Cadets and Specialty Tracks

Started by rmj, March 03, 2005, 05:17:44 PM

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rmj

Hello, I was just wondering if cadets are allowed to enroll in a specialty track and receive the same recognition and credit as a Senior Member would?  i.e. PAO, ES Officer, or AE Officer

arajca

The only specialty badges cadets can earn are:
Emergency Services - Technician
Communications - Technician, Senior, Master.
That's it.

It was not an oversight by National, it was a conscious decision.

Horn229

And just to add something here, cadets can only earn the badges, they won't have the official rating, that can only be earned as a SM. Now if that means that everything must be done over again as a SM or just turn SM and you've got it then, I dunno.
NICHOLAS A. HORN, Senior Member, CAP

arajca

According to the Knowledge Base, one the badge is awarded, the rating goes with it, so when a cadet with a Comm Master rating turns senior, they keep the rating.

Quote from: CAP Knowledge BaseThe short answer to your question is that cadets may qualify only for the basic Emergency Services badge and the Communications badges (ref: CAPR 35-6, paragraph 2; and CAPR 100-1, paragraph 9 respectively). The other specialty track badges are reserved for senior members. But to answer your question more fully, see the discussion below on the intent of the specialty track badge awards program.

Only cadets busy themselves with drill, physical fitness, leadership, cadet activities, etc. CAP recognizes this. That's why only a cadet can earn cadet grade and cadet awards like the Mitchell. Likewise, I hope you agree that CAP is right to set aside certain awards for seniors to recognize their unique contributions.

The specialty track awards are a good example. As explained in CAPR 50-17, "CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program," CAP has developed specialty track training programs to prepare a corps of adults to serve in staff positions and contribute to CAP missions. When a senior member earns a technician, senior, or master rating in a specialty track, they become eligible for the corresponding specialty track badge.

But why then can cadets earn the Emergency Services and Communications badges? Those badges (along with the Safety Badge) are the oldest of the specialty badges. There was a time when cadets participating in ES missions had no other form of recognition -- no ground team badge, no EMT badge, etc., like we have today. During this period years ago, CAP policy makers decided that cadets could qualify for the ES and Communications badges, as a way to reward their ES participation. But two years ago, when CAP policy makers added new specialty track badges in the CAP Senior Member Professional Development Program, they did not choose to make another exception that would allow cadets to earn them .

I hope this has answered your question.

CURT LAFOND | Hq Civil Air Patrol | 334.953.4304
LEAD Team: Leadership, Education, and Development |CAP.gov