The original plan was for just 4-6 betties - no escort, but the only small squads had requested fighters only, and I didn't want to risk a no-show by a small squad.
Begs the question: What did they fly the last 3 frames? I know from personal experience that checking the logs is tedious, but when faced with hard choices it was a tool I used to be fair to all.
But that is not my main focus for quoting this. The concern that a squad may bail due to not liking the orders is.
In the beginning of my CO duties this was a fear of mine. Up to the point that I instructed The Nightmares (at the time one of the largest squads in FSO) to up 88s and escorts to level a V-base on a BOB type map. It was just after we were 1st allowed to have a squad split into 2 rides. The area was isolated from the rest of the fight. I had been handed large and small squads with only 2 medium squads The other side had several medium squads with few small or large. The math worked for the side split, but it left me with several small squads that I was unfamiliar with. And several of the small squads had B5N duties the last FSO. I let fear dictate and gave the orders so one area would work well for our side. I got a BBS PM and tower com suggestion that it was a waste of resources. I confirmed the orders.
The Nightmares blew through the OPFOR, leveled the base with few casualties and were asking for a secondary. I told them to land the 88s per orders as they were high value in that set up. They landed as a squad which was foreign to me due to being in an MA squad that was full of alpha males. 10 fighter out of the 2nd half. I can't apologise enough for that.
Not long after that we did not have CIC duties and were assigned B5Ns with no re up as a low end fighter. We failed our commitment miserably. It did not help that a storm prevented me for being on hand. Had to see it on the BBS.
We had not been in FSO all that long, but we represented a vary large MA squad at the time. I brought it to our MA CO attention and he backed me up 100%.
He informed the squad that if they had "the flu" they we to inform the FSO staff ahead of time (nice version of his true wording) so that other arrangements could be made and that failing in duty to the squad could result in dismissal.
We have fallen short a few times since. Tornado season is particularly bad (shout out to the Oklahoma section). But now 30% of the FSO squad are not MA squad mates. They started as periodic fill-ins and demonstated that they will show no matter what.
As squad COs and CICs you are asked to look at the big picture. Each of your squads have be given a hard path, poor ride, taken a hit for the team,... if you have been here a while. If a CiC does his homework and is fair in assignments a squad that balks is a squad that does not belong here. They show their true character and that is not the CIC's fault. It is, however much it may hurt a side's overall performance, a good thing to know.
My squad at one time was less than I gave them credit for. They are now more than I ever hoped for because the problem was allowed to reveal itself.
