PT CAT IV

[Daniel]

Greetings everybody,

I've been doing allot of thinking lately, about PT waivers and promotions. Most cadets are physically fit by c/tsgt.. and are even more so at c/col.  Me being a CP kid with a waiver, I'm not even the Phase I definition of fit, but because of my waiver its not considered in promoting me so I get promoted faithfully every two months (If you haven't noticed... - This is where people begin to have conflicting thoughts.



I am incapable of working as hard as my fellow cadets but I get rewarded anyways.. It feels as though I'm squeezing by on a lowered standard because of my inability to achieve the normal standard. That goes against what CAP believes entirely, cadets are supposed to rise to the standard not vise-versa. So a c/lt col is supposed to be in around the 90th fitness percentile (or close.) Lets say I were to be promoted up to c/lt col, then how would that be fair to the other cadets whom dieted and exercised to pass CPFT. So logic shows I should stop myself at the fair rank of c/1lt.



On the other hand(aka my mother), I have pushed myself in learning respect, I can recite the oath (almost backwards even!) given day in and day out to training camps, even went to one on my birthday. So I should go as far as CAP lets me.

Thoughts?

[Daniel]

Opps - quote is next to edit

[cap235629]

Go as far as you can. Though you are  CAT IV, you are still a cadet.  If CAP did not forsee a CAT IV cadet getting their Spaatz, it wouldn't allow for it.  Yes the others have to work hard to get to that point but CAP recognizes that you have a debilitating condition and that you work hard every day to live a "normal" life.  Ask anyone you know who is able to attain the 90th percentile if they would want to trade places with you.  I guarantee the wouldn't. 

There is a caveat however. You should endeavor to do everything you can within the confines of your CP to excel at all tasks. If you don't and allow your condition to be a crutch for substandard performance, forget about Spaatz.

Look in the mirror, that is the guy who will tell you if you earned it even if he won't tell anyone else you didn't...........

[davidsinn]

Go as far as you can. Though you are  CAT IV, you are still a cadet.  If CAP did not forsee a CAT IV cadet getting their Spaatz, it wouldn't allow for it.  Yes the others have to work hard to get to that point but CAP recognizes that you have a debilitating condition and that you work hard every day to live a "normal" life.  Ask anyone you know who is able to attain the 90th percentile if they would want to trade places with you.  I guarantee the wouldn't. 

There is a caveat however. You should endeavor to do everything you can within the confines of your CP to excel at all tasks. If you don't and allow your condition to be a crutch for substandard performance, forget about Spaatz.

Look in the mirror, that is the guy who will tell you if you earned it even if he won't tell anyone else you didn't...........

Lt Hobbs put it much more eloquently than I could but expressed my thoughts exactly. You are always worrying about screwing up(even when your oops moments are pretty minor ). That shows me that you are genuinely concerned about being the best you can. That right there is the attitude that will carry you to Spaatz. From what I see on this board I'd be happy to have you in my unit. Keep on like you have been and you'll go far.

[Gunner C]

You are who you are.  But you become the person you strive to be.

WARNING:  Religious content here:

God has put you here for a test.  You have been given talents, most of which you've only begun to explore.  Part of the test is that we are given challenges to both give us chances to stumble, but also to "level the playing field" IMHO, there are those who come to this life with more natural gifts.  Look at Dr. Stephen Hawking.  He is completely unable to use his body, except for his eyes which he uses to manipulate his computer.  He was given huge mental gifts, but to even out his gifts, he was given a body that only provides life support for his brain.  He has not only overcome his disabilities, but he's excelled, surpassed Albert Einstein and holds the same academic chairmanship of Sir Isaac Newton.

Were there any accommodations made for his disabilities?  Sure.  Did it give him an unfair advantage?  Heck no.  Your job is to find your talents, find out the lessons your disability was given to for you to learn.  Overcome and become.  Through that, you will figure out who you really are and what your destiny is.

[RogueLeader]

^ Bingo.

Do every thing you can.  For the most part, the only person that can stop you is you.  It took me seven years to get in the army because I wouldn't give up.  It looks like I'll be out soon because I doubted myself.  Live and learn.  I assure you that if you do the very best you can, own up to your mistakes and deal with the consequences; I assure you that you would be welcome in any squadron.  With your attitude, you will go far.  The Sum of the Total are greater than the parts.

[Cecil DP]

I know of several cadets who have achieved the Spaaatz award despite being class 4 physicals, including one who is currently assigned to National HQ. Do what you can, but don'y worry about a disability, as stated earler, handicaps are not voluntary, its there and you should not be penalized  for an act of God.

[Nathan]

As a former Spaatz cadet, I will say for myself at least that I have no problem with people in Cat IV physical restriction getting promoted to C/Col.

And, in my own personal opinion, the PT portion of the Spaatz test is the most trivial part of it. The Spaatz tests much more important aspects of being a cadet than how fast you can run, so if someone earns it despite the impossibility for them to reach the physical fitness criteria, I don't really give it a second thought.