Quote from: Shuman 14 on July 23, 2025, 04:37:49 PMVanguard NCO Cap Device

So CAP NCO's will wear no Device on the Flight Cap but will wear the above Device on the Service Cap (i.e. Barracks Cover), correct?

USAF Officers, a long time ago, used to wear a miniature US Great Seal Eagle on their Flight Caps, now they just wear their rank insignia.

CAP Officers wear the miniature CAP Officer Cap Device on the Flight Cap to differentiate a CAP Officer from a USAF Officer. If that device is removed from our CAP Device, do we now wear Rank like the USAF, or is the Flight Cap plain except for the Silver and Black braiding on the edges?

USAF Officers NEVER wore an Great Seal Eagle on their flight caps. They have always worn their grade insignia just like they did when they were part of the Army.

SM NCO's wear the CAP NCO Hat Device on their Service Cap, it's the same insignia as the officers wear but with a circle around it. This follows what the Air Force and Army do.

SM NCO's do not wear anything on their flight cap and the wear the "enlisted" flight cap with the blue braid on it and this follows what the Air Force does. This is the same flight cap cadets wear.

Vanguard NCO Cap Device

So CAP NCO's will wear no Device on the Flight Cap but will wear the above Device on the Service Cap (i.e. Barracks Cover), correct?

USAF Officers, a long time ago, used to wear a miniature US Great Seal Eagle on their Flight Caps, now they just wear their rank insignia.

CAP Officers wear the miniature CAP Officer Cap Device on the Flight Cap to differentiate a CAP Officer from a USAF Officer. If that device is removed from our CAP Device, do we now wear Rank like the USAF, or is the Flight Cap plain except for the Silver and Black braiding on the edges?

Quote from: Xylathialus on July 22, 2025, 09:57:24 PM

Quote from: Shuman 14 on April 16, 2025, 10:31:53 PMNCOs get a CAP Hat Badge, cool.

  New ICL says: "8. The following changes authorize the wear of the NCO Cap Device on Service and Flight Caps."

  Then goes on to amend paras 6.2.1.1.1. and 6.2.1.2.1. but nothing re: anything in 6.2.2. (the section addressing the Flight Cap).

 

Say it with me, TYPO. It would be nice if they had done a little quality control before releasing this ICL.
The last change to the 39-1 had removed the Senior Member hat device from the flight cap. This mirrors what the Air Force does.

Quote from: Shuman 14 on April 16, 2025, 10:31:53 PMNCOs get a CAP Hat Badge, cool.

  New ICL says: "8. The following changes authorize the wear of the NCO Cap Device on Service and Flight Caps."

  Then goes on to amend paras 6.2.1.1.1. and 6.2.1.2.1. but nothing re: anything in 6.2.2. (the section addressing the Flight Cap).

 

Tom22, thank you for the information above. That was helpful.

I got this info from somebody I asked in Nov 2019,  so it may be a bit dated.  He said......

"There are 9 courses in AWC. I started in mid 2017 and somewhat took my time. Completing all courses at the end of September this year.

6 courses are self paced, with writing assignments to upload and test to take online. some tests have an unlimited number of retakes, however a key elective will only allow two takes and if failed a second time the student has to select another elective and start over.  Once enrolled in a single self paced course you have 4 months to compete that course. There appeared to be less graded writing assignments in AWC than was the case with ACSC.  Often submitted writing assignments in the self paced courses were pulled back up and used in the collaborative courses where you have the opportunity to receive additional input and the opportunity to revise before they are graded.

3 are collaborative courses with an instructor and up to fifteen or so students (most are Lt Cols in the AF or sister services). There is much posted discussion between instructor and fellow students. Two of these courses are 3 weeks in length and the final one is 4 weeks in length. This final class requires completion of a group authored paper and a good deal of working together with your assigned group. For this final class my group set up weekly conference calls. Two of us were on the East Coast, one on the west coast, one was in Japan and one was deployed to the sandbox.

You are allowed five years to complete AWC start to finish.
 Overall I enjoyed AWC better than ACSC. I am not sure it is easier but AWC is more focused on building a better strategic leader who relies on the full body of their ongoing education as well as their own experiences. AWC has slightly less formal written papers than ACSC.  Total predicted hours of work for AWC is 200 +/-. Whereas ACSC was 250 +/-.

When taking the facilitated/collaborative courses I never tried to pretend my background and experiences matched my Air Force brother and sisters. I often outlined how I addressed leadership issues in the CAP context or from the context of my professional career.  During facilitated courses the instructor often backed up my views and other students often followed my lead. I believe I made the top score among my course classmates in "Applied Senior Leadership". I used CAP experiences as the bases for most of my input and the instructor comments to me expressed how much my CAP experiences should benefit the other students, some of whom were Lt Col's in the AF with less operational and organizational leadership experience than I had. 

I said all of the above not to point to me. But to say as a CAP leader you have nothing to be ashamed of when you match your experiences with theirs.  I am glad I jumped in and started AWC and I am very happy to have completed it. I considered it very worthwhile and time well spent."

 

So, I just got an e-Services notification that my promotion to Lt Col, based on my military service, is pending approval.

As soon as it is approved, I plan on enrolling in the Air War College - Distance Learning Program. I was hoping to find someone with recent experience with the program who was willing to share their thoughts here so I can get an idea of what is ahead. I searched CAP Talk and found a thread from 2009, while helpful, it is dated. Any more recent info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time and attention.
 

While technically not authorized, no one will likely notice and no one that does notice will likely care.

ABUs will be going away (hopefully soon) and as a growing young man, this may not be an issue very much longer after his next growth spurt.

I say go ahead and do it. That's just my opinion of course.

Just as an aside, I'm a left hander so I always have the pen slots on my OCPs moved from my left arm to the right one so I can actually access my pens one-handed. In ten+ years of doing that, only had one person notice and I told him I special ordered left-handed OCPs at CIF and he rolled his eyes and walked away.

Point being no one is going to be scrutinizing your son's calves to eyeball measure the pocket.

Hello. My son is on the short side and he hates how bunched up his ABU pants look when he wears them. There's not much room to hem them because of the lower pockets on the legs. Can I move the pockets up so I can shorten the pants? And yes I looked in the regulations and the only thing I really found is that the pants don't have to be tucked into the boots.

He's 5'5" with a 36" waist and has a stocky build, in case that helps.

Thanks!!

July 5, 2025

James F. Smith
Parker Composite Squadron
Colorado Wing

No obituary