Cadet Emergency Services Leadership Development Program

[npfd505]

Hello everyone,

Our squadron has linked with other squadrons in our group to launch a new program focused at using Emergency Services as a tool to develop leadership skills within the Cadet Program.  As the program's coordinator and one of the creators, I am reaching out to members of the Emergency Services community for assistance and guidance on how we can further develop our program.  This program is focused on Cadets developing Leadership rather than cadets participating in ES.  The use of ES is to create an environment where cadets are required to practice learned leadership skills in a challenging, dynamic, real-time environment.  If at the same time cadets become interested in ES and participate using the newly learned ES skills within the CAP ES program, great!  It is my idea that the program be used as a leadership lab as well as a recruitment/retention tool for CAP.  The program uses simulated missions as wells as certain activities where ICS would be used (airshows, parades, etc....).  Cadets, mentored by qualified senior members, would fulfill the ICS roles from base staff positions to operational unit directors/managers/leaders.  Cadets would chose an ICS track (other than operations) and qualify (using specific SQTR's) for various positions (Ex.  Under the Plans Section you have Resources Unit Leader & Situation Unit Leader)  as they learn the specific jobs and qualify, they learn about the Plans Section and eventually learn how to become a PSC. These qualifications would be specific to the program and NOT CAP ES Specialties.  However, cadets would also be required to become qualified in CAP ES Specialties (UDF, GTM, MRO....) in order to advance in the program too.  Using the PAWG Ranger Program as a guide, we created various levels of "Cadet Emergency Services Technician's".  As cadets complete training, service and physical fitness requirements (along with progression in the cadet program) they achieve Technician, Senior Technician, Advanced Technician and Master Technician ratings.  We are in the infancy of the program and have 3 squadrons participating with 30+ cadets beginning the program.  We hope for this program to develop and grow.  I am soliciting information on what we can do and if anyone in CAP-Land has done anything like this before.  I am a prior cadet with over 20 years in CAP and I know there are a lot of members that have tried many things.  Let me know what you think.

Our Mission Statement:

"The mission of the Cadet Emergency Services Leadership Program is to develop, mentor and improve the leadership abilities of Civil Air Patrol Cadets through a dynamic, real life and real time environment where confidence, dedication and teamwork are required to succeed."

Our Motto:

"Dedication, Confidence, Teamwork"

[Stonewall]

I am a prior cadet with over 20 years in CAP and I know there are a lot of members that have tried many things. 

Paul Saba, 1LT, CAP

20 years experience in CAP?  1st Lt?

Anyhoo, I happen to agree with your program 100%.  I have stated, even on CAP Talk a million times, how I believe ES to be a great leadership laboratory for cadets.  Where else can they take what they learn from the textbook and in class, and apply it to real life in training scenarios and sometimes for real.  As a CC and DCC, coupled with being a Ground Branch Director, I trained 20+ cadet leaders to be primary GSAR instructors for new members.  In fact, I had classes on how to teach classes with a goal of having a handful of cadets teach at the Middle East Region SAR College the year I was commandant.  Guess what?  It worked.  But I also got a lot of grief from other non-NATCAPers who think adults are qualified to teach solely because they're adults.  Some of my cadets ran circles around these wanna-be SAR Gods, most of which couldn't fit in AF style uniforms, let a lone last on an extended ground search in warm weather.

Yes, ES is an awesome venue for teaching cadets Leadership.

[Flying Pig]

Paul Saba???   You and I went to COBC together I think?  Norton AFB....1989-90 time frame?

Stone man....I joined as a cadet in 86 and Im only a 1Lt.!   Some of us are slow learners.

[Stonewall]

Yeah, but you had some breaks in CAP service and were inactive for 5 years.  I know lots of 20 year CAP vets with only a single bar, maybe two.  Just curious about the 1st Lt thing.   

[npfd505]

Yes, I let my membership lapse for 4 years.  I have been required to start over again.  I didn't join the program to be a General, I joined to return to the program what it did for me.  Having my daughter as a cadet gives me a working excuse to the wife why I need to run around in BDU's.  I'm progressing through the program all over again (at least I have my Level's done and I was able to re-instate most qualifications)

[npfd505]

Emergency Services is an excellent venue for cadets to try out their new leadership skills.  ES is also where the "Gee Whiz" factor can be introduced.  Cadets that participate in ES operations are outside, doing "Stuff" rather than sitting in a boring classroom learning from a book.  I want to develop a program that cadet squadrons (or units that have little or no experience in ES and have no desire to do ES missions) would be able to use.  Cadets would never become qualified as IC's, but in this program they would (just within the program).  Cadets would eventually fill every ICS position from the top down.  Cadets would also be required to qualify for CAP ES mission ratings to progress within the program (MRO, UDF, MSA, GTM....)  By doing this, you allow cadets to experience things in ES that only a senior would normally do as well as gain the interest in the ES program outside of the CESLDP.  You teach cadets in a dynamic leadership lab while advancing interest in another area of CAP.  It's the ultimate recruitment and retention program.  We recently held an airshow where we used the ICS system instead of organizing the cadets into flights and a squadron.  We had a cadet Operations Section Chief, 2 Branch Directors (North and South), with each branch having 3 divisions (various parking lots and sections of flightline to secure)  and one branch had a group (program sales).  Each Division had assigned task forces/strike teams.  We had a plans section which developed an Incident Action Plan, a Finance/Admin Section and Logistics (food, sleeping areas, communications and facilities).  It was initially met with some resistance, but as the weekend progressed, everyone fell in love with the easy of command and control.  The cadets did very well with minimal training.

[Stonewall]

Yes, I let my membership lapse for 4 years.  I have been required to start over again.  I didn't join the program to be a General, I joined to return to the program what it did for me.  Having my daughter as a cadet gives me a working excuse to the wife why I need to run around in BDU's.  I'm progressing through the program all over again (at least I have my Level's done and I was able to re-instate most qualifications)

I wasn't bustin' your balls, just curious.  Hopefully no one on the senior side joins for rank, but I do think it's important for seniors working with cadets to take all the training offered and advance accordingly.  Not overnight, but in due time as appropriate.

I figured you had a break in service, but was curious.  Heck, I'm an E-5 in the Air Guard and have 13 years time in service, but I toook a 4 year break between the Army and Air Guard and had to start as a brand new E-5 again...getting E-6 in a few months.

[arajca]

Sounds good, but I will add a note of caution - cadets are still cadets and, even with such a program, still need to participate and progress in the cadet program. I have seen many times cadets getting very involved in ES, ignoring the cadet program progression, and getting upset when they are told they are suspended from ES due to failure to progress in the cadet program (C/A1C for two years)., or find themselves shut out of other activities with limited space.

I recommend writing the minimum cadet progression requirement (2 achievements per year) into the plan and requiring (and enforcing) it for the cadets to remain involved.

[Stonewall]

I agree with Andrew. 

There should not be one single thing in CAP that cadets focus on.  I was fortunate in my cadet career to have a very well rounded squadron that concentrated on all aspects of the program, from Moral Leadership to ES.  Unfortunately this can prolong the certification process in ES, but CAP is not an ES only organization and we need to remember that.

We used one meeting per month exclusively for ES, just as we did AE, ML, PT.

I have seen a lot of seniors who condemn ES participation for cadets because it detracts from the cadet program as a whole, but then have their cadets focus on Drill Team stuff only.  What's the difference there?  It can't be one thing or the other, it has to be all inclusive.  That said, you can accomplish all of the above and still have an ES focused squadron.

[Duke Dillio]

At least someone is getting away from the standard, "There's nothing else to do.  Let's go drill" program that I have seen WAY too many times.  I like the concept that you have presented.  It seems pretty well thought out and interesting to me.  Kudos to whoever came up with the idea.

As Kirt said, ES is a great tool for developing leadership in cadets.  It teaches important life skills such as time management, basic survival, navigation, first aid, using your head, teamwork and communication.  And of course the most important rules that you need to know in life such as "Don't eat yellow snow," "Fire is HOT," and my personal favorite "Don't put your tent up 10 feet downwind of the latrine facility."   

I just have a couple of concerns that maybe you can hash out for me.  My biggest concern is how these cadets will approach an actual ES mission.  I am concerned that when they go to an actual mission and have the normal "cadets don't belong here" officer come up and try to push reality upon them, what their reaction might be.  I'm sure your cadets are probably great but I also wonder if any of them will develop an elitist attitude as well.

My other concern is in regards to the training.  It takes quite a while to develop a good ground team member or radio operator or flight line marshaller.  This is why I normally tell the cadets and officers that want to go "ticket punching" (getting all kinds of different ratings) to choose one specialty and master it, and then move on.  Yeah, it can be good to be FLM, GTM, MRO, and MSA qualified because you can fill slots but if you don't know the jobs all that well, problems can and will arise.  By having your cadets train in a bunch of different specialties (most of which they won't be able to use as a cadet), they aren't really mastering any of them.  In addition, when the above mentioned officer appears and tells your cadets that the stuff they learned in the program doesn't mean beans to him/her, might that not reduce their morale?

Again, I like the concept.  I hope that it is truly a successful strategy and I hope to hear nothing but good things in the future.  I'd even love to help you out however I can.  I just wonder about some of the politics involved here.

It's not worth much but that would pretty much sum up my opinion on the program.

[RiverAux]

I guess I'm sort of with Sqn72DO in regards to training the cadets in the base staff positions that they won't ever actually get to do on an actual mission rather than doing more intensive training in what they actually can do. 

[Eclipse]

I think you need to be careful as to how you manage this from the "leadership training" perspective - initially, new ES assets are followers. If you have good instructors and leaders the cadets will see what good leadership is (clear instructions, good battlefield vision and control, attention to detail without micromanaging, etc.), but may never get to the practice level themselves.

I also wholeheartedly agree with Stonewall that the idea is to integrate ES into the large program, not try and stress one mission over the other two.

[npfd505]

Dear arajca,

Thank you very much for your input.  One of the main reasons I wanted to create this program is because of the exact concern you presented.  I have seen too many cadets waste their cadet careers in ES.  This is first and formost a leadership development program.  Cadet MUST first be cadets.  Progression in the cadet program is vital.  In our squadron, if a cadet fails to progress in the cadet program and earn achievements, they are removed from the ES roster and have all qualifications revoked by the Squadron Commander until they show progress in the Cadet Program.  Cadets are REQUIRED to participate ACTIVELY in the cadet program.  This is an extracurricular activity that can be used to motivate cadets to progress in the cadet program.  Cadets want to go and do fun stuff.  In order to outside and play, they have to have finished their homework!  Again thanks for the input.  It is vital I express this important part about the program.

[npfd505]

Dear Stonewall,

You appear to be very knowledgeable about CAP.  CAP is an Auxiliary of the USAF with 3 missions.  ES is only one of them.  The other 2 are just as equally important.  Cadets are in the program to become Future Dynamic Leaders, not Future Dynamic ES'ers.  Any successful squadron is "well rounded" with AE, Character Development, Leadership/Drill, Physical Fitness and ES.  We use only an hour to an hour and a half a month for ES Training.  The rest of the meetings are the remainder of the Cadet Program.  Our CESLDP is an activity, but it is not the only activity.  It does provide an excellent tool for cadets to practice skills in a lab.  This is NOT a ES program.  It is a Cadet Activity, where an ES environment is used as a tool.  Some cadets enjoy Drill Teams, Color Guards and similar military activities.  They excel at these activities.  Other cadets excel in other areas such as aerospace education or communications.  This is just another tool in the tool box for cadets to find an area of interest where they can practice their skills working as a team.  Our squadron has a color guard, working on a group drill team and now an ES Program.  We have no cadets that participate in all areas.  Some are in the color guard, some are on the drill team, others participate in ES.  We allow cadets to chose an area they are interested in.  This increases interest and increases participation.  The program is currently at a squadron level, but it is growing with participants in many squadrons.  We as leaders of cadets need to find what interests the kids and use that as a tool to mentor them and help them grow into adults.  Thanks again for your interest and posts.  Your comments are very helpfull and will assist us in creating an better program. 

[npfd505]

Dear Sqn72DO,

I cannot take full credit for the idea since I copied from many different sources.  As a cadet, I participated in different programs.  As an adult, I've taken what worked from each program and patched them together to create the CESLDP.  I have had some help from 2 others too.  I remembered drilling every night and it got old.  I remembered when we would go out and camp, hike and spend time in the field.  I also remembered how disorganized we could be at airshows and other similar activities.  I am a firefighter and I also work within the Plans Section on Federal and State Incident Command teams.  I know the usefulness of the ICS system when it comes to incident management.  It was only natural for me to merge cadets and ICS.

CESLDP missions are not ES missions.  They are either activities (airshows, parades, large fundraisers or similar activities) or simulated missions (Scripted or unscripted) or field training activities.  As part of the program, cadets must select a track.  They focus on an area of the program and develop skill in that one area.  We do not want cadets to "punch all the tickets". We want cadets that excel in a particular area.  They chose which specialty they want.  On average, most chose UDF since this is a common ES mission in the SoCal area.  We have 9 cadets currently as trainees and 2 qualified in our squadron.

If a cadet choses to participate in actual missions, they must adhere to the CAP requirements.  CESLDP is separate from ES and cadets are instructed that as part of the program.  CESLDP intros them to ES and peaks interest.  If they chose to train for actual missions, that is done through the Squadron ES Training Officer (who also happens to be me.)  This is CAP and as with any organization, we have members that have their opinions as to their "role" within the program and their feelings towards other members.  Some seniors do not like having cadets in ES.  They need to understand that CAP does not prohibit cadets from ES missions.  Cadets have every right to participate.  Cadet participation is encouraged by NHQ.  If you disagree, join another volunteer program that does not have a cadet program!  As leaders of cadets, we must mentor them and let them know that these people exist.  In life, we encounter people who will try and stop us from doing things.  Learning how to deal with these individuals helps the young cadet mature.  Hopefully we are there to support our cadets and stand up for them.  If I have a senior member who stifles our cadets, I usually speak with that individual and remind them that CAP has 3 missions.  Each equally important and intermixed.  Cadets belong in ES.  Your opinion is great and I thank you for your time.  It is worth a lot to me and my comrades.  It takes all of us to make this program work.

[npfd505]

Dear RiverAux & Eclipse,

Thanks for taking time to enter your thoughts.  Your comments aid me in understanding potential problems we may encounter.  Let me begin by explaining that the CESLDP uses the concepts of ES to create an leadership lab for cadets to "play" inside.  It is not a program to teach cadet about ES. ICS Staff positions within the CESLDP are not the same as Base Camp jobs on an ES mission.  The two are related but different and do not cross.  I would never expect a cadet to serve as an IC or Section Chief, yet during a CESLDP activity, cadets would fill those jobs under the mentorship of a qualified senior.  However, because ES concepts are used cadets naturally are exposed to ES and may want to pursue it more actively.  Cadets are encouraged (and required to advance within the program) to select an ES specialty and become qualified.  MRO, UDF, GTM3 are excellent places for cadets to become qualified.  As leaders, we are first followers.  If a leadership development program is to work, it first must develop followership.  Once cadets master the art of following, they can then lead.  Cadets enter the program as trainees and do not hold staff positions.  As they progress as cadets, they also would progress as leaders and into leadership positions.  We are not trying to teach cadets how to become IC's on missions, rather we are using activities where ICS can be used to manage the activity while providing a tool for cadets to learn.  During a recent activity (airshow) we has a Cadet IC and General Staff.  The cadet IC was responsible for the entire event (under the guidance of seniors).  The Plans Section Chief was responsible for developing the Incident Action Plan for the activity.  The Logistics Section Chief was responsible for ensuring the activity had food, sleeping areas and communications.  To achieve this he had additional cadets serving as Food Unit Leaders, Communications Unit Leaders and Facility Managers (all supervised by seniors who mentored and guided them).  During the weekend, the Operations Section Chief ensured the operational objectives were met.  We had 2 branches, 5 divisions and 2 groups all managed by cadets (supervised by seniors).  The cadets were combines into task forces (6 cadets with a leader).  The task forces were then assigned to divisions/groups for work assignment.  It worked wonderfully.  I disagree that they will never hold these jobs.  They may not hold the job during an ES mission, but they will during a CESLDP activity.  I hope that this clears some of the questions/concerns you may have and I graciously look forward to your future comments.  Together we can make an awesome program for everyone.

[npfd505]

I just wonder about some of the politics involved here.

Sadly in CAP there can be politics in everything we try to do.  We must learn to work well with others.  Teaching cadets how to function within society is part of the cadet program.  Cadets must learn how to deal with the politics of life.

That being said, grow up and lets be real.  This is CAP and not the USAF.  The rank we wear is as useful as lint when it comes to anything outside of CAP.  Our "commanders" command nothing.  You cannot command a volunteer, you inspire and guide volunteers.  In some aspects, I like the leadership theory of our similar counterpart the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.  They do not have a "Chain of Command" but a "Chain of Leadership and Direction".  Perhaps if some of our members adopted this ideal, we may learn to play nice with each other.

[Eclipse]

The rank we wear is as useful as lint when it comes to anything outside of CAP. 

Our "commanders" command nothing.   

Easy there L-T, I understand the sentiment, but the rhetoric is getting a little pointed and there are those in CAP that would
take serious exception to those statements.

You sound like you are on a good track - better to stay positive and execute than to get mired in CAP's place in the universe.
At the end of the day, we can only fix what we are responsible for.

[npfd505]

Dear Eclipse,

Thanks for the grounding.  I needed that.  I often allow my heart to pour out onto posts.  This is not a forum for our gripes with internal politics.

Getting back on point however, I have received many e-mails from several people and I wanted to thank each and everyone of you who have taken the time to post.  I have gained much knowledge from all of you.  Please keep the comments flowing so we can perhaps develop a great program for cadets.