New Iowa Wing commander Announced

[SDF_Specialist]

My second time through tech school, I had an Airman infected with "Fairness Disease."  Certain events were met with the cry of, "but that's not fair!"

My the end of the course, I got her to stop that with a look.  She would then repeat the mantra:

"Life isn't fair, and the Air Force is less fair than life."

I don't have a dog in this fight, but these things happen.  You just have to suck it up and drive on.

However, if your response to being passed over for Wing King at five years service is resigning, maybe CAP isn't for you.

True, life isn't fair. I think that the major problem right now is that Nick was screwed, and never even got a phone call to tell him how bad it would be. I do like that mantra. That made me chuckle. 

[isuhawkeye]

Lt Col Critelli has not made any public comments stating that he is resigning.  In fact he has committed to trying to get our budget re-committed by the state.  With  new Govenor, and a 0 gain budget mandate times are tough.  Due to our national instability sited in many recent publications our budget has ben lined out.  Lt Col critelli has been actively arguing our viability, and stability.  Unfortunately times like this do not support out argument.

I am a huge supporter of the program, but such an unprofessional encounter like the appointment, and flip flop is enough to drive anyone away.  

[RogueLeader]

Lt. Col. Scheitzach was asked, politely, not to attend the WTA's, and was removed as Squadron Commander in October of 2006.  He was then moved to IA 000 by the IAWG/CC.  At that point he could not participate in wing functions, not with out getting 2b'd.

As for how the sudden change was made.  Do you know of all the stuff going on in the back room.  I don't.  If any of you do, please share.  I'm sorry to hear what happened.  To have it this close, then yanked away, I'd feel insulted as well.  To be perfectly honest, I do not particularly like Critteli, but I DO respect him for what he has done for the wing, and CAP.

For those that are resigning their membership over this, I'm sorry for you.  I do what I can to make my piece better than when I found it, no matter what.  I don't believe- if I was still in IAWG- that I would have quit if Critteli was CC.

Just because you don't know a person, does NOT mean that they do not have the experience necessary to do the job.

Got a question for you.  What do you do if you feel that you made a Mistake that someone will take hard when you fix it?  Do you leave it as is and hope for the best?  Or do you take the hard road, and do what you think will be the best?  I have no way of knowing how Ron will do as CC.  Knowing him, I do feel confident that he will get the job done.  To be sure, there are people that oppose him, but why don't you just do your job and move on?

[Gunner C]

Like we used to say:

"The first indication of trouble was the axe hitting the wood underneath my neck."

A grim state of affairs.

GC

[pixelwonk]

As for how the sudden change was made.  Do you know of all the stuff going on in the back room.  I don't.  If any of you do, please share.  I'm sorry to hear what happened.  To have it this close, then yanked away, I'd feel insulted as well.  To be perfectly honest, I do not particularly like Critteli, but I DO respect him for what he has done for the wing, and CAP.

Jeezum Crowe, dude.  For one who respects the man, you sure have made it clear you don't like him. A lot.


I'm saddened to hear that people would leave CAP over this.  Admittedly, I've thought about non-renewing for lesser reasons in the past. 

The new CC select has a tough row to hoe if key people are gonna split.  If anything, I thought the unique way IA operates was a natural deterrent to things like that happening.

Their reasons are their own.  Still, the missions don't go away, just good people.

[Gunner C]

My take on this is that this incoming commander has been torpedoed before ever sitting down at the desk.  He might be the best commander in CAP for all I know.  But when things are handled like this, for whatever reason, the incoming commander is screwed, blued, and tatooed.

Being a two-time looser commander, I feel for him.

GC

[Johnny Yuma]

isuhawkeye/cadetprogramguy:

PM's coming....


Johnny Y.

[ZigZag911]

Unintentionally, I am sure, senior CAP leaders have ensured a deep division in Iowa Wing that will last for years to come.

Has there been any explanation of this strange behavior? (but not unprecedented) action; I'm sorry to say I've seen it before, even in NJ, fifteen years ago or so -- new wing CC was selected, announced, then someone did a backroom deal and it got changed....actually, now that I think about it, there were two such occasions -- on the second one, the wing staff essentially mutinied, refusing to serve under selectee, who had been wing CV -- he had a reputation for getting things done, attention to safety & details, all that annoying stuff!)

Some of you will say "we're not entitled to any explanation".

Some of you are very unrealistic! This is going to damage morale, split Iowa Wing, ruin their relationship with the state of Iowa and the NG....what's more, it has put the replacement wing CC in an absolutely untenable position. He's condemned in some quarters before he even begins. It's a 'no win' scenario....if he does well, it will be credited to the prior command team; if he fails, there will be delight among those opposed to his appointment.

I'm not sure that there is a way to heal the harm done here....I fear it will be years before Iowa Wing recovers from this, the passage of time and the fading of memories....and it will have a spillover effect in NCR, and throughout the nation....believe me that politicians, NG officers, and others will talk about CAP's latest self-inflicted wound in places far from the Midwest.


Those who are saying "shut up and soldier" might consider for a moment that this is not a "non-selection" situation, but rather a selection followed by rejection -- in very public circumstances, not only affecting CAP, but other interested parties in the state of Iowa....which is where, you may recall, Nick Critelli lives and practices law.

I wonder if there would be such bitter infighting over these positions if the title was
"State Manager" and the only accoutrement was a plastic name tag??

Maybe we ought to try that for awhile, since there's this big uniform revision going on anyway....all senior members in very plain, very functional uniforms (polo shirts & khaki slacks, or dark blue unadorned flight suits/jumpsuits); functional position titles only ('unit leader', 'group supervisor', secretary, treasurer, quartermaster....the blander the better!)

[cyclone]

ZigZag... Well said <lifting my glass of aged beverage in salute>

[lordmonar]

Not really weighing in on who would have been the better choice.

But from a leadership perspective.......geeze......If I made a major decision like who would be a wing CC and then something changed my mind....as a leader I would be doing two things.

First...I would be contacting the rejected candidate right off the back....even before I notified the new Wing CC.

Second...I would be making the general announcement and I would be explaining why the change.

Do I have to.....no of course not....but as was pointed out....with our a full explanation you damage the reputation of the rejected candidate and you look like a leader who can't make a decisions.

With the political situation as it is right now.....this is very bad for CAP.

I feel for whoever takes over IOWG......talk about walking into a mine field.  Half the wing just waiting for you to screw up!  If you start putting your foot down you run the risk of a max exodus.

Lots of luck shaggy!

[Ricochet13]

Not really weighing in on who would have been the better choice.

But from a leadership perspective.......geeze......If I made a major decision like who would be a wing CC and then something changed my mind....as a leader I would be doing two things.

First...I would be contacting the rejected candidate right off the back....even before I notified the new Wing CC.

Second...I would be making the general announcement and I would be explaining why the change.

Do I have to.....no of course not....but as was pointed out....with our a full explanation you damage the reputation of the rejected candidate and you look like a leader who can't make a decisions.

With the political situation as it is right now.....this is very bad for CAP.

I feel for whoever takes over IOWG......talk about walking into a mine field.  Half the wing just waiting for you to screw up!  If you start putting your foot down you run the risk of a max exodus.

Lots of luck shaggy!

Jeez!!  Did we just shoot ourselves in the collective foot . . . AGAIN!!!!

[cyclone]

Jeez!!  Did we just shoot ourselves in the collective foot . . . AGAIN!!!!

Ding Ding Ding!  We have a Winner!

No matter how you slice it, this whole thing is embarrasing...

It's high time for a new Region CC who knows what they are doing to avoid creating black eyes like this one.

[SAR-EMT1]

The way this was handled is an outrage. And I do not know any party involved. The damage to the Wing, and to Mr Critelli may be irrepairable.

May we have more info on this inactive Lt Col? Also on the NCR / CC ??

[NIN]

Geez, I didn't even pay any attention to this thread until just now.

Not knowing any of the players (Lt Col Critelli, being a poster around here, is someone I *knew of* but its not like we've ever traded emails or PMs or anything), its tough for an outsider to gauge whats going on.  But from where I'm at, just reading the traffic here, it sounds like Captain Foxtrot just got a promotion to Major.

Either way it goes now is not going to be pretty.

[Ricochet13]

Jeez!!  Did we just shoot ourselves in the collective foot . . . AGAIN!!!!

Ding Ding Ding!  We have a Winner!

No matter how you slice it, this whole thing is embarrasing...

It's high time for a new Region CC who knows what they are doing to avoid creating black eyes like this one.

I just knew it!    We seemed to have taken even less time and thought in determining the appointment of a Wing Commander than NHQ takes changing uniforms.  NO!  I'm not turning this into a uniform thread!!

[RAZOR]

In reading this thread the least the Region Commander should have done was used Tact and Diplomacy and talked to Lt COl Critelli first and explained his reasons for the change. Apparently Mr Critelli has skills better suited for use in the Iowa wing that can benefit the membership and national as a whole. For whatever reasons NHQ had for making the change, it is done. CAP as a nationwide organization is going to have step up the training and get the members fully trained in all aspects of CAP in order to get a qualified pool of applicants to choose from to properly handle these positions..

[RogueLeader]

I give up . . .
:shrugs:

[cyclone]

The way this was handled is an outrage. And I do not know any party involved. The damage to the Wing, and to Mr Critelli may be irrepairable.

May we have more info on this inactive Lt Col? Also on the NCR / CC ??

The NCR/CC is Col Sean Fagan.  He is originally from MOWG and is identified as a Pineda Posse member by RH... (For what that is worth)...  As a civilian he is a police office in the St. Louis area.   A picture of him is attached.  For more on him ncr.cap.gov has some more.

The inactive Lt Col is Lt Col Ron Scheitzach.  He lives in Dubuque, Iowa.  He joined in 1996 and served as the Commander of the Dubuque Composite Squadron 2 times.  His only current ES qual is a Transport Pilot and he is Level 5 complete.  At one time I believe the highest ES qual he has achieved was Ground Branch Director.  His recent participation in actual ES Missions is considerably less than Lt Col Critelli.

He served as the vice commander under Col Tomlinson initially. He was not behind all of the changes of the re-organization and seemed to be happy with the status quo.  He participated in few, if any, of the meetings with state legislators or officials.  There were issues between him and several of the squadron commanders and wing staff and he sat as a squadron commander and vice at the same time.   He was an integral part of the re-born SUI (Subordinate Unit Inspection) program.  These SUI's were described by one squadron commander as "a proctological exam with lit road flares."  One commander noted being questioned by him as to why they would send their cadets to the WTA's and rely on the Wing for training (yes, he was the Wing Vice...)  With much unrest between him and the unit commanders he left as the Wing Vice around June of 2006 and stayed at his unit.

During his tenures as a squadron commander the unit grew their cadet program, but their ES quals were lacking.   Reliability to field full air and ground crews was a problem at various times.  During his first tenure their unit lost an airplane due to lack of use.  During his 2nd command his unit had very low attendance at WTA's and training and no participation in the OTS.  Morale of the unit was low and other issues arose and he was relieved and a Captain was put in his place. 

This was approximately last November that this happened.  He has not been heard from at the unit or Wing since and was transferred to the Wing 000 Reserve unit.  He was a surprise candidate for the Wing CC selection.

[isuhawkeye]

removed

[Pace]

Mod warning:
My personal opinion aside, this topic is about to go over the line.  So far it hasn't devolved to insults and rumor milling, but it has come very close.  Think before you post on this one folks.  At this point, it's out there.  The outrage has been expressed so if it's going to be read then it will be.  There's no need to keep piling it on.  Let the corporate side sort this out, and do the best you can with what you're given.

Take the personal stuff to PM, or better yet start planning your unit's next activity.

Regardless of the reasoning, one of our own just took a black eye.  My sympathies to you Lt Col Critelli.