Outline of “Do You Want to Be a ?” Course Content

Member prerequisites:

1. Grade of or above 2. Will meet the minimum requirements outlined in CAPR 35-9 at time of application 3. Past or current unit or group or members of wing staff (optional)

Time: 9.5 hours

Skill Sets to be emphasized: managing resources (equipment, supplies, human), raising funds, budgeting, accounting for equipment, time management.

Seminar Objective: The objective of this seminar is to give members who are exploring the idea of applying for the position of wing commander a realistic picture of:

1. What the job entails from a management perspective a. Finance b. Operations c. Logistics d. Safety e. Legal/Compliance 2. National Commander’s expectations 3. How the job is different than that of unit or group command (broadly) NOTE: This seminar is the first of a three step process to move members from thinking about being a wing commander, to consciously to preparing to be a wing commander and finally through selection and completion of the Wing Commanders Course post-selection. As this is the “pre-candidate” phase, discussion leaders should confine their discussion to broader topics and the drawing of distinctions between working as a lower-level commander or staff member and becoming the wing commander, such as the importance of an unqualified audit, what a wing freeze is, etc. Emphasis will be placed on management of resources and finances to ensure compliance with program narratives, applicable laws, and other accounting practices. The course assumes a familiarization with the three missions of CAP.

Questions to be discussed (FM, DO, OPS, LG, SE, JA/IG will use these questions as the basis of their presentations, but from their unique perspectives):

1. Why does the member want to be a wing commander? 2. What does it take to be an effective wing commander for the area being discussed? 3. What management issues must a prospective wing commander prepare for before assignment, and when assigned? 4. What specific management items do commanders need to begin studying/thinking about in terms of the area being discussed? 5. How must my thinking change? 6. What should I expect from others and myself? 7. What does a wing commander have choice over… and no choice over? 8. What is the role of the wing commander? a. In b. For the specific area being discussed in the segment 9. In general, why things happen the way they do.