How many people have received a CAP decoration?

[davedove]

Some of our people are under the misconception that there is the "ribbon" fairy who magically appears and places a ribbon for some activity or training under their pillow at night.

I disagree a little. A good Personnel Officer should be tracking things like promotions and Red Service. My Personnel Officer, and I before her, built a spreadsheet that gets updated once a month with all the necessary dates and accomplishments. When someone is due, the form gets filled out, and sent through.

That's what I have done.  I have a spreadsheet that tracks Red Service eligibility, PD accomplishments, promotion eligibility, and a few other things.  I just fill in the blanks and when the individual is eligible for something I process the paperwork.

[arajca]

Can you put a blank version up?

[Pylon]

Can you put a blank version up?

Indeed, I would love to see the same thing! 

That would be a nifty module to add to SIMS.  Alerts when members are due for things like Red Service ribbons.

[Hawk200]

Some of our people are under the misconception that there is the "ribbon" fairy who magically appears and places a ribbon for some activity or training under their pillow at night.

As a Personnel Officer, I have this problem all the time. And one major irk to me is when I ask someone about when they might have done something, I get the same thing: "I don't quite remember. Maybe it was in July?"

I'm trying to get my unit, which is ten months old, squared away on records. I've only been there 4 months. There are some people wearing ribbons that weren't documented. I was trying to get it documented, and that's the kind of response I was getting. I remain patient, it doesn't help to get annoyed, but it can be irksome.

[davedove]

Can you put a blank version up?

OK, how would I go about attaching a file so I can do this?

[Pylon]

Can you put a blank version up?

OK, how would I go about attaching a file so I can do this?

Click "Additional Options" when posting a reply.  Click the "Browse" button, find the file you want to attach, and voila!  If you're having an issue posting the Excel file, try zipping it first.

[bosshawk]

I may have an odd collection of these things: Life Saving and Unit Citation.  Got both for flying CAP missions: Life Saving for doing a whole bunch of transporting of organs and blood, mostly in the middle of Saturday nights.  The Unit Citation because I belonged to (and commanded) a Sq that regularly flew more ES hours than just about any other in CAWG, had a number of distress finds and the above-mentioned Life Saving flights.  Also have two distress finds up in the Sierra Nevada Mts.  Pretty ordinary for a CAP pilot.

[Chappie]

Some of our people are under the misconception that there is the "ribbon" fairy who magically appears and places a ribbon for some activity or training under their pillow at night.

I disagree a little. A good Personnel Officer should be tracking things like promotions and Red Service. My Personnel Officer, and I before her, built a spreadsheet that gets updated once a month with all the necessary dates and accomplishments. When someone is due, the form gets filled out, and sent through.

Unfortunately, not all squadrons are as squared away as yours.  I was assigned in a squadron that did not have a personnel officer.  The Squadron CC did as much as he could but many things like promotions, awards, etc. were neglected.  It took me 2 years before my Level 2 and Master Rating got posted.  It wasn't until I had been educated in some of the ways of Professional Development that I was able to get those posted...a bit of self-initiative.

You are to be commended for watching out for your squadron personnel.

[ColonelJack]

I received seven Commander's Commendation awards -- one for service at a cadet encampment (and believe me, I earned that one), and the other six for each of the years I served as a squadron commander.  My Group CC at the time felt that recognizing his squadron CCs that way was fit and proper, and I am not going to argue with that (mainly because he's no longer with us, God rest his soul, but also because he believed that awards and promotions were CAP's version of payday). 

Not long before I left in '96, the fellow who replaced him as Group CC put me up for a Meritorious Service, which was approved.

Jack

[Robert Hartigan]

I have been awarded Meritorious Service twice, once as a cadet and once for my work as the GLR HQ Cadet Programs Officer. I have also received four Commander's Commendations in the twenty-two years I have been a member. I wear my USAF Ribbons and three CAP ribbons on occasion, Meritorious Service, Commander's Commendation, and Spaatz. I feel that everything else is garnish and adds nothing to the taste of the fruit salad.

[DrJbdm]

I received the Commanders Commendation award in my first year as a member for my actions while serving as a TAC Officer at the Wing Encampment.

[RiverAux]

I've received a variety of awards at various levels, some of which I feel I probably earned and others for which my actions probably weren't really deserving of any recognition.  Probably balances out in the end.

However, I fully agree that the major problem with deserving folks not getting awards is the failure of their commanders (or their Personnel officers) to recommend them.  Sure, as mentioned you will get some award recommendations that don't cut the mustard, but at least those commanders tried to do the right thing. 

Unfortunately, I think award nominations are seen by some as just another form of useless paperwork.  Thats not true, but I have a lot of sympathy for the typical squadron commander who, if they are lucky, have only 2-3 other hard workers helping with the administration of their unit.  This makes it difficult to find time to do stuff like this. 

[afgeo4]

Did I not just see that every staff senior member of the Nevada encampment recieve the Commander's Commendation Medal? 

I mean I don't know if their encampment was extraordinary or maybe every single member went above and beyond the call of duty during the event, but does an encampment for 70 cadets at a "premium" Air Force base where many things are done for us warrant such a commendation for EVERY senior member? Is't working at an encampment awarded by the encampment ribbon?

I dunno, but seems like the NY Wing's encampment for 150+ cadets at a small ANG base might be more work and almost no one ever gets the CC Medal there (or anything other than the encampment ribbon).

I just think it's stuff like that that cheapens the award when it's issued for something really worthy.

PS: Did anyone read that story? It said the cadets and seniors were able to qualify for the Air Force Marksmanship Ribbon while at Nellis AFB. I believe the USAF doesn't give out the ribbon to non-USAF personnel.

[Guardrail]

PS: Did anyone read that story? It said the cadets and seniors were able to qualify for the Air Force Marksmanship Ribbon while at Nellis AFB. I believe the USAF doesn't give out the ribbon to non-USAF personnel.

Yes, the USAF does not give out the AF Small Arms Expert ribbon to non-USAF personnel.  However, cadets and seniors can qualify for the ribbon and have that transfer over to the AF should they choose to enlist or join as an officer. 

[Pylon]

PS: Did anyone read that story? It said the cadets and seniors were able to qualify for the Air Force Marksmanship Ribbon while at Nellis AFB. I believe the USAF doesn't give out the ribbon to non-USAF personnel.

Yes, the USAF does not give out the AF Small Arms Expert ribbon to non-USAF personnel.  However, cadets and seniors can qualify for the ribbon and have that transfer over to the AF should they choose to enlist or join as an officer. 

Do you have a reference for that assertion?

[Guardrail]

PS: Did anyone read that story? It said the cadets and seniors were able to qualify for the Air Force Marksmanship Ribbon while at Nellis AFB. I believe the USAF doesn't give out the ribbon to non-USAF personnel.

Yes, the USAF does not give out the AF Small Arms Expert ribbon to non-USAF personnel.  However, cadets and seniors can qualify for the ribbon and have that transfer over to the AF should they choose to enlist or join as an officer. 

Do you have a reference for that assertion?

No sir.  I attended the Colorado Wing encampment as a cadet and the Air Force personnel at the AF Academy marksmanship range told us that if we qualified Expert, the records would be saved if any of us wanted to join the Air Force, and that those records would be transferred over.

[MIKE]

2.3. Handgun Orientation Training. Handgun orientation training may be conducted for United States
Air Force Academy (USAFA) Cadets, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) officer accessions, and
possibly Civil Air Patrol (CAP) personnel. This training consists of classroom instruction in general firearms
safety, basic operation, and marksmanship fundamentals. After completion of classroom training,
students participate in a live-fire session by completing phase II (evaluation) of the handgun Air Force
Qualification Course (AFQC). Trainees earn the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (SAEMR) if
they achieve an expert score. This program does not qualify an individual for armed duty. If qualification
is required, personnel must meet the full objectives and requirements in AFMAN 36-2227 for the handgun
AFQC training program.

[DNall]

2.3. Handgun Orientation Training. Handgun orientation training may be conducted for United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) Cadets, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) officer accessions, and possibly Civil Air Patrol (CAP) personnel. This training consists of classroom instruction in general firearms safety, basic operation, and marksmanship fundamentals. After completion of classroom training, students participate in a live-fire session by completing phase II (evaluation) of the handgun Air Force Qualification Course (AFQC). Trainees earn the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (SAEMR) if they achieve an expert score. This program does not qualify an individual for armed duty. If qualificationis required, personnel must meet the full objectives and requirements in AFMAN 36-2227 for the handgun AFQC training program.

Really? By that read it seems like the ribbon is awarded, not held to enlistment/commissioning. I know that you do shoot at field training in AFROTC & can be awarded the ribbon, but at that point you are formally under contract & in the AF. Which is aof course the case at the academy as well. Can anyone clarify that CAP members would actually be able to earn the ribbon prior to enlistment, cause that's a huge incentive.

[MIKE]

I'm just providing the relevant cite... Even if the ribbon is awarded, CAPR 39-3 restricts wear.

[DNall]

Did I not just see that every staff senior member of the Nevada encampment recieve the Commander's Commendation Medal? 

I mean I don't know if their encampment was extraordinary or maybe every single member went above and beyond the call of duty during the event, but does an encampment for 70 cadets at a "premium" Air Force base where many things are done for us warrant such a commendation for EVERY senior member? Is't working at an encampment awarded by the encampment ribbon?

I dunno, but seems like the NY Wing's encampment for 150+ cadets at a small ANG base might be more work and almost no one ever gets the CC Medal there (or anything other than the encampment ribbon).

I just think it's stuff like that that cheapens the award when it's issued for something really worthy.

PS: Did anyone read that story? It said the cadets and seniors were able to qualify for the Air Force Marksmanship Ribbon while at Nellis AFB. I believe the USAF doesn't give out the ribbon to non-USAF personnel.

By the way, our encampments run 200-250 twice a year at a dusty nasty broke down ARNG base in let me spell H-O-T for ya central Texas & there was no AC till this year & little sleep for anyone because of it. I ain't seen no comendation yet. Don't think any senior members get one. It's expected that Wg CP be on the ball & run that well, plus a lot of other things too.

I'm just providing the relevant cite... Even if the ribbon is awarded, CAPR 39-3 restricts wear.

Roger, and thanks! I hadn't seen that before. Have to ask about that when I get a chance. I find it curious though that JROTC would not be eligible (says accessions) but CAP would, VERY curious.