I recently attended our wing conference. While there, I had the pleasure of talking with 2 female CAP officers. During the discussions, I found out that they were both squadron commanders. Holding true to CAP's way of doing things, both were made commander within months of joining.
They were thrust into the position of greatness without any training or support from higher headquarters, i.e. group and wing.
I told them of my 14 years experience as Squadron Commander. One of the things I found that helped me was a 3 ring binder with all the important info in it that should be at your finger tips. The Air Force calls these continuity binders. They should pass from one commander to the next so that important items do not get overlooked.
These are also great to make up for each duty assignment.
This is what I recommended that they now have in the binder:
Copies of the CAPR 0-2 & 0-9
All the safety regs and forms
Rosters – your squadron members, wing squadrons, wing staff (you can download the last 2 from the wing website and the first one from e-services)
Copies of all the CAP property items and forms such as S-3, S-8 and inventories of supplies
Copies of the CAPF2a for Safety Officer, Logistics and Communications showing their appointment
Copies of the ES reports from e-services showing training completed by your members
Copy of the page of CAPR 20-1 showing the squadron commander duties.
Copy of the page in the CAPR 50-17 showing senior training requirements.
Copy of the page in the CAPR 50-16 showing the cadet training requirements.
Subordinate Unit Inspection guide and copy of the last IG inspection.
Anything else that is important for day-to-day operation.
All of this in a 2-3" ring binder w/tabs.
Cover with the squadron name and Commander's Continuity Binder for the title.
I would like input from former commanders of other items that they deem important in such a binder.
We have done something similar but have @ 19 binders. If you take the SUI Guide and break it down into a seperate binder then fill that binder with the specifics of that "job", anytime you have a question ask the binder plus it makes inspections much easier.
Each binder includes:
>An order from me stating that it will be kept inspection ready at all times, etc.
>A copy of the appointment of that individual(s) to the position.
>Copy of the specialty track
>20-1 job description
>SUI Inspection Tab W/ detailed answers to the questions
>All regs etc associated with the SUI Tab
>Prior Inspection results
>Forms etc needed along with CORRECTLY filled out samples
>Reports etc S-3, etc that you need to keep up with.
Basically if Joe dies today Moe can pick up tomorrow and not miss a beat.
Very nice. I wish our unit would have had these in place back when I was made Squadron Commander. It would have made my job easier. I would have stayed on longer.
The Army calls them Leader Books.
Wow. You were a Squadron Commander for 14 years?
Yep, break the SUI stuff down into books along with copies of the relevant publications. For new commanders the SUI (or whatever they're calling it now) is probably the quickest way to find out what CAP really thinks is important for them and their people to be doing -- at least administratively.
I created one when I was CC and tried to give it my replacement. He said "no thanks, I'll do things my way".
So I recently dusted it off and am using it as a DCC.
That old squadron of mine is hanging by a thread.
Quote from: flyguy06 on May 09, 2009, 06:10:26 PM
The Army calls them Leader Books.
Wow. You were a Squadron Commander for 14 years?
Actually I was commander twice, 11 years the first time, 3 the second. In that time, I got Composite Squadron of the year 3 times and our Ground Team placed 1st in all the SAR Competitions, both wing and region.
Like most commanders, the position was thrust upon me. The commander at the time walked into the room a few minutes before the meeting was ready to begin. He looked at me and said "I am glad you are here, you are now commander". He then walked out, never to return. I was a 22 year old 1st lieutenant. If it had not been that I was a former cadet, I would have crashed and burned early on.
It took me a couple of years to just figure out what was going on and how to do it. Once I started getting things figured out, I really enjoyed being commander. I even talked the wing commander, at that time, into letting be start a program that I called the Commanders Round Table. I chaired it for years. The purpose of the Round Table was to help new commanders get up to speed in the program and to be good leaders. Now National has a program that is called the Unit Commanders Course. It is a great course, but lacks on the follow-up that new commanders need.