i get it. you don’t like the idea of the day
should CFAVs take part? that is a debate which could go on forever with the argument given about other youth group leaders.
it is a platform for reserves (steering it back to the topic) to show they are a little more than some might expect. whether they choose to show that side is personal choice, for some CFAVs they want a piece of that action and recognition too and join in based on the technicality that we’re “armed forces” (/reserves) also.
although i am not trying to belittle your paranoia regarding Drummer Rigby or the more recent abduction attempt, but both were in civilian clothing at the time.
yes their behaviour, location, proximity all highlighting an MOD connection. there have been no cases of “attacks” on MOD personnel while in uniform that i can recall.
i am not saying it is safe to wear uniform, that is someone in the Secret Service/Govt to decide but i believe down to personal belief of the risk…
the town i live in, not military at all, yet i regularly see full time forces persons in Sainsbury’s once a month or more, or getting the car loaded with the kids for the school run when i walk to work. we have three major military establishments within 30minutes of the town so an ideal commute for many.
in a quite sleepy home counties market town would they (or I for that matter) ever feel threatened? I certainly haven’t.
i havent taken a “covered up” approach when requested, but otherwise my “Military” presence is as predictable as the sun. two nights a week i leave between 1830-1845 to Squadron, i take the same journey there and the same back and can on occasion be seen having a “staff meeting” after parade in a local (public) house.
i follow the guidelines and instructions to cover up and be vigilant when issued, but never in my life in my home/local area have i felt threatened or “at risk”
everyone and everywhere is different and although i understand your paranoia surrounding wearing uniform, stemming from personal experience i predict, others don’t see or experience the same risk to have the same blanket approach…
We are only technically part of the reserves in the loosest of loosest possible senses and not in a way that the general public would recognise or expect. In the modern day being in the reserves means being liable for deployment or in my understanding anyway.
I don’t think the debate which covers hundreds of thousands all over the country who give their time to give young people opportunities is something that should be dismissed so lightly when it comes to being recognised in the workplace. Why we should regard ourselves as being special because we have a uniform as we do, baffles me. The one thing that will ‘join us’ is that in their groups only a few do the most with the majority doing the minimum.
romeo_bravo I think you should man up and take the banter!
I once went to an Army regimental dinner as the only blue suit in the room - or so I thought until top table filed in and I got a cheery wink from AVM Mike Lloyd. Apparently I stood out like a sore thumb, as did he…
My employer has just been award gold as part of the Defence Employer Scheme for the public sector, which was announced by Micheal Fallon Secretary of State for Defence.
This award recognises the support my employer gives to Reservists and Cadet Force members that they employee
I have also been given the honour of being nominated to represent my employer at this prestigious event which will take place in London, in October.
Yes I will,wear my uniform with pride on the award night.
I had the honour of accepting a silver award on behalf of my employer last year for this. I too wore my uniform with pride that day. I had a few people ask me what I was doing & I told them. Although sadly I think they were just looking for a couple of days a year extra off of work as opposed to being interested in the cadet forces as a whole!!
If it’s the same as last year, it was in the officers’ mess at Northolt. Free food, free drinks & a chance to network with others from different organisations.
I’ve deleted posts on here from various people. It’s quite frankly embarrassing to know that people on here are supposed to be helping young people develop and grow, yet can’t even post on an internet forum without hatred and bile.
Grow up or stop posting. Failing that I’m willing to issue ban points. You’re all entitled to an opinion but if you start disrespecting others or post simply to insult others or troll them I think you need to take a long hard look at yourself.
Awards are a little bit twee and meaningless, unless you are the only recipient that year and had to do something special. This sounds like Investors in People which the company I work for has a plaque, but no one can actually put a finger on what they do, that you wouldn’t expect from any employer to invest in its staff. If this award brings real and tangible benefits to the individual employees who volunteer, other than providing a grip and grin for the company newssheet/website, it would be interesting to know. I don’t see why the company should get any plaudits for something they don’t really care about/show any interest in.
But I imagine it won’t raise any real awareness of, or, result in people falling over themselves to assist the cadet organisations or join the real reserves to bolster the regular forces.
As mentioned by farriersaxe we need an organisation that is worth joining as adults (not just trying to hang onto cadets) to make the organisation more diverse and less introspective and we cannot do anything about that. We are in an organisation that is primarily for youngsters, fair enough, but the staff side just seems to become more and more onerous and demanding. The ATC (probably like the other CF) is a bit like ruling dynasties in history where in-breeding was rife and effected their downfall. We seem to have survived thus far as we have had an history of stand-out activities and are currently hanging onto past ‘glories’, but as these have and are diminishing the welcome mat has to be there for people from outside the ATC and RAF to bring in new blood, ideas and ways of working. Most years at the Wing COs meeting we talk about recruitment and retention and the final analysis is we can do little or nothing as the things that largely result in people leaving are due to, in my in interpretation, a combination of policies and pillocks at all levels and persuading people to give up their free time (anywhere) is an uphill task so anything which makes doing things in their spare time more arduous or less appealing works against you.
Why is this award only for the public sector? If you want to promote being in the reserve forces I would wager that the vast majority don’t work in the public sector, the govt needs to have consensual support not support by policy/law from the private sector.
Apart from a few in schools, firemen, coppers, in hospitals and people working for councils, the overwhelming number of CFAV I know work in private companies/organisations and as these have to make a profit and wrt large companies shareholders call the shots and making concessions for a few employees (extra leave etc) might not be possible. But wherever they work, anyone in the CF getting time off (to appease the respective organisation’s demands) in addition to annual leave is hit and miss. The company I work for gives anyone part of a proper youth organisation an extra week holiday although you need a letter stating why, what and when from the organisation. But I’m the only one on the sqn, everyone else has to take part of 3-4 weeks holiday or do things around gaps in shift rotas.
As an aside, we must have seen something recently about CWC members being able to help officially, providing they do the kiddy-fiddler course and get a DBS. Is this an acceptance / admission by HQAC that getting people to volunteer as staff is getting harder and harder and are looking to fill gaps? I’ve had 2 of our CWC express an interest, which I welcome as they are older and a bit more grounded and having had their own children are more than able to deal with them.