How Do We Select Our New Wing Commander?

At UMA there are many traditions and events that take place throughout the year. Some
are spectacular like the numerous dances we have; others give the school a chance to display
its core values like the annual day of service. One of the most important events, however, is
when we change our Wing Commander.

Selecting the Wing Commander is important, considering that they are at the head
of the cadet corps. He or she is the cadet who brings new ideas to the school, allowing the school to grow. Most people have heard about the forms that you have to fill out, the boards, whatever those are, and the ceremony. Yet there’s more that happens behind the scenes when selecting a Wing Commander.

The first step is the application process. If you have filled out any position form, it is 
a pre-interview questionnaire for a job. It can ask about your qualifications, why you want the position, and what you are going to do once you have the position. The application contains numerous questions just like that.

These forms are mainly just a way to find who is interested in the position. After these
forms are collected, the next step is the interview process, or as they are called, boards. These boards are the main part of choosing the next Wing Commander. As such, they are one of the most important and time-consuming parts of the process.

“First, we verified that all candidates met the requirements for grades, behavior, and
experience as outlined on the application and on the Cadet Guide,” said Lt Col Tisher, “Next, we had a Board Interview for each candidate.”To support the fact they are like job interviews, Sgt Jimenez added, “We try to make it feel like a job interview.”

The boards are the part that the JROTC staff focus on the most, and it can take a week or two to get through them all. This is mostly due to the amount of people on the board, the people being interviewed, and what’s contained within the board meeting itself. Inside the board, there is a hierarchy that they follow. That hierarchy provides a structure for the board meeting.
“The boards are typically composed of at least three individuals. One serves as the
President of the board, supported by additional members,” explained Cpt Dominguez.

Lt Col Tisher provided some more in-depth information on these recent boards for Wing Commander. “The Board was chaired by the SASI. All AFJROTC Cadre, the outgoing Wing
Commander and the outgoing Wing Command Chief sat on the Board,” said Lt Col Tisher.

On these boards, they ask a multitude of different questions, usually about the Cadet
Wing. Normally these questions are tailored to the position that they’re interviewing for.
Generally, they focus on “a service member’s leadership abilities, military knowledge,
performance in their current role, decision-making skills, situational awareness, and their
understanding of military regulations,” according to Cpt Dominguez.

The focus on these questions allows them to see what knowledge their interviewee has. Yet these questions also serve another purpose. According to Sgt Merrick, these questions help “gauge the individual’s readiness and ability to take on greater leadership responsibilities.”

Many cadets went through this process in the hopes of becoming the next Wing Commander. One such cadet, Cadet Chief Bowman, has gone through this process and has some insight into what it was like to be interviewed. “They asked you questions like ‘What are your goals for the Wing?’ and ‘Why do you want the position?’. Overall I would say it can be a tense interview but only if you let it be,” said Cadet Chief Bowman.

Cadet Bowman shared how he prepared for his board interview. “I calmed my mind and slowed my breathing before I entered. I also made sure all my information was upfront in my mind. I then answered truthfully and honestly,” said Cadet Bowman.

After all the interviews, the members of the board review the applicants and the results of the interviews. While doing this, they look for specific traits that they think would make for a good next Wing Commander or whatever position they are trying to fill. Since there are different positions they are trying to fill, the board lead will try to tailor the questions for the different positions that are being filled. In the case of Wing Commander, the questions are tailored more towards how the candidate wants to help the Wing progress.

Although the boards can take a while, they are necessary for finding the next best candidate for the position that they are trying to fill. It gives the SASI enough information to
make an informed decision on who to choose next. According to Sgt Merrick, “Without in-person boards, an accurate picture of the candidate can’t be formed.”

There are cases where the SASI already knows the person that they are holding a
position for. There’s always a concern for favoritism when this is the case. However, in the words of Sgt Jimenez, boards also “prevent favoritism, [and] promoting cadets that don’t deserve it. And, it gives our cadets a taste of the real world.”