Wear of GT Badge

[JROB]

I would like to know does anyone have the current regulations for who can wear a GT badge I was told by the Group ES Officer that it was ok for me to wear it but my squadron cmdr told me that it wasn't and being that the regulations are not specific could I get some help on this

CAPF101
GES
GTM3
SET

[RocketPropelled]

You should probably acquaint yourself with CAP's manuals and regulations.

It's a good way to prevent yourself from being at the whim of the opinions of random people in the organization (except your commanders -- they're still in charge).  Probably best not to bug the Group ES types about whether you can wear a specific badge. That's something your squadron commander has to sign off on....

But if you're really interested in looking it up, here's a start: CAP Regulation 35-6.  Page 2 will be your friend.

[floridacyclist]

One thing that I did not see mentioned on there is that any of these badges or patches are awarded on a CAPF2a or Personnel Authorization....you can't just put them on and wear them. That said, it's not that hard to fill it out and ask your Personnel Officer to process it.

[BigMojo]

I'm not sure if you need to do a 2a on those...this is from 35-6

5. Procedures for Awarding Aeronautical Ratings, Emergency Services (ES) and Ground Team Badges, and ES Patches:
a. Awards requests will automatically be generated when requirements for qualifications or certifications are earned and posted in the national headquarters qualification and certification system, but members may be required to provide proof of completion in order for commanders to approve awards properly. School/activity directors will publish and input certified graduate lists into the national headquarters qualification and certification system to avoid inundating command echelons with award requests. NHQ CAP/DO will provide approved school/activity directors limited access to the national headquarters qualification and certification system to input their certifications.
b. CAP wing or region commanders and school/activity directors, as appropriate, are the approval authority for the award of aeronautical, ES qualification, or ground team badges, and ES Patches to members within their organization.
c. When the wing or region commander approves the request, or the school/activity director certifies completion, the appropriate entry will automatically be made in the member's online records.
d. Ratings are effective the date the entry is approved by the wing or region commander, or the date the school/activity director certifies completion as appropriate in the national headquarters qualification and certification system.

And by the way, this is from the same reg in regards to the requirements to earn the right to wear the basic ground team badge

4. Requirements for Award of the Ground Team Badges:
a. Basic Ground Team Badge:
1) Be qualified as a CAP ground team member in accordance with the CAP 60-series regulations or
2) Graduate from the CAP National Ground Search and Rescue School Basic Course or equivalent program as determined by NHQ CAP/DO and certified by the school/activity director. Each wing and region is encouraged to host ground team schools with the intent of certifying their members. All schools

[Hawk200]

I'm not sure if you need to do a 2a on those...

I know that the latest 2A doesn't have a block for badges anymore, but I fill out a 2A and put the badge earned in the remarks block, and include a statement that they are qualified along with any supporting documentation.

The commander still signs off on it, and it serves as proof that the member earned it. Decs and badges aren't tracked at National, so that may be the only way that a person can show they earned something back in XX Wing, or under the commander from two years ago.

[floridacyclist]

The way it was explained to me back when I was a SM Personnel Officer, the Personnel Officer is supposed to automatically generate the request for the award; note that nobody else seems to do it. This is normally done on a 2a, which is as close as we have to a generic personnel action request form, although we have done them on Personnel Authorizations when we had several members earning their patches/badges simultaneously like after all the Summer NCSAs.

As noted further down in 35-6, the commander has to approve it; if not a 2a, then what exactly is the commander approving?

[BigMojo]

The way it was explained to me was "Thanks to MIMS" it shows you qualified as a GTM3 which is the requirement to wear the badge, therefore no extra paperwork beyond getting the GTM3 approved need be done.

I bow to superior knowledge...I'm still new.

[Camas]

The Personnel Officer is supposed to automatically generate the request for the award.
As noted further down in 35-6, the commander has to approve it; if not a 2a, then what exactly is the commander approving?

I'm not so sure the unit personnel officer has to do anything. If you go into "My Operations Qualifications/National Reports" in e-services and then to "emergency services" and then to "SQTR Entry" and then choose from the dropdown menu "CAP ES Awards" and then pick and choose your GT requirement my guess is that it would automatically be sent to your commander for approval.  If this is the case my guess is that this would qualify you for your respective GT badge and that no CAPF2a would be required. Thoughts?

[Hawk200]

Sometimes National systems don't update. You should attempt in that manner, but it never hurts to have additional documenting paperwork. Any Personnel officer worth his salt will document anything that needs to be, even if it's an extra piece of paper.

[floridacyclist]

Back when I was a SM Personnel Officer, there was no such thing as MIMs...you may remember a thread just a few months ago where I discovered that they had added the CAP ES Awards module in "Operations Qualifications" and we were all excited that we could finally put in for those awards online, but even that is a rather recent development

[DNall]

Back when I was a SM Personnel Officer, there was no such thing as MIMs...you may remember a thread just a few months ago where I discovered that they had added the CAP ES Awards module in "Operations Qualifications" and we were all excited that we could finally put in for those awards online, but even that is a rather recent development

That's been around for a year or two I think. I recert'd most of my ES badges that way off an old 101.

[Eclipse]

The way it was explained to me was "Thanks to MIMS" it shows you qualified as a GTM3 which is the requirement to wear the badge, therefore no extra paperwork beyond getting the GTM3 approved need be done.

This certainly a valid interpretation of the regulations and system, and a very common SOP for a lot of units.  Some like to make a big deal about the badges, which is fine, too, but not required, which is why they aren't on the 2a anymore.

The reason its a good idea to do a 2a anyway, however is that the badges can continue to be worn whether the member maintains qualifications or not.  Many of us have been through several system glitches where members' whole ES history was wiped. A hard copy or .PDF 2a will live far beyond system transitions and currency, especially if you changes units or states.