Recommendations for Next Year’s Encampment

First of all, I think that the 1998 Fort Drum was very successful.  Having been away from the encampments for several years it was great to see the strong emphasis on teamwork and positive leadership.  It was wonderful to see a full complement of TAC officers – I am sure that this is one of the strongest reasons for the lack of any problems in the flights.  The most difficult positions in the encampment are in the executive area.  It will probably always be this way.  Having been involved in so many positions over so many years, I have compiled a list of problem areas that I observed and suggestions for improvement. 

Maj Barbara Burns

Administration

Observed Problem:
•	Often did not know how to locate a particular individual.  
•	Did not know in a timely manner, how many people were actually at the encampment. How many were yet to arrive?
•	People participating in registration did not know what they should be checking for.
•	Did not have a procedure in place for missing membership cards.
•	If a cadet does not arrive home when expected, the commander will be called by anxious parents.  It is important to know when, how, and with whom they left the encampment.
•	Registration process seemed confused.  Too many people involved. Too much confusion ensued by registering at the Hill and then going to barracks. Cadets were missing items from the first day.
•	The medical office did not have copies of the cadets’ medical forms for several days and never had the seniors’.  
•	Two cadets were at the encampment and were not members according to National.
•	Administration could not set up offices until after in-processing because the in-process was to take place in their facility.   This severely hampered their effectiveness in the early days of the encampment.
•	Certificates of Appreciation were not created until the last minute

Sign In List
A computer list of all people registered should be available as staff arrive.  Each individual would sign in opposite his or her name.  This would be the first stop as cadets in flight arrive as well.  Anyone not on the list could be added immediately.  This would give more timely information as to who has actually appeared at the encampment.

Inprocessing
The individual doing pre-registration should create an envelope for each applicant.  All paperwork for that individual would be kept in this envelope.  A cover sheet for each envelope would indicate any missing items/information.  (Hopefully, these items could be resolved prior to the actual encampment.)   Then the sign-in procedure is simply to retrieve the envelope, if there are no outstanding issues, put the envelope in the ‘arrived’ box. The medical form could be retrieved from the package and hand-carried to the medical station.  The medical people can review the document with the cadet and retain the form for their book. They maintain control of the book for the encampment and at the end of the encampment turn it back for submission to NYW.

Any package that has outstanding issues must be resolved during the sign-in or approved by the Senior Executive Officer.  The XO will keep a list of anything that needs followup.   (Especially any membership questions.)

After registration is complete, the forms in the ‘in-processed’ envelopes can be retrieved and added to the Admin Binder.  The envelopes are set aside to hold the graduation materials.

Registration should probably occur in a building closer to the barracks so that the luggage does not have to be transported after in-processing.  Also, this allows the administrative offices to be set up and functioning earlier.

Application Procedure
Require photocopy of membership card as part of application?

Database Check
It is imperative that all participants at the encampment be checked against the database by  no later than Sunday night.  This process can also correct inaccurate charter number and social security number.  (These items must be correct for the final report to National.)  

Locator List
Each barracks should have a list at the main door showing a diagram of where everyone sleeps. (Which room, which floor, which bunk) This should be up by the end of the day after registration.)

A locator list by name should be maintained in the Admin section of where each person in the encampment sleeps.  The cadet information and seniors who are sleeping in the barracks can be derived from the Barracks Diagram (see previous paragraph); seniors who are in the BOQ need to be added with their housing location and phone number. This list should be completed by the end of the 2nd day after registration.

Final Sign-Out
A computer list of all people at the encampment should be available by the time people are beginning to leave.   As individuals sign out, they would indicate the date and time, who they were leaving with, and in what vehicle or mode of transportation.  This list would be retained by the commander.   Also, checkout should occur at the barracks rather than Division Hill.

Certificates of Appreciation
Instead of using preprinted certificates, create the form in the computer and simply print it out with the name.  This could be something that could be done at anytime so that the person requesting it could take it with them to present immediately.  

Pass In Review

Observed Problem:

•	Cadets were practicing pass-in-review in the dark
•	Cadets had difficulty marching to the tempo of the music

Instead of trying to figure out the logistics of the pass-in-review using the entire cadre, do a ‘table-top’ exercise with a diagram and the staff verbalizing what needs to be done.  Possibly practice once ‘live’ with just the staff, and then one practice with everyone.

Use marching music with a tempo even cadets with short legs can maintain.  (LTC Cullity strongly recommends the Col Bogey March as being very ‘marchable’.)

Use the same music for the morning or evening formations and at parade practice, to get cadets get used to marching to it.  

Cleaning

Observed Problem:

•	Office facilities got pretty messy.  It is hard to stay professional if your environment is sloppy.
•	Common area in the Medical/Squadron building got very dirty.
•	Final cleanup was disorganized.
•	The final step in the cleanup (waxing the floors to the army’s specifications) seems to be beyond our skillset
•	Many people did not leave until late in the afternoon on Monday.  As a result, some did not arrive home until early the next morning.

Individual Offices – Individual Responsibility
Its occupants should keep each office clean.  The Executive Officer should inspect his staff’s offices, the Deputy Commander the flight/squadron staff’s.  Inspection should include: reasonably empty garbage cans, nothing on the floor, floor swept (possibly mopped), neat.   

Note:  garbage pickup should NOT be logistics’ responsibility.  Logistics should provide the procedures and bags that would allow each area to handle its own garbage.

Common Area 
The gathering area of the encampment this year was the Squadron/Medical room.  Since most members of the encampment contributed to the mess in this room it would not be fair to require medical or squadron staff to clean this. This could possibly be a flight cleaning task that is rotated among the 10 flights.   Stan/Eval could rate each flight and it could be a factor in the final scoring for honor flight.

Final Clean up
Detailed check lists for each building are needed.  The time after graduation until the staff dinner should be dedicated to emptying the buildings of all personal belongs to the extent possible.  Office areas should be totally cleared.  (All material removed from desks and walls.)  Anything that was moved should be moved back to its original location.  Cleaning materials (mops, buckets, etc.) should be moved into position.  

Detailed task list needs to be developed with a central person(s) dispensing tasks and inspecting. 

We should hire men from the base to do the final waxing.  (could be ‘friends’ of the final inspector).  We should clean to the point of waxing.

Miscellaneous 

Extra Cadets at Beginning and End of Encampment
Send squadron commanders letters urging them not have cadets arrive.  If they must arrive early, notify the encampment commander.  Recruit a senior (without major conflicting responsibilities) to be responsible for these cadets till the encampment start.  Do the same for cadets lingering after the end of the encampment, especially for the staff dinner.

Encampment Evaluations
Task someone to prepare and administer the encampment evaluations at a specific time.  Possibly during a mealtime, collecting forms as people leave, or as a scheduled part of the training schedule.  Include senior and cadet staff.  Standards/Evaluation, the Executive Officer, of perhaps Chaplains might handle this.  

Mealtimes
The training Schedule needs to include time to transport people (not just for meals).  
Stagger the dining schedule, or use two dining halls.
Run our own dining facility?

Public Affairs
Needs a digital camera to eliminate processing expense and time spent in getting film processed in Watertown.

Aerospace Education
Need to be more creative – how about some sort of hands on project?  Rocket launching?

How about creating a game to help people pass the first aerospace exam?.  It could be used whenever there is waiting time.  Try to get cadets who have not taken this exam to commit to testing within two months of returning to home squadron.

Orientation Flights
Need to have some activity for those cadets waiting for flights.  (Aerospace Education game?)

Information Dissemination
Need to have more frequent meetings.  Many people did not know the game plan for graduation.  Communication breakdown, especially towards the end of the encampment, could be avoided by a staff meeting.  Meetings need to be scheduled, and start and finish on time whether all are present or not.  

Communication to Squadron Commanders
Encampment commander needs to communicate with squadron commanders, possibly a letter two months before the encampment, stressing:
	Do not encourage very young or very new cadets to attend encampment
	Do not have them bring more than ‘x’ dollars.
	Must have membership card from National to attend encampment
	Make sure they have all equipment that is listed in booklet
	Advise seniors of visiting encampment procedures:
		Must have the encampment commander’s permission
		Must have PPR for incoming aircraft
Must be active military to stay at Inn at Fort Drum (parents of a cadet made reservations at the Inn – at last minute we needed to get our liaison officer to go in person to vouch for them).
		Must be active CAP or military to stay in VOQ
		Location of alternate motels 

Suggested Minimum Age for Staff
Perhaps there should be a minimum age for staff.  (There were a lot of very young cadets this year who may be applying for staff next year.)

Stan/Eval
Inspecting integrated flights’ barracks poses a problem.  It can be addressed in either of two ways: segregate the flights, or alter the inspections.  

NYW encampments changed from segregated to integrated flights nine years ago.  Many cadets strenuously resisted this: they said they feared they would act inappropriately in the same flight with the opposite sex.  Subsequent generations of cadets have worked so routinely in integrated flights that it’s hard to imagine that old apprehension.  

The military services, in the face of abuses that our encampments have never experienced, and after intense studies, still affirm the importance of integrated military training: people who will work together must train together.  Segregating flights is an admission that we cannot meet military standards.  

The inspection issue, however, is readily addressed.  A few of many possible ways:  

1.	Inspect the barracks by floor instead of by flight.  This would be a separate competition that could be scored daily.  It would let units other than flights excel, especially if, as this year, the same outstanding flight won every day.  
2.	Make flights responsible for bathrooms, outside areas, common areas.
3.	Include other tasks that promote the goals of the encampment:
•	submission of articles to the newspaper
•	on time for formation
•	use of free time on line or waiting for buses

Figure out what you want to happen, then inspect for that.