NJ Wing Region Cadet Leadership School
BE2011 RCLS Program
Seeking to develop an advanced leadership program and noting a requirement for New Jersey Wing and North East Region cadets to complete Cadet Officer School or a Region Cadet Leadership
School to earn the Eaker Award, the New Jersey Wing Basic Encampment 2011 Curriculum Development Team began to build a curriculum for a leadership development program in the Fall of 2011. After evaluating the tremendous joint-force resources on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL), the team submitted a RCLS curriculum to the North East Region (NER) Commander, Col Christopher Hayden, to create the New Jersey Wing Region Cadet Leadership School (NJW RCLS). In April of 2011 Col Hayden authorized the NJW RCLS as a sanctioned Region Cadet Leadership School that will be open to all NER cadets who have completed an encampment and are between the grades of C/MSgt and C/Major.
The NJW RCLS will focus on tactical, operational and strategic leadership, planning, character development, writing, public speaking, ethics/character development, fitness and other areas that are essential to developing future leaders. The strategic goal of the NJW RCLS is to produce confident, knowledgeable cadets who are able to support their squadron’s cadet program and be proactive group, wing and region members.
Thanks tothe unique relationship with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the NJWRCLS is able to take advantage of guest speakers and support from the 621st Contingency Response Wing, 305th Air Mobility Wing, 514th Air Mobility Wing, AFROTC Detachment 485, 87th Air Base Wing, the Army’s 3rd Battalion (TS), 315th Regiment, and the Army’s Regional Training Center East (RTC East). Academy students will complete the Army’s Leadership Reaction Course, shadow Air Force NCOs and Officers, and participate in simulations, seminars and other events that will give them “hands-on” experience as well as the opportunity to see how leadership works in an operational Air Force unit.
The NJW RCLS syllabus draws from CAP leadership texts and sources. It also incorporates appropriate material from the USAF enlisted and officer Professional Military Education courses including Airmen Leadership School (ALS), Senior NCO Academy and Squadron Officer School (SOS). These lessons will be instructed by experienced Air Force personnel who have attended or served as instructors at these courses. These and other individuals (see attached list) have been providing input as serving as editors of the NJW RCLS syllabus.
The NJW RCLS curriculum is second to none. This is due to the unprecedented level of support from CAP seniors who share nearly a century of experience working in the cadet program augmented by Air Force and Army units and personnel. The NJW RCLS promises to be an outstanding cadet leadership experience.
Curriculum Development Team
-Major General (Ret) G. Thomas Garrett, USA—Former Commanding General, 42nd Infantry Division
--Senior Training Specialist for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation & 36 years commissioned service
-Col Drew Alexa, CAP—Former Director, CAP Advanced Technologies Group
--Former CEO and retired corporate executive, CAP National Senior Member of the Year 2003 & 28 years of CAP experience at the Squadron/Wing/Group/NHQ
-Maj Joseph McGuire, CAP—Honorary Group Commander, 305th Operations Group
-- Former Commander, 2010 New Jersey Wing Basic Encampment and RCLS. Police Lieutenant, Dover Township Police Department
-Lt Col Pete Carrabba, USAF—Commander, 818th Global Mobility Squadron
--C-130 Navigator, USAF Weapons School Graduate, Spaatz Award recipient
-Lt Col Matthew Lacy, USAF—Commander/Professor of Aerospace Studies, AFROTC Detachment 485
--KC-135/T-34/KC-10 pilot, Command Tactician, 421st Combat Training Squadron Operations Officer, Spaatz Award Recipient
-Capt Dave Maver, CAP—Commander, 2011 Basic Encampment
-- CAP National Cadet of the Year 2006, Spaatz Award Recipient and Cadet Officer School graduate (2004)
-Capt Joseph Catalino, USAFR—Operations Officer, 34th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron & Chief, Private Sector/NGO Division, Interagency Coordination Directorate, NORAD and NORTHCOM
--19 years of enlisted/commissioned service, participant in numerous contingency operations as military member and government executive, USAF NCO Academy grad, Mitchell award recipient
-Capt Dave Gaulin, USAF—Executive Officer/C-17A Evaluator Pilot
--Spaatz Recipient, Cadet Officer School graduate (1995) and COS Commandant of Cadets (1998)
-Capt Daniel Boone, USAF—Squadron Chief of Training/C-17A Instructor Pilot
--Spaatz Award Recipient, Cadet Officer School graduate (1998)
-Capt Dave Maver, CAP—Commandant of Cadets, 2010 Basic Encampment
--CAP National Cadet of the Year 2006, Spaatz Award Recipient and Cadet Officer School graduate (2004)
-C/Maj Philip Savitsky—Encampment Cadet Commander, New Jersey Wing Basic Encampment 2011
Cadet Officer School graduate (2009)
-C/Maj David Resnick —Encampment Cadet Deputy Commander for NJW RCLS
