For details see www.spaatz.org//current/dinner.php.  Registration closes February 14th.

In his spare time, Gerry likes going to encampment. He’s been to 48 of them. As the cadet corps gears up for encampment season, Gerry shared with me some stats about his squadron. Over the past seven years in his unit, the retention rate for cadets who have attended encampment has averaged 92%, while the retention rate for non-encampment cadets averaged 28%.

So according to one of the Cadet Program’s most successful leaders, encampment makes a real difference for cadets. If you have a leadership role in the Cadet Program, please do everything you can to help cadets attend an encampment this summer.

PS:  You'll find a list of all encampments that we know about at capmembers.com/encampment. To have your wing's encampment added to the list, please contact us.

We're sharing this document (at right) with the cadet community because it is a superb example of a formal attempt to persuade. The topic is on naming the so-called "unnamed" achievements in Phases III and IV, but the subject matter is beside the point. Here's a document that's logical. It shows evidence that the council considered several different approaches to a problem, thereby boosting the council's credibility. It identifies clear criteria for a solution, helping us avoid making decisions based on personal opinion. A handful of good examples are offered in support of the main points. And of course, the document is grammatically coherent and looks professional.

Tongue and Quill connoisseurs may quibble about the format, but I'd rather see cadets show us clear thinking than be slaves to some pesky template.

And regardless what becomes of this specific proposal, I bet the cadets who worked on this project learned something about leadership.

If you're looking for an example of what a CAC can do, I'm pleased to point you to this document. Hats off to the principal author, C/Col Jeremiah Coogan of North Carolina and Middle East Region, who'll receive a NHQ Cadet Team Challenge Coin as a token of our respect.

Position Description for Cadet Alumni Association Special Project Officer


Background:  Approximately one million former CAP cadets live and work in the United States, representing an untapped resource with enormous potential.  Gen Courter’s vision includes a vibrant, active Cadet Alumni Association that would allow former cadets to reconnect with each other and CAP, while serving as a potential development and force structuring resource to help support current and future cadet programs operations.  A Cadet Alumni Association Special Project Officer will bring the necessary expertise to develop the framework and business plan for a vital and successful Cadet Alumni Association.

Position Description:  Reporting directly to the National Cadet Advisor, the Alumni Association Special Project Officer’s primary responsibility is to develop a framework and business plan for a CAP Cadet Alumni Association that meets the following criteria:

   1.  Allow CP Alumni to re-engage with CAP and their former colleagues through websites, electronic and printed media, periodic alumni reunions, sub-affiliation groups, etc.

   2.  Serve as a significant revenue stream to support current CP operations through tools such as paid memberships, planned giving opportunities, periodic direct appeals and the establishment of a CP endowment fund.

   3.  Serve as a CP force structuring resource by identifying CP alumni with time and resources to return to active CAP membership supporting CP.

This is a volunteer position designed to be performed by a current senior member in addition to their regular duties at their home unit.


Desired Qualifications:

1.  Senior or Master rating in CP

2.  Documented business management experience including creation of business plans and expertise in financial management in a nonprofit arena.

3.  Experience with academic or youth group alumni associations highly desirable

4.  Outstanding written and oral communications skills.

5.  Ability to coordinate complex projects and proposals with other volunteers and paid staffers.


Application Procedures:

Applicants should send a CV and cover letter to the National Cadet Advisor, Lt Col Ned Lee.  Email preferred: nedlee6@aol.com .  Applications should arrive by February 15, 2010. 

Questions can be directed to Lt Col Lee at the email above, or phone (408) 832-0917 (Pacific time).

NCSAs

3.  If you have not taken the SATs, please select the "1540 or less" choice.

Knowing that the cadet community is always eager to take a detailed look at Cadet Programs issues and statistics, we offer this year end report. It highlights the nation-wide Cadet Program's accomplishments and challenges of 2009. I encourage DCPs and CACs to review this report and consider what we can do together for cadets in 2010.

Dozens of members have told us that they like the layout that's been used for cadet publications over the past couple years. Therefore, we're considering taking publication design a step further by recommending a new layout template for CAP regulations. CAPR 52-16 is due for an update in light of the upcoming switch to online testing. Perhaps that next edition  will use a more reader-friendly layout like the one you can download at right.

Download the sample (at right) and tell us if you think we're on the right track. If enough members show their support, we'll present the idea to the leadership.

“Learn to Lead,” which will replace the cadets’ current leadership text, launches on 1 April 2010, concurrent with achievement tests moving online.

Visit the "Learn to Lead" homepage to download an update on this project. Better still,Module 1 (chapters 1-3) and half of Module 2 (chapters 4 & 5) are available for your comment. If you have general comments about “Learn to Lead,” please leave them below. If you find typos, errors, or confusing passages, please email Neil Probst nprobst@capnhq.gov. 

 We’re excited about “Learn to Lead” because we think it will make leadership more fun and more challenging. 

We have updated the quotes and statistics and reformatted for a smaller presentation that will allow our printing budget to produce more of these high-impact publications.

This is a DRAFT version that will also be available in our Proving Grounds and we welcome your comments. 

Comments are allowed and you are welcome to leave feedback about our new site but our blog is not a platform for answering individual questions.  If you have a question, please email cadets@capnhq.gov.
 

 For more information, please see the website www.capmembers.com/ncls or you can print out the Downloadable flyer

What is the Cadet Program all about? What do cadets do? "Cadet Life in the Civil Air Patrol" is a 3-minute video introduction to the Cadet Program. It focuses on what the typical cadet can do during his or her first year in CAP. The video is intended for use during squadron open houses, at airshow recruiting booths, during visits to schools, and anytime you want to show someone what the Cadet Program is all about.

The video is available on YouTube and in our Library'sCadet Great Start section:  www.capmembers.com/greatstart

We developed this video in house, sort of as a stopgap until our professional video folks can provide us with something better. If you’ve made similar videos on your own, tell us about them. Include the URL in your comment below.

In the meantime, we hope "Cadet Life" fulfills your need for a general video illustrating what's cool about the CAP Cadet Program.

We're ready to see many of you at the National Boards in San Antonio over Labor Day weekend. Perhaps the most important seminar we'll be hosting is "Cadet News & Innovations," which summarizes what's recently been released in Cadet Programs, what's upcoming, and what new ideas are on the table for discussion. We're making our handout available to Cadet Blog readers. Download it at right. 

If you've read our white papers or attended our seminars, you've probably noticed that we take an unorthodox approach to PowerPoint. That medium is inherently low-resolution, usually consisting of (a) grunt-like phrases organized around bullets or (b) an illegible wall of text that the speaker proceeds to read to you. Even worse, slides aren't easily portable. For example, many CAP members attend conferences to "represent" their home unit. These folks want to take back news to their fellow members who couldn't attend. With slides, that task is nearly impossible. Even if you obtain hard copies of the slides, who can figure out what the speaker actually said, just by looking at the slides?

Our approach (informed by Edward Tufte, tufte.com) is to use high-resolution paper handouts built around good old fashioned prose. Our hope is that handouts like what we're using for the "Cadet News & Innovations" seminar will be a better way to communicate, especially for those of you unable to say Howdy to us in San Antonio.

What do you think?

Cadets will encounter Air Force Office of Special Investigation (OSI), the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Experiences include law enforcement/security training, military working dog program, small arms weapons familiarization, antiterrorism/force protection and emergency services response.

Cost is $400.00 and the application deadline is 1 October, 2009

Please view the flyer or visit their website for more information and direct your questions to the activity POC Maj Brandon Ford, USAF.

This national activity is for cadets that are interested in politics and careers in public service.  It will be held in Washington D.C. on 20 - 27 February, 2010.  Cadets must have earned their Billy Mitchell Award by 1 October, 2009 and must be at least 16 years old by 20 February, 2010.

Now is the time to start your application for the Air Force Academy.  Please see the flyer for specific instructions on how to apply and what to do to get the required nomination in order to receive an appointment.  Don't wait until the last minute for this great opportunity! 

For those hoping to get into the Air Force Academy in future years, see how you stack up against this year's class at http://www.usafaparents.org/pdf/ProfileClassof2013.pdf

Check out the Scholarships website this fall for instructions on how to apply for CAP's USAFA Prep School recommendation.

[from NY Times, 21 July 1969]
 

NCC, as it’s known to the cadets, involves eight drill teams and eight color guards from around the country. Each team earned the right to compete here in McMinnville, Oregon (home to Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose) by winning regional and state-level events. The cadets are aged 12 to 20 and wear the blue uniform of the U.S. Air Force. Most are motivated by an interest in the military and a love of airplanes. Each is astonishingly serious about being a cadet and living up to what the uniform represents. During the 4-day competition, they’ll compete in a one-mile run, test their knowledge of aviation through a written exam and a game like Jeopardy, stand for an inspection of their uniforms, and perform complex military drill routines. Their rifles are fake.

THE MICHAEL J. FOX FAN CLUB

My first sight of New Jersey’s Dragon Drill Team is of them snapping their fingers and fisting their palms in quick succession, just as Michael J. Fox used to do on Family Ties. Not wanting to date myself, I don’t make reference to 80s tv. The average CAP cadet was born in 1994.

“Do you guys know Maver?” I ask. Dave Maver was our national cadet of the year in 2007.  Four or five cadets start telling me everything they know about The Maver, making him out to be a 5’ 4” living legend. “He did flutter kicks and pushups at the Dining In at Club Dix,” one cadet reports. “He’s an APJOC grad – he’s rappelled Australian style, upside down.” Perseus beheaded Medussa. Maver flutterkicked at a dance.

In this group, the center of attention is a 13 year old girl with red hair and braces, Sara Peisch. She’s wearing the insignia of a cadet chief master sergeant – eight stripes is a lot for such a young kid. As the team is summoned to the field for the Innovative Drill, she says to me, “Sir, stay and watch the professional side of us.” Their team commander, Carlos Pineda, who will later win the outstanding cadet award, commands “FALL IN.” The cadets immediately focus. Gone is the middle schooler with the red hair and braces; she’s been absorbed into a single, regimented formation of blue uniforms. Carlos is wounded and should be on crutches, but he heroically stows them away for the next four minutes, just long enough to command the innovative. I say “command,” but there are maybe three oral commands in this entire routine – these cadets (like many of the teams competing) are so good, they can execute mesmerizingly complex drills entirely by memory.

In my youth, the Dragons were the team to beat, so I walk out to the drill pad and watch the current generation of Dragons perform the innovative. Seeing them take just three or four steps on the forward march, I can tell this team will be competitive. Great cadence. At their first halt, it’s one single sound, not thirteen pairs of clumsy teenaged feet. Ten seconds into the routine, I look up from my notepad and the cadets have already dispersed to every corner of the field, another sign of complexity and skill. As I write this, I hear that one single sound again – the crisp halt. If a blind person were judging this event, capable of evaluating the Dragons solely by their sound, he’d be happy. One girl marches with her torso leaned back a little too much. I note that not as a criticism but as a compliment. If a knowledgeable observer like me has to struggle to find something wrong with a drill team and can only say that someone’s posture is off by a few degrees, that’s a testament to the team’s precision. Before I know it, the four minutes are up. Carlos salutes, marches the Dragons off the pad, and someone hands him his crutches.

THE MEMBER MOM

In the real world, Melanie Niedfeldt of Utah is a corporate safety expert. I ask if she’s a spectator mom or a bona fide CAP senior member. “I joined just to get the CAP driver’s license so I could help drive the kids, but two and half years later I’m a full-fledged active member.”

What does that involve? “I hem the kids’ pants, bandage their feet, drive them around, and sleep on the floor.”  The circumstances of that last job duty – sleeping on the floor – is mysterious but not surprising. Adult escorts go to great lengths to support their cadets.

One of Melanie’s trade secrets is actually news to me, despite my 22 years’ experience with drill teams. It’s so simplistically ingenious only a mom could come up with it:  She brings the cadets to the local tuxedo shop and buys their old rental shoes for $8 a pair. It’s a cheap but effective way to outfit a 13-member drill team. Some teams tell me they spend almost $300 per cadet to dress the cadets in crisp, new, tailored uniforms complete with mint condition ribbons, shiny brass buckles, and even shirt garters – the absurd devices businessmen wore in a more formal era.

Melanie’s daughter, Rae, tells me she joined because her brother flies Apache helicopters. “I wanted to be part of that,” she explains.  Rae is the kind of kid who immediately stands out as a leader. I’ve only shaken hands with her but I can tell she’s a great student. If she works part-time at the mall, I  just know her boss regards her as his most responsible teenaged employee. Here, in this crowd of 200 cadets, she’s one of the many super confident, super sharp, obviously bright cadets. Here, the exceptional is common. When Rae was twelve one of her friends was already a cadet and said to her, “Dude, this happened at drill team and you have to join.” Today she’s 15 and a second lieutenant.

Melanie tells me that she knows one cadet who, when she first met him, was socially underdeveloped. He couldn’t carry on a conversation, and consequently struggled to fit in. Recognizing this, Melanie’s husband closely mentored the cadet, teaching him study skills, reading the questions on cadet tests aloud to him, and providing the simple encouragement that makes a real difference. “He got his Mitchell recently,” she tells me, not without a bit of pride. (Mitchell Award recipients are among the top 15% of all cadets.) “These kids will be deciding the future and leading our world,” she continues.  I can tell that the world now benefits from one young man who is better prepared to lead, thanks to her and her husband. Every adult who mentors a CAP cadet does so as a volunteer.

RAE AND THE TROPHY

Before I depart to mix with some other cadets, Rae shows me a framed photo of the USAF Chief of Staff Sweepstakes Trophy, the 30 year old behemoth that is awarded to the winning teams (it’s a perpetual trophy so technically it lives outside my office and the cadets take home a different trophy). Rae carries this photo with her throughout the competition. Teammate Mckelle Tobey tells me, “Sir, if you include the bit about the trophy in your story, be sure to add that we kiss the photo before every event!”

After leaving Utah, I visit North Carolina.  It is one of the most successful teams I’ve ever encountered. Comprised of cadets solely from Apex Cadet Squadron near Raleigh, the team has won the right to compete at NCC several times and is always in the running for the Sweepstakes Trophy. As I mingle with them, I ask if they’ve heard that one of the teams always carries a photo of the trophy. Kali Fletcher, a cadet colonel and recipient of the Spaatz Award, the program’s highest cadet honor, briskly instructs me, “Tell them they’re gonna need that photo because they’re not getting the real trophy.” Cadets are sharp and professional, but still know how to talk trash.

THE SMALLEST CADET

Thirteen year old Aleasha North, sometimes known as the little sister of Christina, competes on the color guard side of the competition, as North Carolina’s alternate. She joined CAP to help with the lifesaving emergency services mission. Aleasha tells me she’s qualified with the L-Per, a handheld radio receiver with four antennas that CAP members use to home in on distress beacons (such as those activated in an airplane crash). Thirteen years old and motivated to help save lives. “CAP offers good training,” she says, “plus I like to hang out with these people,” referring to her four teammates, all of whom are a couple years older than her. Right now she’s a three-striper and I ask what goals she has. “Goals?” She’s not sure what I mean. “Are you going to earn the Mitchell or the Earhart or the Spaatz or what awards do you want to earn?” I ask.  “Oh,” she says, “I’m gonna try to get all of them!”

THE FONZ, SASQUATCH, AND THEIR FRIENDS

Ohio’s team comes from Youngstown. “What’s Youngstown famous for?” I ask, vaguely not sure if that’s where the football hall of fame is (nope, Canton). Without missing a beat, Erin Fetters, a thin girl with braces tells me, “We have the highest murder rate, four years running.”  I’m always astonished that cadets are incredibly serious one moment and yet still wise enough not to take themselves too seriously.

Ten seconds into my visit, I learn you can’t drill with the Ohio cadets unless you have a nickname. I meet Mr. Right, Trent Zank, a 16 year old tech sergeant. His friends tell me he makes up excuses and strains his logic to show he’s always right. A sixteen year old Cliff Claven, I think, but again decide not to date myself by suggesting the comparision. Anthony Spina is The Fonz because he was somehow issued a uniform that looks like it came from the 50s. Michael Rothacker is Sasquatch. The fourteen year old staff sergeant wore a guerrilla costume to region competition. “Guerrilla costume?,” I ask.  Yes, a guerrilla costume. I notice that Erin “Snappy” Fetters outranks Sasquatch by a stripe or two, despite Sasquatch having a Red Service Award (signifying he’s been a cadet at least two years) and Erin not having one. I ask him why. “Well,” (don’t all excuses begin with “well”?), “I was in soccer for six months so I couldn’t test…” The poor kid can’t finish before Erin chimes in, “That’s no excuse, because I had softball.”

Four cadets tell me the star of their team is Joe Spletzer, their team commander, a 15 year old lieutenant. “Fifteen and a half… he has his permit,” someone clarifies. The cadets deeply respect their Lieutenant Spletzer. “He was willing to put aside a bunch of other activities so he could devote his full energy to being team commander,” says Sasquatch. The Fonz tells me, “He really knows what he’s doing, does it till it’s perfect… and that’s not just in CAP.” How many adults have bosses at work whom they don’t respect one tenth as much as these cadets respect their commander? If leadership is about influence, Joe Spletzer is succeeding because his personal example has truly made its mark.

THE FOUR STAR

General William M. Fraser III, USAF, the Air Force’s second in command, is the competition’s biggest celebrity. He orders his jet to land at tiny McMinnville Municipal. CAP’s National Commander, Maj Gen Amy S. Courter and the multi-millionaire founder of Evergreen International Aviation, Del Smith, whose aviation and space museum is hosting the cadets, greet General Fraser and his entourage.

Although the drill events have officially concluded, the cadets spontaneously organize an exhibition for General Fraser. How many teens have the opportunity, let alone the guts, to drill for a four star general? An SR-71 spy jet and Titan IV rocket on display nearby provide suitable ambiance. The cadets perform their most challenging routines and every adult present can see the general is impressed. He troops the line, shaking hands with many of the assembled cadets, and one gets the sense that perhaps a man currently wearing four stars has just said hello to a future flag officer, astronaut, or senator.

ENTER THE PROFESSIONALS

Throughout the competition, it has been the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard – the Air Force’s undisputed experts in all facets of drill and ceremony – who have been judging the cadets. Now it’s the final night at NCC, so during the awards banquet the judges put themselves on display before five hundred cadets, parents, adult escorts, and General Fraser.

The team of five airmen, most only a few years beyond cadet age, stomp and spin and toss their bayoneted M-14 rifles with total precision. Total precision. And then astonishingly, after a particularly complex maneuver, one honor guardsman drops his rifle. No doubt, he and his teammates were horrified, especially since General Fraser is watching from the front row. But I’m glad for this hiccup. It shows the cadets that even world-class professionals are fallible. It adds a measure of humility to a night when the very best cadet drill teams and color guards will collect armfuls of trophies. 

STANDING OVATION

On every team, someone is taking notes. Third, second, and first place winners are announced, one event at a time. Pay close attention and you can deduce who will be the overall winner. I applaud with everyone else, but mostly I find myself just watching the cadets’ faces and paying little attention to the actual results. Ten feet away from me sits a twelve year old one-striper, a member of the cadet support staff, one of the dozen or more non-competitors at work behind the scenes. This kid is wearing what has to be a size 30 extra small service coat and still he’s drowning in it. Here is the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Corps, or at least the best 200 of them. They’re gawky, yet sharp; totally focused and disciplined, yet dip into fits of goofiness; smart and attentive and sure to address me as “Sir,” but undoubtedly susceptible to the same risks of every other teen in America. The man seated beside me, an executive from Sprint remarks, “I didn’t know what to expect from these cadets. I am impressed.”  He restates this compliment a couple times during the banquet and I know it’s sincere.

General Fraser presents trophies to the winners (New York’s color guard and Utah’s drill team). Five hundred people cheer this current generation of young over-achievers. The general smiles. The parents cheer. Supporters text the news to friends back home. With the cadets cheering loudest of all, I, too, stand and add my applause.
 

For detailed information about this great scholarship opportunity , you can go to our link, Spaatz Association Scholarship, or go to the Spaatz Scholarship web page, tankerbob.com/scholar.htm.

Please do everything you can to adhere to the National Commander's safety guidelines.  We need to place a special emphasize on ORM training this year and we need to conduct a safety briefing at the start of each day.

Thank you for your continued support of the cadets and their safety.

1.                  LEARN TO LEAD TEXTBOOK.

Stage one of this project involves developing two new textbooks, one for Phase I cadets (chapters 1-3) and one for Phase II cadets (chapters 4-8). The module 1 “Personal Leadership” textbook draft is complete and has been available for your review in the proving grounds. The module 2  “Small Team Leadership” textbook draft is 60% complete (chapters 4, 6, and 8 are done). We’ll set the project aside this summer, during NCSA high season (and when yours truly marries lovely Amanda), and complete chapters 5 and 7 in September. Watch the proving grounds for module 2’s draft to become available for your review in October. Click the “Learn to Lead Outline” at right for more info.

2.                  LEADERSHIP TOOLS.

As announced in an earlier blog entry, watch your mailbox for the new Learn to Lead Activity Guide, the Respect on Display guide to customs and courtesies, and the Essentials of Teambuilding activity book. These materials supplement the Learn to Lead textbook and are at the printer as of this writing.

3.                  DRILL TESTS.

One weakness of the current leadership curriculum is that too much is expected of cadets early on in drill, and very little is expected of them after Achievement 2. We’ve spread the drill requirements out such that you’ll see a performance test in chapters 1 through 6, at least. For achievements 7 and 8, we’ll probably have to test cadets’ knowledge of high level formations in writing – performance tests just aren’t practical unless someone has an encampment-sized cadet corps handy.

4.                  NOTE ABOUT RESEARCH.

Learn to Lead is informed by solid research. One weakness of the current text is that it relies on anecdotes. At any rate, it’s been interesting to see how some staples of cadet leadership education have no foundation in Air Force doctrine or the professional literature. Take the “NCO support channel,” for example. Every cadet NCO learns that flight sergeants back up the first shirt and so forth, but our research lead us to discover that “NCO support channel” is an informal Army term (at best), with no foundation in the Air Force tradition. Suffice to say that Learn to Lead will be a stronger text because we’re investing time in solid research.

5.                  ONLINE TESTING

The IT folks are developing the system that cadets will use to take their achievement tests online. They’re telling us the project is fairly straightforward from a technical standpoint. We’ll begin field testing the system around Thanksgiving and we’ll officially roll-out the system by 1 April 2010, at the same time we release Learn to Lead.

Again, Learn to Lead Modules 1 and 2 are on track for April 2010. We think cadets will find the new curriculum more challenging, more relevant, and more fun.

New tools are available to support cadets and their adult leaders:

CAPF 52 series
Minor administrative update (email address)

CAPP 52-7    Cadet Orientation Flight Syllabus
Now includes practical tips on how to manage the cadet flying program

CAPVA 52-100    Cadet Super Chart
The whole of the Cadet Program, at a glance

CAPP 151    Respect on Display
Handy guide to military customs and courtesies for cadets and seniors alike

CAPP 216    Cadet Programs Officer’s Handbook & Specialty Track Study Guide
User-friendly guidance on how to get started helping cadets; updated specialty track requirements

Essentials of Teambuilding Activity Guide
Recipe-like lesson plans for hands-on leadership games
(Don't be fooled by the young kids on the cover: this guide is packed activities cadets will love)
(Electronic version not available; we've purchased hard copies from the publisher who developed the guide)

Learn to Lead Activity Guide
Recipe-like lesson plans for hands-on leadership games, movie discussions, and more

Resource Guide
Catalog listing the curriculum resources and major programs supporting cadets and their adult leaders


We’ll send hard copies of these materials to all squadrons and all wing and region DCPs in a few weeks. We're printing the pubs right now. Please watch your mailbox.

 

For more information, please go to the AE Grants and Scholarships webpage

The deadline for the AFA Grant is quickly approaching.  Don’t miss out on this great opportunity! 

The next generation of cyber defenders will compete in qualifying rounds in the fall to vie for one of the coveted slots to travel to Orlando for the CyberPatriot II National Championship, scheduled for 18-19 February 2010.

For more information, please go to members.gocivilairpatrol.com/cyber

Update - Individuals can sign up for more than one group.  The group id # for Civil Air Patrol Cadet Programs is  80401.

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The Cadet Blog is not intended to compete with the handful of independent web forums devoted to CAP-related topics, most of which allow for instantaneous posting. Rather, our goal is to offer a moderated forum where the NHQ staff and CAP members can share ideas on how to better serve cadets.  Therefore, all submissions will be reviewed prior to publication. We welcome a variety of perspectives on cadet life, but we ask all participants to observe the following guidelines designed to control the quality of the discussion and manage the “signal to noise” ratio:

• Only current CAP members are eligible to comment
• Comments must include the author’s name
• Only comments that advance the discussion will be published (please, no “me, too” comments or off-topic remarks) 
• Comments may be gently edited for brevity and clarity

While your comments are being moderated we are not able to reply to every post. 
If you have a specific question please send an email to cadets@capnhq.gov.

************************************************************************************************

The Cadet Blog is not intended to compete with the handful of independent web forums devoted to CAP-related topics, most of which allow for instantaneous posting. Rather, our goal is to offer a moderated forum where the NHQ staff and CAP members can share ideas on how to better serve cadets.  Therefore, all submissions will be reviewed prior to publication. We welcome a variety of perspectives on cadet life, but we ask all participants to observe the following guidelines designed to control the quality of the discussion and manage the “signal to noise” ratio:

• Only current CAP members are eligible to comment
• Comments must include the author’s name
• Only comments that advance the discussion will be published (please, no “me, too” comments or off-topic remarks) 
• Comments may be gently edited for brevity and clarity

While your comments are being moderated we are not able to reply to every post. 
If you have a specific question please send an email to cadets@capnhq.gov.

************************************************************************************************

The Cadet Blog is not intended to compete with the handful of independent web forums devoted to CAP-related topics, most of which allow for instantaneous posting. Rather, our goal is to offer a moderated forum where the NHQ staff and CAP members can share ideas on how to better serve cadets.  Therefore, all submissions will be reviewed prior to publication. We welcome a variety of perspectives on cadet life, but we ask all participants to observe the following guidelines designed to control the quality of the discussion and manage the “signal to noise” ratio:

• Only current CAP members are eligible to comment
• Comments must include the author’s name
• Only comments that advance the discussion will be published (please, no “me, too” comments or off-topic remarks) 
• Comments may be gently edited for brevity and clarity

While your comments are being moderated we are not able to reply to every post. 
If you have a specific question please send an email to cadets@capnhq.gov.

Cadets will be able to take their achievement tests online and at a time and place of their choosing, beginning in 2010. CAP policy-makers approved the tests’ change of format at the Winter National Board Meeting last weekend.

Benefits.  Perhaps the two biggest benefits of the change are:

(1) the increased “convenience factor” allowing cadets to test when they choose, versus only when the unit is able to offer testing, will enable them to progress a bit faster, though the usual 8-weeks’ time between achievements remains in effect; and

(2) by not having to proctor tests on a regular basis, the typical squadron will free-up about 1 hour per month, which they can use for more exciting activities. 

Milestone Exams.  The Wright Brothers, Mitchell, and Earhart milestone award exams will continue to be administered closed-book at the squadron, in hard copy form. Only achievement tests will be available online.

Web Access. While the majority of cadets have Web access, not all do. Units will be allowed to administer tests via hard copy, if the cadet wants.
 
Next Steps.   We’ll be working with the IT folks to develop or purchase appropriate software. We already have the Spaatz Award Exam online, so there’s a possibility that that software could work for the achievement tests.

We’ll also updated CAPR 52-16 and 50-4, accordingly (see related post).

In the meantime, cadets will continue to take their achievement tests via hard copy. (If you haven’t checked your test inventory lately, now’s a good time to do that using the Testing Officer’s Quick Reference, available in the Library.)

Online testing will launch in early 2010, when we publish Modules 1 and 2 of the “Learn to Lead” curriculum. Module 1 has been completed, and we’re working on Module 2 right now.

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The Cadet Blog is not intended to compete with the handful of independent web forums devoted to CAP-related topics, most of which allow for instantaneous posting. Rather, our goal is to offer a moderated forum where the NHQ staff and CAP members can share ideas on how to better serve cadets.  Therefore, all submissions will be reviewed prior to publication. We welcome a variety of perspectives on cadet life, but we ask all participants to observe the following guidelines designed to control the quality of the discussion and manage the “signal to noise” ratio:

• Only current CAP members are eligible to comment
• Comments must include the author’s name
• Only comments that advance the discussion will be published (please, no “me, too” comments or off-topic remarks) 
• Comments may be gently edited for brevity and clarity

While your comments are being moderated we are not able to reply to every post. 
If you have a specific question please send an email to cadets@capnhq.gov.

************************************************************************************************

The Cadet Blog is not intended to compete with the handful of independent web forums devoted to CAP-related topics, most of which allow for instantaneous posting. Rather, our goal is to offer a moderated forum where the NHQ staff and CAP members can share ideas on how to better serve cadets.  Therefore, all submissions will be reviewed prior to publication. We welcome a variety of perspectives on cadet life, but we ask all participants to observe the following guidelines designed to control the quality of the discussion and manage the “signal to noise” ratio:

• Only current CAP members are eligible to comment
• Comments must include the author’s name
• Only comments that advance the discussion will be published (please, no “me, too” comments or off-topic remarks) 
• Comments may be gently edited for brevity and clarity

While your comments are being moderated we are not able to reply to every post. 
If you have a specific question please send an email to cadets@capnhq.gov.

-curt

************************************************************************************************

The Cadet Blog is not intended to compete with the handful of independent web forums devoted to CAP-related topics, most of which allow for instantaneous posting. Rather, our goal is to offer a moderated forum where the NHQ staff and CAP members can share ideas on how to better serve cadets.  Therefore, all submissions will be reviewed prior to publication. We welcome a variety of perspectives on cadet life, but we ask all participants to observe the following guidelines designed to control the quality of the discussion and manage the “signal to noise” ratio:

• Only current CAP members are eligible to comment
• Comments must include the author’s name
• Only comments that advance the discussion will be published (please, no “me, too” comments or off-topic remarks) 
• Comments may be gently edited for brevity and clarity

While your comments are being moderated we are not able to reply to every post. 
If you have a specific question please send an email to cadets@capnhq.gov.