblivion.