First Encampment for Newbie

[etodd]

I brought in a new cadet starting this month. Summer encampment coming up this June. Is it too soon? Should he wait until Winter when he has been in for a few more months and has a better feel for everything? Would encampment blow him away with too much expected of a newbie? Or would it help jump start it all? He is 17.

[baronet68]

At 17, this cadet is hardly a "delicate flower" and should definitely go to encampment as soon as possible.

[NC Hokie]

Send him!  I sent some 12-14 year old cadets with less than three months of membership to encampment last year.  They did not break and have done better than most of the other cadets that did not go.

[etodd]

Thanks.

[LTC Don]

AND --

Get him in the air.  Frequently.  Once 18, orientation flights cease.  Stupid rule, but there it is.

[Eclipse]

The functional expectation at encampment is Curry-level activity. As long as he is capable at that level, he'll be fine.

Encampment is not BMT, nor even BCT (as that's Curry).  It's more akin to a tech school.

Make sure he, and your other cadets going, are well-prepared with the things on the equipment list (and nothing more),
and have practiced things like basic drill AE knowledge, and cadet knowledge.

The in-process / final evaluation points can be found here:  http://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/Cadet_Assessment_97E8EA097AD07.pdf

And the entirely of the curriculum, including al classes and the student guide here: http://www.capmembers.com/cadet_programs/activities/encampment/

You might consider some discussion around the Honor Agreement and being evaluated by people you don't know, but beyond that,
as mentioned, there are 12 year olds with 3 months in who participate every year with no issues.

First-year encampment participation is considered a mitigating factor in cadet retention.

[etodd]

AND --

Get him in the air.  Frequently.  Once 18, orientation flights cease.  Stupid rule, but there it is.

Since he is just starting at 17, he might stay a Cadet until 21 (permissible as long as he stays in school). As long as he progresses quickly enough, he could still possibly get some flight training as a Cadet before tuning 21 and aging out of Cadets.

[THRAWN]

AND --

Get him in the air.  Frequently.  Once 18, orientation flights cease.  Stupid rule, but there it is.

Since he is just starting at 17, he might stay a Cadet until 21 (permissible as long as he stays in school). As long as he progresses quickly enough, he could still possibly get some flight training as a Cadet before tuning 21 and aging out of Cadets.

You might want to do some research and edit this post before the wolves come out....

[Eclipse]

Since he is just starting at 17, he might stay a Cadet until 21 (permissible as long as he stays in school).

There is no requirement a cadet "stay in school" to remain a cadet until they are 21, beyond the subjective
of not failing academically where / if they are enrolled.

An 18 year old cadet who graduates high school and does not go to college may remain a cadet until 21.

[Майор Хаткевич]

The functional expectation at encampment is Curry-level activity. As long as he is capable at that level, he'll be fine.

Outside of the drill...

[Eclipse]

The functional expectation at encampment is Curry-level activity. As long as he is capable at that level, he'll be fine.

Outside of the drill...

Fair enough - though now that we're back to "can't fail if you are there 80% of the time", not really a serious concern.
Most of the drill is "follow-me" type stuff that they learn / work on on the fly (for students, cadre is a different story).

[RogueLeader]

The functional expectation at encampment is Curry-level activity. As long as he is capable at that level, he'll be fine.

Outside of the drill...

Cite please that students are required to know more than whats on the Curry Drill Exam to go to Encampment.

Last Year, we had a C/1Sgt reaming a Flight due to their lack of advanced drill.  90% of them were Amn or A1C's.  He got a stern talking to about butting in where he shouldn't have, and exactly what Amn were expected to know.

[Майор Хаткевич]

The functional expectation at encampment is Curry-level activity. As long as he is capable at that level, he'll be fine.

Outside of the drill...

Fair enough - though now that we're back to "can't fail if you are there 80% of the time", not really a serious concern.
Most of the drill is "follow-me" type stuff that they learn / work on on the fly (for students, cadre is a different story).

I'm just saying, the requirement is Curry, but anyone who sends any cadets to encampment should at least cover the basics of actual movement drill.

[RogueLeader]

I should also say that, yes, Encampment is a whole lot easier if they do know more drill, but they aren't required to. 

I take it as an another opportunity for the Flight Staff to work with cadets on Leadership and instruction.

[Майор Хаткевич]

The functional expectation at encampment is Curry-level activity. As long as he is capable at that level, he'll be fine.

Outside of the drill...

Cite please that students are required to know more than whats on the Curry Drill Exam to go to Encampment.

Last Year, we had a C/1Sgt reaming a Flight due to their lack of advanced drill.  90% of them were Amn or A1C's.  He got a stern talking to about butting in where he shouldn't have, and exactly what Amn were expected to know.

I don't have a cite. It's a point of expectation vs reality.


Cadets arrive, typically get in formation, and get marched to their destination. In theory, you can have a C/Amn who has no idea how to do that. In practice, it's not an issue (most of the time). But the expectation that an encampment is the place where a cadet who just learned left and right face is going to be "on the curve" is simply not correct. I'd actually love to shift the drill tests, with the achievement 1 drill test being a pre-curry requirement, and for the curry, achievement 2 drill test being the norm.

[etodd]

First-year encampment participation is considered a mitigating factor in cadet retention.

I can read that both ways. Not sure what you mean. I guess Encampment could scare off some newbies and others may love it and want more.

[Eclipse]

First-year encampment participation is considered a mitigating factor in cadet retention.

I can read that both ways. Not sure what you mean. I guess Encampment could scare off some newbies and others may love it and want more.

it's been indicated by NHQ repeatedly over the years that getting a cadet to encampment in their first year will generally result in
longer retention. My personal experience bears that out.

Commanders should be discussing encampments and similar activities as "part and parcel" of the cadet program, with an expectation that
every cadet will get to "something" in a given year.  Far too many never even mention them, or talk about them as if they were somehow "separate"
from the "real" program.   In some cases this is to hide their own failed program from the rest of the wing - sending cadets to larger activities
tends to expose training flaws and misconceptions at the home units, which is one of the intents of encampments to begin with.

There's nothing to be scared of with properly executed encampments, beyond the growth experience of "pooping away from home", and most parents are
mightily impressed, grateful, and little sad when they see what a few days away from home can do for an adolescent, not to mention that the
cadets come back to unit meetings reinvigorated which raises the unit spirit and makes those that didn't go think about "next time".

[Garibaldi]

Cheese and rice...

I went to my first encampment at 13, having been in 6 months. I went every year until I graduated and went in the Army. I learned more at encampment than I did in Basic, it felt like. I already knew the scut-work side (making bunks, spacing hangers and uniforms, etc.) and the D&C was similar enough that I had no real issues other than my feet, which got me discharged 33 days after entering. I really felt that encampment was harder, in some cases, than Basic. Except for the guns and tear gas.

[Eclipse]

I really felt that encampment was harder, in some cases, than Basic. Except for the guns and tear gas.

Consider your age, if nothing else.

Some kids' first experience away from home is BMT, a hard lesson to learn at the same time some dude is yelling at you about your shoelaces.

You got past being away from mom and dad, plus having to be not only self-reliant, but also responsible to and for others, at an age many kids today
aren't even allowed to walk to school by themselves.

Seriously, it's hard to over-emphasize the value of these experiences.

[Майор Хаткевич]

at an age many some kids today aren't even allowed to walk to school by themselves.

I'm willing to bet it's a very small minority. Things aren't all that bad, kids still grow up, and still become adults.