Idea: CAP Recognition Ribbon

[JC004]

Don’t kill me!  Hear me out.

FIRST, let me say that I am generally opposed to creating more ribbons and uniform items.  I am also for the possibilities of bringing our ribbons more in line with Air Force ribbons and possibly even consolidating ribbons (for example, I thought the National Commander’s Unit Citation should have used the approach taken with the Commander’s Commendation awarded by the National CC or Region CCs – that is, a special device on the existing ribbon, or redesigning the existing ribbon and replacing it with updating wear instructions).  People should know by now that I generally oppose most uniform changes, particularly without doing a comprehensive review of our uniforms with a full strategy for simplification and, well, uniformity.

That said, I just became aware of the Air Force Recognition Ribbon.  The ribbon is awarded for trophies and awards which do not have corresponding ribbons or medals.  Reading about it, I feel like creating a Civil Air Patrol Recognition Ribbon would be a great way for us to allow members to wear awards (wing or higher in my proposal) which do not have ribbons.  This creates a CONSOLIDATED ribbon so that we do not need to create a whole selection of new ribbons.

In some cases, I have seen a Commander's Commendation awarded with an "of the year"-type award, but this is inconsistently done, so this provides a ribbon for those who receive the awards, but does NOT go crazy with making a ton of different ribbons.

As I see it, the basic ribbon would be awarded for achieving any of the following awards.  Additional awards would be denoted by a bronze clasp.  It would be awarded for Wing, Region, or National-level awards, listed below.  It would be awarded for INDIVIDUAL awards only.  The Air Force also allows it to be awarded to some small teams for specific Air Force-wide competitions.  If we have national-level competitions again for SAR and the like, we maybe could do that (but NOT for NCC, since it has an award).

National Awards

• Senior Member of the Year
• Cadet of the Year
• Director of Finance of the Year Award
• Colonel Edwin W. Lewis, Jr. Incident Staff Member of the Year Award
• Colonel Dion E. DeCamp Ground Team of the Year Award (For awards to an entire team, members must be current and active team members at the time of the award. Members of the unit at large are not eligible.)
• Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year
• Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Officer of the Year Award
• George Texido Legislative Officer of the Year Award
• Norm Edwards Counterdrug Officer of the Year Award
• F. Ward Reilly Leadership Award
• National Certificate of Appreciation (CAPC 36)
• Safety Officer of the Year Award (Ref: CAPR 62-1)
• Distinguished Aviator Award (Ref: CAPR 62-1)
• Frank G. Brewer CAP Memorial Aerospace Awards (Ref: CAPR 280-2) (Category I, II, or IV)
• John V. “Jack” Sorenson Cadet Programs Officer of the Year Award (Ref: CAPR 52-16)
• Communicator of the Year Award (Ref: CAPR 100-1)
• National Senior Chaplain of the Year Award (Ref: CAPR 265-1)
• National Squadron Chaplain of the Year Award (Ref: CAPR 265-1)
• National Character Development Instructor of the Year (Ref: CAPR 265-1)
• Col Robert V. “Bud” Payton Public Affairs Officer of the Year (Ref: CAPR 190-1)
• Col Lester E. Hopper CAP Historian of the Year (Ref: CAPR 210-1)
• Property Manager of the Year (Ref: CAPR 174-1)

Wing and Region Awards

• Senior Member of the Year
• Cadet of the Year
• Incident Staff Member of the Year Award
• Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year
• Aerospace Officer of the Year Award
• Legislative Officer of the Year Award
• Counterdrug Officer of the Year Award
• Region and Wing Certificate of Appreciation (CAP Certificate 38)
• Safety Officer of the Year Award
• Cadet Programs Officer of the Year Award
• Drug Demand Reduction Officer of the Year
• Operations or Emergency Services Officer of the Year
• Communicator of the Year Award
• Chaplain of the Year Award
• Character Development Instructor of the Year
• Public Affairs Officer of the Year
• Historian of the Year

Information on the Air Force ribbon:
http://www.afpc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=7794
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Recognition_Ribbon

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Interesting ideas.

I have long advocated discontinuing several of CAP's many awards in favour of already existing Air Force Civilian Awards.

We are civilians.

We are the Auxiliary of the Air Force, AUX ON/OFF be hanged.

I think something like this would fit the bill of what you suggest:


Air Force Civilian Achievement Award Medal

Criteria: Awarded to all Air Force civilian employees having successfully completed important projects or reached major unit milestones. Service must clearly demonstrate specific examples of how the employee exceeded service expected of an individual with similar responsibilities. The award can be granted while on detail or temporary assignment. Examples of achievements include, but are not limited to: A particular project or assignment, which involved overcoming unusual difficulties; Performance of assigned duties with special effort or innovation that resulted in significant economies or other highly desirable benefits; Creative efforts that made important contributions to science or research; A superior accomplishment or scientific achievement, which results in significant savings of time, manpower, or money to the Government.

Of course, for us all the blue would have to be taken out of the riband...

[RiverAux]

Well, I suppose if the AF uses that ribbon to cover similar awards then I don't have any real problem with CAP doing the same. 

Cyborg, I'm generally on your side in that generally if there is an AF award that could be earned by a civilian, then CAP members should be given that award rather than something CAP specific.  But, that would take a major change in both CAP and AF culture and regulations that I just don't see as likely to happen.

[tsrup]

I thought that this is what our Achievement Award was for?

[RiverAux]

I thought that this is what our Achievement Award was for?

Not really.  I don't see much equivalency between CAP's lowest level award and wing and region "of the year" awards. 

[James Shaw]

Actually CAP has a "proposal" in the making for this very idea. It is called the National Honors award. It would be geared to anyone who has been awarded a National Level Honor such as PAO of the year and the like. I submitted the design for this quite some time ago and have not heard much more about it. This would be a "ribbon" only award.

[JC004]

Do you have the ribbon design?

Could it be expanded to cover wing and region (which mirror national guidelines), as well as national awards - all in one ribbon? 

This mirrors the other wing/region level awards that have ribbons like the Commander's Commendation, Meritorious, and Exceptional Service awards.

[MIKE]

I am also for the possibilities of bringing our ribbons more in line with Air Force ribbons and possibly even consolidating ribbons (for example, I thought the National Commander's Unit Citation should have used the approach taken with the Commander's Commendation awarded by the National CC or Region CCs – that is, a special device on the existing ribbon, or redesigning the existing ribbon and replacing it with updating wear instructions).  People should know by now that I generally oppose most uniform changes, particularly without doing a comprehensive review of our uniforms with a full strategy for simplification and, well, uniformity.

Emphasis mine.

I thought this was lame, it should not be necessary to distinguish by whom an award was awarded.  The National Commanders Unit Citation however should be a separate award, but I don't like the name.  I look at the two awards as CAPs version of the AFOUA and AFOEA respectively.

Likewise there should be no distinction as to what level a recognition ribbon is awarded.   

[tsrup]

I thought that this is what our Achievement Award was for?

Not really.  I don't see much equivalency between CAP's lowest level award and wing and region "of the year" awards.

Why not?  I can buy that maybe something bigger should be awarded for Region level distinctions, but by definition the Achievement Award is designed to recognize unit, group, or wing level achievement. 

Region Level and above can be awarded a Meritorious or an Exceptional Service.


Otherwise we just add another ribbon we don't write CAPF 120's for anyways...

[RiverAux]

The Achievement Award is for stuff so small that it doesn't rate a Commanders Commendation -- which can be absurdly easy to get.  Someone that receives that national CAP senior member of the year award (or something equivalent) has obviously out-performed over 35K members and an Achievement Award would be a major slap in the face. 

[tsrup]

The Achievement Award is for stuff so small that it doesn't rate a Commanders Commendation -- which can be absurdly easy to get.  Someone that receives that national CAP senior member of the year award (or something equivalent) has obviously out-performed over 35K members and an Achievement Award would be a major slap in the face.

Then why not award a Meritorious or Exceptional Service?

d.   Exceptional Service Award. Exceptionally outstanding service to CAP in a duty of great responsibility while serving in any capacity with CAP. However, the duty should carry the ultimate responsibility for the successful operation of a region, wing, or major project within the region or wing. The discharge of such duty must involve the acceptance and fulfillment of the obligation so as to greatly benefit the wing or region and CAP.
e.   Meritorious Service Award. Outstanding achievement or meritorious service rendered specifically on behalf of CAP. Superior performance of normal duties does not, in itself, constitute automatic justification for the Meritorious Service Award. Awards should be restricted to the recognition of achievements and services which are clearly outstanding and unmistakably exceptional when compared to similar achievements and accomplishments of personnel of like rank and responsibilities. In instances where many individuals are affiliated with an exceptionally successful program, project, or mission, the Meritorious Service Award should be awarded to the relatively few individuals whose contributions clearly stand out from the others and who have contributed most to the success of the program.

And rationalization for Achievment Awards at the wing level for "of the year awards"

g.   CAP Achievement Award. Presented for outstanding service to the unit, group or wing.
This award may be approved by the group commander. If a group structure does not exist, the wing
commander may designate who has the authority to approve this award.

Why is there so much hate on the Achievement award?  And if another award is created do we just run the risk of devaluing it as soon as it gets created?

I think we need to work on actually presenting the awards we already have before we worry about another one. 

There is no reason someone that get's an "of the year" award at the region level or above can't rate a Meritorious or Exceptional Service award.  It's just laziness on the part of the person writing the award, or improper education on the part of the person approving the award.

[JC004]

This does NOT create a new award.  It creates a ribbon for EXISTING awards, as the Air Force has.

If a member is being awarded the Incident Staff Member of the year, for instance, for a specific thing, it would be inappropriate to also give them a Commander's Commendation for the same thing as per CAPR 39-3:

6. Repetitive Awards:
a. Only one award will be made for a single act of heroism, a single meritorious achievement, or one continuous period of meritorious service.

[RiverAux]

ESA is for completion of specific projects for the most part rather than recognition of duty performance (except as a gimme to wing and region commanders).

MSA -- I actually wouldn't have a problem with that for the OOY awards and now that I think about it, it might be more appropriate than the proposal in this thread.  Anyone that has won any of the OOY awards at the wing, region, or national level would clearly seem to meet the criteria for it. 

Why is there so much hate on the Achievement award?  And if another award is created do we just run the risk of devaluing it as soon as it gets created?

Its not hate, just recognition that the Achievement Award is a very minor award.  Should the national cadet of the year get the same award as a cadet that may have run the radio particularly well at a mission? 

[James Shaw]

My design as submitted. I do not have anything to do with the "Overall Criteria". It has been along time since it was submitted, I do not know the status.

[tsrup]

Why is there so much hate on the Achievement award?  And if another award is created do we just run the risk of devaluing it as soon as it gets created?

Its not hate, just recognition that the Achievement Award is a very minor award.  Should the national cadet of the year get the same award as a cadet that may have run the radio particularly well at a mission?

And do you think that that is a problem that creating a new award will solve? 

If people fail to write the appropriate awards for appropriate actions, creating a new award will not solve that.


And why do certificate awards need to have a ribbon counterpart?  I'm more than happy with my Cadet Programs Officer of the Year certificate that I have hanging in my cubicle at the squadron.  To me that is a more visible indication of what I have earned than a ribbon.


To be completely fair and honest though, I don't really see any problem with any effort to reward our volunteers further.  I just wish we had a handle on how to use the system we have first.

[PHall]

You know, in CAWG at least, all nominees are awarded a Commanders Commendation just for being nominated. Seems to do the job.
So why exactly do we need another ribbon?

[arajca]

To be completely fair and honest though, I don't really see any problem with any effort to reward our volunteers further.  I just wish we had a handle on how to use the system we have first.

Amen!

[James Shaw]

Think about it this way. When you receive an "Of the Year Award" then they usually purchase or make you a large plaque for presentation. This could cost anywhere from $30 to $100 dollars depending on the level. It is either hung up in your home, office, squadron and that is it. The ribbon itself would replace that cost and allow the member to "show" they have achieved that level.

The idea was talked about several years ago and has taken a while to "move forward".

[flyboy53]

Excellent. idea, it might serve as an incentive to put people in for all those wing, region or other annual awards and serves as better motivation than having to find space on the wall for a plaque that ultimately is nothing more than a dust catcher.

I would, however, only limit it to wing or higher-level awards and don't make devices for each level.

[spacecommand]

I'd assume you'd want claps to denote if the award was awarded by wing/region/national.  example: basic ribbon for wing awards, bronze star for region and silver star for national award (similar in format to the commander's commendation)