Originally Posted by
rwthompson67
I'm pretty sure you need to be a CFI in order to be a CFII. And to get the CFI comp, you need to have been an IP in either the training command or the rag. It's been a while though, I could be wrong.
No.
The three CFI certificates -- CFI-A, CFII, and MEI -- are all independent of one another, and may be earned/awarded in any order.