Senior Member NCO check in

[citizensoldier]

We have a CPT who would have retained his CWO 3 if he could have.  He was a Blackhawk pilot with the 160th SOAR.  He actually encouraged me keeping the NCO rank.

CS

[Eclipse]

And what can a CAP LT teach that a NCO can't?

That they understand fully how CAP works.

At least with an NCO you have someone who has prior military experience and most times someone who has experience in teaching, training and mentoring.

Not a factor - we get that with all types of members, and you could make the counter argument that most of CAP Senior Member staff duties are more professional/managerial than hands-on, in which case an NCO would be an inappropriate fit.

I sometimes wonder how the membership numbers would change if instead of being "officers" every senior members except for those in leadership (squadron,group,etc commanders) were enlisted? No shinny bling, no one impersonating officers, no berry boards, no trolling for salutes.

It would be exactly the same.  The uniform and grade are certainly a recruiting factor, but few members who are of any value stay for just that or rise to positions of authority. 

Repeating now for those of you who don't have the benefit of the SEARCH button.

First, 90+ percent of Americans, and probably a higher percentage of CAP members (especially Seniors) don't have a clue about the role or importance of the enlisted corps in our military.  They only know what they see on television and movies and rarely is any "hero" in a mainstream movie enlisted, and when they are, their grade usually isn't a factor in the story.

I would hold up Band of Brothers as one of the rare exceptions (without meaning to solicit more examples).

Second, for all that it is, and is not, the enlisted corps is first and foremost a caste-like system which divides the "doers" (and the "diers") from the "managers".  This is by design, of course, as it is very difficult to send 10,000 men to mortal combat if you are personal friends with all of them.  Further, it is difficult, with exceptions, to train the same person to be effective in small-squad tactics, and Regimental(+)-level deployment and logistics, and have them be proficient on a whim at both.

The other hard-fast reality here is that the enlisted get most of the crap jobs and less pay, in return for less high-level, non-specialized responsibility.

None of this is relevant to CAP.

Because of its volunteer paradigm, CAP 2nd Lt's command units and large activities, while Col's empty trash cans.  There is no division of duty, task, or responsibility based on grade. Only training, qualifications, and staff posting, designate authority and responsibility.

I'd have no issue at all with instituting an enlisted-type grade structure to either lengthen the time to 2nd Lt, or indicate those who prefer to specialize in tactical roles instead of staff or command.  (Most pilots should probably just be flight officers and be left alone about PD until such time as they are interested in command). But all that system would do would be to indicate TIG and inertia of the membership, it would not and could not separate duties by grade.

For all of you who advocate a true "enlisted corps" in CAP, one with a real division of duties between "doers" and "managers", what do you think it would do to the morale and membership status of the average new member who sees that the "officers" get to tell the "enlisted" what to do, and push all the crap jobs downstream?

We know today that we have too many "misinformed" field-grade officers who believe they have some special mojo because of their finery.  How do you think these same people would act if they really could exercise job assignments based on rank?

And without that division, if you think being an NCO means anything in a CAP context, you just don't get it.

[Eclipse]

To bring this back to the intent of the OP, you asked for CAP NCO's to check in, and you've gotten about the same response here as in the "real" world.

At my last check there were less than 100 total in the whole of CAP, which doesn't say anything about CAP anymore than it would saying the same thing about the ARC.  The counter to that would be that a Wing CC should really be a General, were we to match similar authority and scope of command to similar services, but when that subject comes up, no one thinks its a good idea.  If grade is that important to the equation, you need to be consistent all the way from start to finish.

The current structure has evolved to the point where grade is an indicator of longevity and training - to be respected for what it is in our context, especially for those who carry it properly, and nothing more (or less).