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NCM Air Operator Superintendent

Ping Monkey

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The latest on the FE/AES Op/SAR Tech occupation restructure...

SUBJ: NCM AIR OPERATOR SUPERINTENDENT CONCEPT
CANAIRGEN 18/13
REF: CANAIRGEN RE-SET ON FLIGHT ENGINEERS AND STUDY OF AIR OPS
SUPERINTENDENT
1. IN THE CURRENT CONTEXT, NCM FLYING OCCUPATIONS OPERATE SOMEWHAT
INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER AND ARE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSED ON
THE TACTICAL MISSION. BECAUSE THESE INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONS ARE
RELATIVELY SMALL AND THEY OPERATE IN STOVEPIPES, THEIR COLLECTIVE
VOICE IS DILUTED AND THEIR AIR OPS EXPERIENCE IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY
LEVERAGED AT THE OPERATIONAL AND STRATEGIC LEVELS. THIS IS NOT AN
ACCEPTABLE SITUATION FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS COMMANDER RCAF.  OUR
MISSION IS TO DELIVER AIR EFFECTS, AND NCM AIR OPERATOR PERSPECTIVES
AND EXPERIENCE ARE VITAL TO THAT MISSION
2. THEREFORE, IN AN EFFORT TO GENERATE A MORE BALANCED CADRE OF
SENIOR NCM AIR OPERATORS WHO HAVE THE REQUISITE EXPERIENCE AND
BACKGROUND TO MORE EFFECTIVELY INFLUENCE THE OPERATIONAL AND
STRATEGIC LEVELS, I HAVE INSTRUCTED MY STAFF TO INVESTIGATE A NEW
STRUCTURAL CONCEPT.  THIS WOULD BE BASED ON A CAPPED OCCUPATION AT
THE MWO AND CWO LEVELS CALLED AIR OPERATOR SUPERINTENDENT (AO SUP),
WHICH WOULD BE FED FROM SENIOR MEMBERS OF OUR NCM FLYING
OCCUPATIONS: FLIGHT ENGINEERS (FLT ENGR), AIRBORNE ELECTRONIC SENSOR
OPERATORS (AES OP) AND SEARCH AND RESCUE TECHNICIANS (SAR TECH)
3. IF THIS CONCEPT PROVES TO BE VIABLE, IT WOULD MEAN THAT UPON
PROMOTION TO MWO, MEMBERS OF THESE PRIMARY OCCUPATIONS WOULD
TRANSITION TO A NEWLY-FORMED AO SUP OCCUPATION. THIS IS AKIN TO THE
AIR MAINTENANCE SUPERINTENDENT (AM SUP) AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER
SUPERINTENDENT (CE SUP) OCCUPATIONS, ALTHOUGH THE TRANSITION WOULD
OCCUR AT THE MWO RANK (AND NOT THE WO RANK, AS IT IS FOR THE OTHERS)
4. THIS CONCEPT WOULD REQUIRE THE MAJORITY OF POSITIONS IN THE AO
SUP OCCUPATION TO BE GENERICALLY-FOCUSED (NOT SPECIFIC TO THE
PRIMARY OCCUPATION, BUT AIR OPS EXPERIENCE WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR
MOST).  HOWEVER, SOME POSITIONS WOULD ALWAYS REMAIN TIED TO SPECIFIC
OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUNDS, SUCH AS STANDARDS POSITIONS AND SENIOR
OCCUPATIONAL AUTHORITIES
5. EVEN THOUGH THIS INITIATIVE PROPOSES AN AMALGAMATION AT THE TOP
RANK LEVELS, AO SUP MEMBERS WOULD STILL IDENTIFY WITH THEIR PRIMARY
OCCUPATIONS BY CONTINUING TO WEAR APPLICABLE OCCUPATIONAL DRESS AND
ACCOUTREMENTS TO IDENTIFY THEIR ORIGINS. THIS INITIATIVE IS NOT
ABOUT ERASING OCCUPATIONAL ROOTS, TO THE CONTRARY, IT IS ABOUT
MAKING THOSE ROOTS BETTER HEARD AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS
6. I SEE SEVERAL BENEFITS TO THIS APPROACH:
A. NCM AIR OPERATORS WOULD GAIN MORE ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCE BY
HAVING A CRITICAL MASS OF PERSONNEL AT THE HIGHER RANK LEVELS TO
REPRESENT OPERATOR PERSPECTIVES AND BRING AIR OPS EXPERIENCE TO THE
TABLE
B. NCM AIR OPERATORS WOULD HAVE MORE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES,
POSITIONS, AND POSTINGS. THEIR INFLUENCE WOULD NOT BE RESTRICTED TO
THE FLIGHT LINE BUT WOULD EXTEND MORE PERVASIVELY TO THE OPERATIONAL
AND STRATEGIC LEVELS. THIS WOULD INCLUDE OPPORTUNITIES THEY WOULD
NOT ENJOY IN THE CURRENT CONSTRUCT AT THE MWO AND CWO RANKS (I.E.,
DIFFERENT POSTINGS, JOBS, LOCATIONS, EXPERIENCES.) THIS WOULD ALLOW
THEM TO BROADEN THEIR EXPERIENCE BASE AND DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS
FURTHER, MAKING THEM BETTER ADVISORS TO SENIOR COMMANDERS
C. AIR OPERATORS WOULD BENEFIT FROM GREATER SUCCESSION PLANNING
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO DEVELOP WELL BEYOND TACTICAL
EXCELLENCE. THE PRESENT FRACTURED CONSTRUCT RESULTS IN INSUFFICIENT
OPTIONS FOR HIGH-PERFORMING INDIVIDUALS TO PROGRESS TO THE HIGHEST
LEVELS. THE DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
WITHIN AO SUP WOULD POSITION ITS MEMBERS TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE WITH
LARGER RCAF AND CAF OCCUPATIONS
D. ALLOWS PRIMARY OCCUPATIONS UP TO THE WO LEVEL TO CONCENTRATE ON
OPERATIONAL DUTIES, THEREBY STEMMING RANK-CREEP.  THIS ALSO ENABLES
LEADING FROM THE FRONT IN THE PRIMARY OCCUPATIONS, I.E., SOME WOS
WILL FLY AS PART OF THEIR LEADERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES, WHEREAS AO SUP MWOS AND CWOS WOULD HAVE A MORE
STRATEGIC FOCUS
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS CONCEPT PROVIDES EXCELLENT BENEFITS TO
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE PRIMARY OCCUPATIONS, TO THE OCCUPATIONS
THEMSELVES, IN ADDITION TO INSTITUTIONAL CAF-WIDE BENEFITS.  AS
SUCH, I AM DIRECTING FLT ENGR, AES OP AND SAR TECH OCCUPATION
AUTHORITIES TO SOLICIT INPUT FROM THEIR MEMBERS TO ENSURE THEIR
VIEWS AND IDEAS ARE CONSIDERED BEFORE DECISIONS ARE MADE. I ALSO
ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF THESE OCCUPATIONS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE
NEWLY-ESTABLISHED AIR OPERATIONS CWO WHO WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL TO THE
STUDY OF THIS INITIATIVE, CWO BOUCHER DWAN email address removed
END OF ENGLISH TEXT
 
Para 3, 1st sentence told me I'll never have to worry about this from a personal level.  ;D

I'd heard rumours about this recently.  With downranking of flying billets, etc new opportunities come for the WO + levels.  It'll be interesting to see who is for/against this and if it sinks..or swims.

 
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