Achievement Ribbon?

[Cecil DP]

While the AFA, VFW, and Sergeants Association are all good awards, I believe that a CAP award should be given for outstanding service and that the awards from these organizations should be secondary.

[RiverAux]

The word that has filtered down to me recently is that we're supposed to be more or less giving these out like candy, BUT that they're sort of supposed to be focused more on cadets than seniors. 

From what I understood the bar is not supposed to be very high at all for this award and that the purpose of having it is to make some of the other awards just a little harder to get and give them a bit more prestige. 

[JohnKachenmeister]

The word that filtered should be run through the filter again.

The award is for achievements less than those recognized by the Comm-Comm, and one which Group CC's can use to QUICKLY recognize superior performance.

We just recognized two cadets with Achievement Awards.  The mission was a recruiting/information booth at a July 4th event, and of three officers who volunteered to assist, only one, a brand-new Senior Member WOG (Gawd, how I hate that "Rank") showed up.  Two seasoned cadets took charge and helped the officer work, organize, supervise cadets, and answer questions.  They both planned to take off to their own family picnics after a few hours, but realizing that they were needed, stayed until the end.  The program was a success primarily because of their efforts.

The SMWOG nominated them, and I approved them as acting Group CC, demonstrating my ability to take over and abuse my authority while my long-suffering Group CC was out of the country on business.

[IceNine]

The word that has filtered down to me recently is that we're supposed to be more or less giving these out like candy, BUT that they're sort of supposed to be focused more on cadets than seniors. 

From what I understood the bar is not supposed to be very high at all for this award and that the purpose of having it is to make some of the other awards just a little harder to get and give them a bit more prestige. 

^ That smells of leisurely command perogative.

In my wing we think just the opposite.  All awards should be gauged on the echelon of influence, quantity or longevity of acts, and similar awards.

There are any number of reasons for giving these out but none of them include "Comm Comm Consolation Prize" or because he's a "good fella"

[dogboy]

We just recognized two cadets with Achievement Awards.  The mission was a recruiting/information booth at a July 4th event, and of three officers who volunteered to assist, only one, a brand-new Senior Member WOG (Gawd, how I hate that "Rank") showed up.  Two seasoned cadets took charge and helped the officer work, organize, supervise cadets, and answer questions. 

In my opinion, the Achievement Award should not be given for such a trivial accomplishment. Manning a table for an afternoon is an achievement that merits a ribbon? They missed a picnic?

If this is the standard by which achievement is measured, we really have become a pathetic organization.

[PHall]

We just recognized two cadets with Achievement Awards.  The mission was a recruiting/information booth at a July 4th event, and of three officers who volunteered to assist, only one, a brand-new Senior Member WOG (Gawd, how I hate that "Rank") showed up.  Two seasoned cadets took charge and helped the officer work, organize, supervise cadets, and answer questions. 

In my opinion, the Achievement Award should not be given for such a trivial accomplishment. Manning a table for an afternoon is an achievement that merits a ribbon? They missed a picnic?

If this is the standard by which achievement is measured, we really have become a pathetic organization.

We're no more pathetic then the Air Force then. Air Force Achievement Medals are handed out like candy.
You did something "good", but it wasn't good enough for an Air Force Commendation Medal?
No problem, here's your Air Force Achievement Medal instead!

I got one for taking over my unit's Weapons Qualification Monitor job after the previous guy earned an Unsat during a Staff Assistance Visit and doing a good enough job to get a Sat during the ORI six weeks later.
And all I did was basically fix the paperwork.

[Camas]

We just recognized two cadets with Achievement Awards. Two seasoned cadets took charge and helped the officer work, organize, supervise cadets, and answer questions.  They both planned to take off to their own family picnics after a few hours, but realizing that they were needed, stayed until the end.  The program was a success primarily because of their efforts. The SMWOG nominated them, and I approved them as acting Group CC, demonstrating my ability to take over and abuse my authority while my long-suffering Group CC was out of the country on business.

A winglevel Certificate of Appreciation (CAPC38) would probably be more suitable for this but then I wasn't there so perhaps this decision on your part was appropriate. I'm not passing judgment; just making an observation based on your post.

[dogboy]

In my opinion, the Achievement Award should not be given for such a trivial accomplishment. Manning a table for an afternoon is an achievement that merits a ribbon? They missed a picnic?

If this is the standard by which achievement is measured, we really have become a pathetic organization.

We're no more pathetic then the Air Force then.

I got one for taking over my unit's Weapons Qualification Monitor job after the previous guy earned an Unsat during a Staff Assistance Visit and doing a good enough job to get a Sat during the ORI six weeks later.
And all I did was basically fix the paperwork.

At least you earned it for 6 weeks performance, not one afternoon. Did you also have to miss a picnic?

If one looks hard, one can always find an occasion when any award was given frivolously, even the Metal of Honor. That's quite beside the point. The least activity for which an award was ever made shouldn't become the standard.

This is a new award and if it's to be given out for a single afternoon's rather routine activity, then, as I said, we truly have become pathetic.

[PHall]

In my opinion, the Achievement Award should not be given for such a trivial accomplishment. Manning a table for an afternoon is an achievement that merits a ribbon? They missed a picnic?

If this is the standard by which achievement is measured, we really have become a pathetic organization.

We're no more pathetic then the Air Force then.

I got one for taking over my unit's Weapons Qualification Monitor job after the previous guy earned an Unsat during a Staff Assistance Visit and doing a good enough job to get a Sat during the ORI six weeks later.
And all I did was basically fix the paperwork.

At least you earned it for 6 weeks performance, not one afternoon. Did you also have to miss a picnic?

If one looks hard, one can always find an occasion when any award was given frivolously, even the Metal of Honor. That's quite beside the point. The least activity for which an award was ever made shouldn't become the standard.

This is a new award and if it's to be given out for a single afternoon's rather routine activity, then, as I said, we truly have become pathetic.

Six weeks in a Reserve unit, I did a total of about 8 hours work over 2 drills and an extra drill period.

And as far as I know, I missed no picnics.

[Short Field]

Then bad on your Commander.  It just cheapens the award for others.

[RiverAux]

In my experience CAP does a poor job of using any of the achievement-type awards.
Distinguished Service Medal -basically for region or national level stuff. Not open for many.
Exceptional Service Award - Major projects at wing or higher level.  Most CAP members will never qualify. 
Meritorius Service Award- This is the first one that the general CAP member has a realistic chance at, but the bar is pretty high.  I've only seen a handful of CAP members (other than Wing Commanders) get them. 
Commanders Commendation- Most CAP senior members who have been around for a while have probably gotten one of these.  Many of the ones I've seen are not for actions of any great significance.  I've seen some cadets get them for various things. 
Achievement Award-Too soon to tell, but if we downgrade a lot of the sorts of things that are now getting ComComms to Achievement Awards, it would make a lot of sense to me. 

This gives us three levels of awards that the average CAP member has a shot at.  Most will probably eventually get a Achievement Award, it will be harder to get the ComComm, and only a very few will get the Meritorius Service Award.

I think there is definetely a place for this award at the low end of the spectrum.  And, getting back to my first point, its a sad fact that most commanders probably won't put people in for any of these awards in the first place. 

[IceNine]

It's not the commander's job to be putting people in for awards.

It is our job to evaluate the recommendations and make a judgement.

If people are not getting awards it is because they are not being put in for, or not being done so in an acceptable format warranting the award. 

ANYONE can write a CAPF 120 and forward it up the chain.

[RiverAux]

A CAP squadron commander that is waiting for someone else to put in an award recommendation for one of their people is a commander whose pen will never run out of ink -- he won't be getting anything to sign. 

[brasda91]

It's not the commander's job to be putting people in for awards.

It is our job to evaluate the recommendations and make a judgement.

If people are not getting awards it is because they are not being put in for, or not being done so in an acceptable format warranting the award. 

ANYONE can write a CAPF 120 and forward it up the chain.

Yes anyone can submit a 120, but the commander should monitoring his/her staff as to how they perform their job.

In my squadron, I don't have 50 active senior members, heck I don't even have 50 on the roster.  I only have 10 active seniors.  Half of those joined just last year.  They're still learning.

A good commander is always looking for ways to reward his/her staff.  We don't get a paycheck, so awards and certificates are the only thing they get.

[Camas]

It's not the commander's job to be putting people in for awards.
ANYONE can write a CAPF 120 and forward it up the chain.

True enough but there's no reason why a commander can't submit a CAPF120 like anyone else.

[James Shaw]

The purpose behind the Achievement Medal was to give the Group Level folks an alternative for recognizing their people without having to go through the wing level and it taking alot of time. It is not a replacement for anything and is by no way a "cheap thank you". If that is what folks are using it for than they are wrong.

On a funny note after this thingcame out I was sent an email about the medal from a friend joking that I should get one for the mere design aspect of the medal. I know the person was joking but hope others dont view it so "cheaply". I did receive one from someone in my wing for alot of work that was done over a 5 month period.

Use it, but don't abuse.....

[RiverAux]

Keep in mind that many (if not most) wings don't use any sort of group structure, so the idea that this is just something that group commanders can issue quickly doesn't pass muster. 

[jimmydeanno]

Our Wing Commander has authorized its approval by the Squadron Commanders.  If that doesn't cut down "reaction time" I don't know what would...

[JohnKachenmeister]

We just recognized two cadets with Achievement Awards.  The mission was a recruiting/information booth at a July 4th event, and of three officers who volunteered to assist, only one, a brand-new Senior Member WOG (Gawd, how I hate that "Rank") showed up.  Two seasoned cadets took charge and helped the officer work, organize, supervise cadets, and answer questions. 

In my opinion, the Achievement Award should not be given for such a trivial accomplishment. Manning a table for an afternoon is an achievement that merits a ribbon? They missed a picnic?

If this is the standard by which achievement is measured, we really have become a pathetic organization.

No.  READ what I wrote.

They did not merely "Man a table."  ALL of the cadets did that, and the other cadets did not get the award.

These cadets asserted superior leadership, materially assisted a new officer in a bad situation, and stayed with that officer until the job was finished, placing duty before personal interests.

When I was in the Army, had two enlisted stepped up to help a new officer like that, I would have given them Army Achievement Medals, too.

[IceNine]

It's not the commander's job to be putting people in for awards.
ANYONE can write a CAPF 120 and forward it up the chain.

True enough but there's no reason why a commander can't submit a CAPF120 like anyone else.

You guys are missing the point completely.  I have been a group commander for almost 2 years.   I have had non-command members come up to me and say I think Capt. Skipper deserves (insert Decoration here).  My response is ALWAYS write it up, their response is always I'll talk to my squadron commander.  And even after all of the discussion that follows it is just assumed that it is the commander's responsibility to write these up.

IT IS NOT.  If you believe someone desearves a decoration then you should write it up.  You are the one that will provide the most passion and detail in the supporting documentation.  You are the one that will likely follow up to the point of being annoying until it gets approved.  And the list goes on.

So those saying commander's that don't get their people awards should be turning the microscope the other way.  And commander's that hoard this responsibility "shame on you"