In Part 1, we went over the basics of...well....looking over basics. Now we’re going to talk about some jobs where you won’t be interacting with the first-time attendees, at least, not nearly as often as the flight cadre.

Most people see the support staff as a dumping ground for all the flight commander applicants who got rejected. Most of the time, this is the case. Most members of the support staff didn’t apply for the position in which they’re serving, often causing some to be bitter about their duties. To which I say to them....

Suck it up, princess.

You’re certainly not always going to get what you want, even if your daddy happens to be the Wing King. Part of maturing is learning to cope with these disappointments, I suggest you build a bridge and get over it (or start applying to several encampments during the summer and hope you get a flight commander slot, but that’s another subject for another day...).

Support staff (referred to in some wings as the "executive staff", so just bear with me folks) is not a glamorous place, but if we didn’t use ‘em at encampment, the encampment wouldn’t even get started. Plus, if you happen to have a certain skill such as photography, computer-literacy, or exceptional writing abilities, you get to show off your talents for a week (and learn more about serving as a staff officer on the Dark Side, as you will most likely have a senior member that will mentor you).

Now you’re thinkin’ "Okay Mr. Godbee, now that I see the importance of working in the background, what should I expect to do as a support staff member?" Here’s a list of positions commonly used at encampment:

Administrative Officer: This is probably the position most cadets picture when they hear "support staff". Lots of paperwork, right? Mostly, these guys ensure every single basic cadet, cadet staffer, and senior member gets credit for attending encampment. Expect to do a lot of typing and organizing as a cadet admin officer, and if the paperwork gets to be too much for you, let the Cadet Executive Officer know you need some help (if you don’t already have a staff of your own, or if you don’t have enough bodies on your staff). As I said before, not a glorious position, but probably the most essential support job. Also a good opportunity to learn what forms are used in the Cadet Program, which will serve you some benefit someday when you become a Cadet Commander or your home squadron’s Deputy Commander for Cadets.

Public Affairs Officer: The duties of a PAO really depend on what wing/region you’re in. You might get to make either a yearbook or DVD. You may have to brief parents during in-processing or during graduation. One thing that remained constant at every encampment I’ve been to is the picture taking and story writing, you’re guaranteed to do one or the other at encampment. One thing to be aware of is to be careful what type of pictures you take (stop yer snickering...honestly, some people...), you don’t want to put a blatantly out-of-reg uniform on the internet for the whole world to see (thus becoming the laughingstock of a forum populated by several cadet organizations...*cough*). You also don’t want to distribute a newsletter without having it looked over by a couple of people. Grammatical errors are not uncommon, so consult a dictionary or someone who knows how to write well (if any of the senior members are teachers or have extensive writing experience, they make a great resource).

Logistics Officer: These individuals distribute linens and the like during in-processing, and take them up during out-processing. They also get supplies such as Gatorade sent to locations they are needed (such as a drill pad). Sometimes logistics is also in charge of the radios, sometimes communications is a separate job, but one thing is guaranteed if you’re on the logistics staff: You’ll be moving stuff, and taking inventory of that stuff. Organizational skills are a must.

Standardization/Evaluation (Stan/Eval): Sometimes this position is used at encampment, sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes it’s part of the support staff, sometimes it acts as the advisors to the Cadet Commander. At any rate, if used, the Stan/Eval Team (SET) is in charge of inspections, ensuring the Operating Instructions (OI) are adhered to, and usually has a say in what flight will be the honor flight of the week. Ideally, this position is filled by a Phase IV cadet, possibly more cadets depending on the size of the encampment. The SET’s job is not to strive for "Shock and Awe", but to simply inspect the rooms, lockers, common areas, uniforms, and general knowledge of the basic cadets. Throwing around racks and screaming at cadets for not knowing who the National Commander is usually doesn’t get the desired results (unless you want a cadet who is scared out of his mind and feels nothing but disdain for those in charge).

Now keep in mind, when you’re on the support staff, you’re not in charge of training cadets. Leave that to the command staff. Sure, feel free to chew out a cadet for not saluting you (assuming you’re an officer, of course), but don’t go out of the way to punish the poor kid. You’ve got a job to do, so do it. I’m sure if you need something to do, the C/XO can find something.

Speaking of the C/XO, if you’re a department Officer-In-Charge (or OIC), you report to the Cadet Executive Officer. No one else. When the Squadron 1 Commander asks you when his squadron is supposed to be taking pictures, he’s not in your chain, so you don’t have to indulge him with the details. Also, although you’ll be working with your senior member counterpart often, you still have a responsibility to keep the Cadet Executive Officer posted on your progress, whether he asks or not. Believe me, it’s easy for the C/XO to forget about you since you’ll be working mostly with seniors, but you’ll want to keep him in the loop if he does; sometimes the work of the support staff affects the planning and the schedule (like finding time for the PAO to take flight pictures, or getting back every single piece of linen issued to the cadets).

As a support staff officer or NCO, you won’t be doing much leading (even less if you’re not an OIC). Support staffers act more as managers than leaders, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I guarantee that no matter what your job is at encampment, if you serve on the staff, you will learn something that will make you a better cadet leader by the end of the week, whether you experience it firsthand, or witness it done by someone else.

I suggest that if you’re serious about being a "career" encampment staffer, you consider doing at least one encampment on the support staff or serve as a Cadet Executive Officer (more about that next time).

Trust me, someday you’ll be glad you did.