Flight Officer TIG tracking

Started by Майор Хаткевич, August 20, 2010, 09:22:40 PM

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Quote from: a2capt on September 10, 2010, 01:30:41 AM
Thats what I thought - SM is an absolute, but FO isn't if you are a cadet already. The OP was asking about TIG and in the midst of it came something that implied like he was automatically converted, perhaps it was voluntarily requested to transition to the FO ranks, but the thread started with
Quote from: USAFaux2004 on August 20, 2010, 09:22:40 PMFirst, I was just notified by my Squadron Commander that I've officially crossed to the SM side on the 17th.
... and I interpreted that to mean "I've been bumped" and thought the 21 threshold had been crossed, and figured that would be "SM" not "FO" unless the Cadet asked to transit to FO instead of waiting out the time to go SM.
You seem to be under the impression that one needs to be at least 21 to be a SM. That is not so. Without going through all the exceptions, someone who joins after age 18 would join as a senior member. Cadets may transfer to senior member anytime after their 18th birthday.

Senior members under the age of 21 are ineligible for promotion to CAP Officer Grades (2d Lt - Maj Gen). So a different set of grades, called flight officer grades, were created for senior members under the age of 21. They are just a set of grades, not a different membership category. All CAP Flight Officers (FO) are also senior members, just as all CAP 2d Lts are also senior members.

a2capt

I  know the FO grades are senior memberships, that wasn't the issue. The thing was, most cadets will just want to stay in the cadet ranks as long as they are eligible, unless they're planning on going forward with the senior program and have reached a point where it makes sense to transition for purposes of PD, TIG, etc.

But as I said, it created "confusion" because I interpreted it as a turning 21 transition, except that there were comments saying "21 is soon" so I thought what *other* reason was there that it would automatically happen.  (Besides the AD, marriage, etc., reason)

Capt Ford

#42
Well my delima was I joined at 17 and made it to C/SrA just before turning 18, graduating High School, and starting college. Seeing that I was in no way able to make c/SNCO let alone c/Officer, I chose to join the "Dark Side" and become a Flight Officer; of course I was put in a  leadship position of ES officer before I got the grade, and now I sit here as a 20 year old Technical Flight Officer leading my squadron's ES program, and since very little CAP members  know what a black bar with two white lines threw it means they just call me Lt.  ;D, and after correcting them 5 or 6 times I decided to just go with it  ::). Now when I'm out in about and I have someone that's a non CAP member walk up to me and ask me what my rank is and I tell them Flight Officer; unless they grew up in a Navy family, they usually look at me with a very puzzled look; so I refrased the answer to warrent officer, since it's modeled after the Army's WO program and alot of people seem to be very familiar with that rank (thanks to Matt Damon in the "Green Zone"). But the one thing I do like about the FO program is that once I make SFO, which I know I will before my 21st b-day, I can switch over to Capt., which works since I was to old to make it to spaatz.

The point of all this is if your a cadet stay one and work hard towards c/Officer (unless you are in the same boat I was or something similiar such as Marriage) the cadet side is the fun side, don't rush it, because they mean it when they say "Dark Side", becoming a FO might sound all fun and great, but the reality is is that it's frustrating as ever, and it's mostly all work and very little play. So you choose.
JOHN E FORD, Capt, CAP
Assistant Administration Officer
Florida Wing



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Quote from: TFO Ford on September 17, 2010, 06:24:06 AM
But the one thing I do like about the FO program is that once I make SFO, which I know I will before my 21st b-day, I can switch over to Capt., which works since I was to old to make it to spaatz.
Not directly. Your TIG as SFO would need to be combined with TIG as 1st Lt to total 18 months to be eligible for Capt. Since you will have less than 18 months as a SFO, you will need to spend the remainder as a 1st Lt before being eligible for Capt.

Майор Хаткевич

Quote from: bte on September 17, 2010, 01:33:30 PM
Quote from: TFO Ford on September 17, 2010, 06:24:06 AM
But the one thing I do like about the FO program is that once I make SFO, which I know I will before my 21st b-day, I can switch over to Capt., which works since I was to old to make it to spaatz.
Not directly. Your TIG as SFO would need to be combined with TIG as 1st Lt to total 18 months to be eligible for Capt. Since you will have less than 18 months as a SFO, you will need to spend the remainder as a 1st Lt before being eligible for Capt.

It's actually 12 months as SFO, but if you miss the deadline, say by a month, you're stuck with 11 down, 7 to go.

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Quote from: USAFaux2004 on September 17, 2010, 02:09:35 PM
Quote from: bte on September 17, 2010, 01:33:30 PM
Quote from: TFO Ford on September 17, 2010, 06:24:06 AM
But the one thing I do like about the FO program is that once I make SFO, which I know I will before my 21st b-day, I can switch over to Capt., which works since I was to old to make it to spaatz.
Not directly. Your TIG as SFO would need to be combined with TIG as 1st Lt to total 18 months to be eligible for Capt. Since you will have less than 18 months as a SFO, you will need to spend the remainder as a 1st Lt before being eligible for Capt.

It's actually 12 months as SFO, but if you miss the deadline, say by a month, you're stuck with 11 down, 7 to go.
No. It's 18 months as SFO/1st Lt combined. There is no provision for 12 Mo as SFO qualifies for Capt.
The only times a SFO would qualify directly for Capt is if either the member has been a SFO for at least 18 months or the SFO is a Spaatz award recipient.

Capt Ford


No. It's 18 months as SFO/1st Lt combined. There is no provision for 12 Mo as SFO qualifies for Capt.
The only times a SFO would qualify directly for Capt is if either the member has been a SFO for at least 18 months or the SFO is a Spaatz award recipient.
[/quote]

So basically 9 months as SFO and 9 months as 1 st Lt.?
JOHN E FORD, Capt, CAP
Assistant Administration Officer
Florida Wing



Майор Хаткевич

Quote from: bte on September 17, 2010, 02:33:50 PM
Quote from: USAFaux2004 on September 17, 2010, 02:09:35 PM
Quote from: bte on September 17, 2010, 01:33:30 PM
Quote from: TFO Ford on September 17, 2010, 06:24:06 AM
But the one thing I do like about the FO program is that once I make SFO, which I know I will before my 21st b-day, I can switch over to Capt., which works since I was to old to make it to spaatz.
Not directly. Your TIG as SFO would need to be combined with TIG as 1st Lt to total 18 months to be eligible for Capt. Since you will have less than 18 months as a SFO, you will need to spend the remainder as a 1st Lt before being eligible for Capt.

It's actually 12 months as SFO, but if you miss the deadline, say by a month, you're stuck with 11 down, 7 to go.
No. It's 18 months as SFO/1st Lt combined. There is no provision for 12 Mo as SFO qualifies for Capt.
The only times a SFO would qualify directly for Capt is if either the member has been a SFO for at least 18 months or the SFO is a Spaatz award recipient.

Gah, I have no idea where that came from...

From CAPR35-5

QuotePromotion To Minimum Skill Level I Time-In-Grade
2d Lt Level 1 6 months as senior member
1st Lt Tech Rating 12 months as 2d Lt or TFO
(Specialty Track) (or combination thereof)
Captain Level II 18 months as 1st Lt or SFO
(or combination thereof)

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Quote from: TFO Ford on September 17, 2010, 02:50:27 PM
Quote from: bte on September 17, 2010, 02:33:50 PMNo. It's 18 months as SFO/1st Lt combined. There is no provision for 12 Mo as SFO qualifies for Capt.
The only times a SFO would qualify directly for Capt is if either the member has been a SFO for at least 18 months or the SFO is a Spaatz award recipient.

So basically 9 months as SFO and 9 months as 1 st Lt.?

Yes, if you are promoted to SFO 9 months prior to turning 21.


Capt Ford

JOHN E FORD, Capt, CAP
Assistant Administration Officer
Florida Wing