C/BGen

BillB · August 31, 2012, 11:02:14 AM

I'll ask this here since it applies to both CAP History and Cadet Programs. Late in the 1940's I got a phone call from the Wing Commander telling me I was appointed a Cadet Brig. General. However a week later he called and said that ROTC complained that since they didn't have Cadet Brig Generals, CAP couldn't. At the time the highest grade in the cadet program was a cadet major, so to me it didn't make sense, but hey, I was a teenager, what did I know. I und3erstand that nationally six cadets were appointed a C/BGen in the short period, One in FL, GA, NY, CA and I'm unsure of the rest. Anyone have any information on the Cadet Brig General history?

RiverAux · August 31, 2012, 07:13:10 PM

I thought we sent cadets to Hawk Mountain to get big heads so I'm surprised we ever made any Generals.

Garibaldi · August 31, 2012, 07:22:57 PM

Well, I have a set of old cadet rank insignia, both NCO and officer, and always wondered what the gold diamond was for.

a2capt · August 31, 2012, 07:36:14 PM

Except gold comes before silver in the rank insignia.

isuhawkeye · August 31, 2012, 07:53:15 PM

the gold pips were cadet flight officer

Eclipse · August 31, 2012, 07:55:50 PM

I can't begin to imagine what the purpose of a C/BG would be, but the fact that you were appointed seemingly at random
to a position which you didn't even know existed, then to be told it didn't exist at all, just shows how little has changed in the
70 some years CAP has been around.

Garibaldi · August 31, 2012, 07:56:53 PM

It goes like this (in my mind):
C/WO - 1 gold circle
C/2LT - 1 silver circle
C/1LT - 2 silver circles
C/CPT - 3 silver circles
C/MAJ - 1 silver diamond
C/LTC - 2 silver diamonds
C/COL - 3 silver diamonds

So where does the gold diamond come in, or was the rank structure a lot different way back when?

Oh, and notice the diamond in the C/MSGT chevron

Flying Pig · August 31, 2012, 08:06:20 PM

Weve been having this discussion since I was a cadet in the 80s. I was always of the belief it was an urban legend. However since you state that in the 40s you were one. I would venture to guess it was an unofficial "local" idea that never had any official purpose or regulation attached
to it.

BillB · August 31, 2012, 08:12:14 PM

I have never seen a gold diamong, have no idea what that is. The C/BGen was four diamonds. Since CAP at the time had no CLCol, I got two CLCol insignia from ROTC and soldered them together. But never got to wear them before the phone call from the Wing Commander, Col Joe Moody told me the grade had been canceled. Still have the four diamond insignia around somewhere. Doubt it was a "local" thing since the six appointments all occured at the same time and were widely spread across the country.

Garibaldi · August 31, 2012, 08:31:47 PM

Oddly enough, a google search pointed me right back here. I found an old thread about it:

http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=4079.0

Someone says, if you don't want to go look, that Army ROTC had, at one time, C/BG and C/MG, one and two gold diamonds respectively. So, while most of my cloth rank is CAP, an AROTC cutout snuck in somehow.

Case closed, on my end.

Eclipse · August 31, 2012, 08:41:28 PM

Quote from: BillB on August 31, 2012, 08:12:14 PM
I have never seen a gold diamong, have no idea what that is. The C/BGen was four diamonds. Since CAP at the time had no CLCol, I got two CLCol insignia from ROTC and soldered them together. But never got to wear them before the phone call from the Wing Commander, Col Joe Moody told me the grade had been canceled. Still have the four diamond insignia around somewhere. Doubt it was a "local" thing since the six appointments all occured at the same time and were widely spread across the country.

The fact that you had to build your own grade insignia should have been clue #1, the fact you had no idea you were even up for #2, and jumping 3 clicks without even taking a test #3.

If there were a C/BG, every cadet would know day-1 how to make it. Odds are it was local to the wings doing it, or somebody's bright idea that was never vetted, saw light, and got kiboshed.

Critical AOA · August 31, 2012, 08:43:38 PM

I seem to recall that I wore the gold pip after I received my Mitchell in 1974. I also believe I was a Warrant Officer. I was later promoted to 2Lt. That was a long time ago and I have slept since then so my recollections might be wrong. Not sure about the gold diamond.

Flying Pig · August 31, 2012, 09:25:13 PM

Gold pip is a C/ Flight Officer. I was one about 1989-90 time frame

sandman · August 31, 2012, 10:10:23 PM

Interesting if it were true! Four diamond pips are out there in Marine JROTC land. Not sure how they are used though...

Four diamond pips

Just to confuse things a bit, lets add quad round pips too!

Quad round pips

ol'fido · August 31, 2012, 10:29:36 PM

Quote from: Flying Pig on August 31, 2012, 09:25:13 PM
Gold pip is a C/ Flight Officer. I was one about 1989-90 time frame

Before that it was a c/WO.

AlphaSigOU · August 31, 2012, 10:30:05 PM

Gold pip was C/Warrant Officer until about the early 80s, when the title changed to C/Flight Officer. This was around the time the flight officer grades were introduced.

Garibaldi · August 31, 2012, 10:50:41 PM

Wow...six posts saying basically the same thing. Wow. And I though I had a lot of free time on my hands...

JK657 · August 31, 2012, 11:19:37 PM

http://chicagojrotc.entest.org/city_corps_staff.jsp

^^^ Here's a Cadet Brigadier General in JROTC (4 diamonds)

As for a need: How about the senior ranking cadet who acts as an advisor to the National Commander on all things cadet. Kind of like the Command Chief Master Sergeant but in cadet form?

Pylon · August 31, 2012, 11:21:21 PM

Quote from: JK657 on August 31, 2012, 11:19:37 PM
As for a need: How about the senior ranking cadet who acts as an advisor to the National Commander on all things cadet. Kind of like the Command Chief Master Sergeant but in cadet form?

We already have this position, and it's called National Cadet Advisory Council Chairman.

BillB · August 31, 2012, 11:33:29 PM

Eclipse
There were no more tests to take. I already held the Cadet COP with three clasps. There were no more achievements to take a test for. Col Joe Moody, the Wing King told me I would be an advisor, but he never said advisor to what. And since there were five other cadets made C/BGen at the same time, it would not have been a local thing. I'd guess something came up at an informal meeting at a Board meeting and the Wing Kings went forward with the idea.