National Communications Team Leader Tenders Resignation

[STEVEN ROBESON]

My understanding is that LTC Mike Marek has tended his resignation.

Allegedly the resignation is do to the changes made (likely by the Senior Ops Advisor ) in the way the volunteer communications team interacts with National Hq.   Mike Marek does not believe the change are in the best interest of the communications program .

I think the senior ops advisor is relatively new to that position.  Should be interesting to see & hear more about this change in protocol which caused this dedicated member to quit this position
RM   

Sorry, Ladies and Gentlemen, but all I can say is good riddance.

For those of us who have been around long enough to know the difference, Mr. Marek's departure is long overdue.  I am hard-pressed to see how his resignation could be anything but a plus for Civil Air Patrol.

As for what Mr. Marek believes is or is not good for the communications program, I for one believe that he readily confuses his ideology for program effectiveness, and the results have been telling.

This organization's communications program, despite the infusion of tens-of-millions of dollars of the tax payer's trust, is EXPONENTIALLY LESS CAPABLE than it was BEFORE Mr. Marek's meddling.  It makes one wonder why he's not under federal indictment.  His "Fresh Start" exercise AAR (After Action Report) should have been the nail in his professional (CAP) coffin, but only in CAP can you manifest a single digit efficiency score of a multi-million dollar program and be lauded for your 'performance'.

Maybe he's the best 'mass media' professor in the midwest, but when it comes to operational radio communications, he's dropped the ball.  He just doesn't get it.  He doesn't have a 'big picture' concept of what 'emergency communications' is, nor does he have an inkling as to what is required for effective command and control of dispersed forces, that being the most basic need for an organization like CAP.

Furthermore, his heavy handed, "I'm In Charge And You Can Shut Up" censorship practices have led to predictable failures.  When you won't listen to the rank-and-file or at least accomodate their counsel, you're doomed to fail. 

For those of us who are actually involved in other real-world emergency communications, CAP's reputation in the realm of radio communications has been so hobbled as to make one wonder why Congress hasn't intervened yet.  We can't communicate with each other let alone get messages from coast-to-coast like we used to be able to do, but the current management doesn't see this as failures.  They continue to enact policy changes that are, in a word, Orwellian. 

And "interoperability"...?!?!  CAP's been a perennial no-show at the DICE, or Defense Interoperability Communications Exercise for five years running...How can you be 'interoperable' when you won't 'interact"...?!?!

Of course, since his 'staff' has cut the legs out from under the program, Marek and his associates want to use that as justification for buying even more expensive gear to 'fix' the 'problem'.   The 'fixes' for what ails this program, ironically, can be implemented for volunteer provided pennies-on-the-taxpayer's hard-earned dollar, but then that doesn't provide the ego-salving rush of spending millions of appropriated tax dollars.

This organization's communications program was once one of the most robust, vibrant, and exciting places for a 'radio geek' to be because it brought together the satisfaction of knowing your skills and talents were being used for a meaningful and necessary mission.  Where is that today? 

And before anyone jumps up and starts nay-saying my comments herein:  I challenge ANY commander at ANY level of CAP command and control to conduct an un-announced exercise where it is presumed that the commerical communications infrastructure has been compromised and CAP communications are the ONLY means by which he/she can manage deployed forces for at least 48 hours.  No cellphones...No telephone...No Internet...

Think it can't happen?  Ask the folks in the midwest floods of the 90's.  Ask the folks in Louisiana.

I for one have taken my "Communications" patches off of my BDU's until we get a competent program back, I get frustrated enough to resign, or I get -2B'd for being too vocal about the malfeasance of certain program managers.

Steven J Robeson, LPN
Major   NatPatRon  CAP
K4YZ

[admin edit. removed font settings]

[cnitas]

Don't hold back.  What do you really think?   

[desertengineer1]

I kept telling myself to resist posting something, until I saw that one....

Here's my personal opinion...

Mike is a volunteer.  He stepped forward at a seriously challenged time, when pretty much everyone else in our ranks took the attitude that "someone else will handle it".  He had to make some really hard decisions, and do what he felt was the right thing.  I can't even begin to judge the guy, because I have no idea what environment he had to deal with.

But I can tell you this...  Do not forget that Mike stepped up to the plate when most of everyone else didn't.  If you have not dealt with issues such as the NB transition, policy changes, major re-write regarding the communications mission, and all the nasty politics and arguments that come with it, then maybe you should think twice before jabbing him, or anyone with the brass to step up and try to make a difference.

I was making futile attempts to work a seriously historic effort at our wing a year or so ago.  Mike NEVER ignored my emails pleading for help or clarification on how to get something done.  He was one of maybe three guys working to help those of us at wing level get systems that AF paid serious $$ for up. 

Personally, I am saddened that Mike departs our ranks.  We need about 20 more of him to get the rest of the work up to par.

Just as the military branches have learned the hard way, we must also realize that communications is no longer a "service" complimenting our missions.  It is a mission in itself. 

I take offense to any comments such as the one I just read.  They anger me because these guys are busting butts to make a difference.  They are stepping up to take on hard challenges.

So, might I recommend that instead of lobbing bricks around in your glass houses, either step up to take a little load off the guys trying to get us up to par, or keep such unprofessional opinions to yourselves.  It's not professional.  It's not cool.  It's not what we are about. 

We're better than that.  If you can't "get that", then maybe it's time you consider another organization.

   

[Eclipse]

The worst part of this is that we started with one member looking to make some sort of "hay" in someone else's name, and now we have an inactive member coming out to disparage that person, and in all of this, the person being discussed did not appear to be interested in the conversation.

[SARJunkie]

Sorry, Ladies and Gentlemen, but all I can say is good riddance.

---removed rant---
Steven J Robeson, LPN
Major   NatPatRon  CAP
K4YZ

I Love this guy!  Well said Major!

[whatevah]

I don't see this thread going anywhere positive.   Locked.

[Pylon]

It's already crossed the Membership Code of Conduct line of making accusations against other people.  That's not a line we've allowed to be crossed before, and we're not about to begin now.