For the 18,763rd time: this what happens when you put an administrator in charge…
Admin wallahs aren’t suitable for command, they admin the commands of others - that’s their mindset, that’s why they applied for the job. This is why we we’ve seen no command in the ACO since the previous cretin was appointed. They don’t have thoughts of their own, they merely react to the orders of others.
Seconded
to return to my default question - what is the benefit for the Cadets?
another case of Staff running around to please full time personnel at HQ to provide nothing extra to the Cadet experience…
If they want us to wear them … supply them but not in the usual slapdash way.
Also think that the RAF is a corporate identity in itself and its employees go with it mainly as they just get them, whereas the Air Cadets has Regional, Wing and Squadron identities and quite rightly at squadron level we push our identities.
Also by virtue of their ages I very much doubt the current and previous would have been cadets and or had any dealing with them at camps therefore not even had the slightest understanding of the organisation, except we didn’t have enough bits of paper, real of electronic, to deal with.
Our existing polo shirts weren’t authorised before the new regs and we still wore them. Can’t see a problem myself.
So within the RAF there are regulations on how the provided uniform is worn, which is sensible and relevant.
This part of the uniform, that is being subjected to such debate, is not supplied to Cadets free of charge. This discounts the arguments about our blue uniform as this is provided and cadets should stick to regulations when in the public view (I say it this way so I’m not accused of hypocrisy as my unit uses acting stripes and duty NCOs belt, when in the Squadron HQ, which are breaches of policy!!). As others suggest, not every cadet can afford items such as expensive polo shirts and the latest soldier fancy dress. Such demands reduces the utilitarian and meritocratic aspects of the ATC, some of the appeals of our organisation. So, until these items are supplied, I will be ambivalent towards absolute adherence to this part of the regs.
Just to state, I don’t want them supplied as the cost would be huge and we are an RAF based organisation and don’t need, just want, Soldiers fancy dress.
No one is saying that you can’t have Polo-Shirts of any design, they can still be shocking pink if you want, they are saying that if you want to wear them “as uniform” then they must conform to the specs.
If all of the staff and cadets from my sqn wear the same polo shirt with no 3 uniform, are they not uniform?
Only in the sense of the word as an adjective, which is not how we apply it to the clothing we wear - that is “uniform” as a noun.
Yes and no - No 3 uniform isn’t supplied either and yet we have rules on how it is to be worn. However, there is some leeway there (including the wearing of obsolete pattern kit).
Again, unless supplied, I will be ambivalent towards absolute adherence to regulations when wearing No 3 uniform.
HQ are already doing this by allowing DPM and MTP to be worn as No3, not mixed, but different cadets in different colours. The haves wear the latest shiny kit bought from rip off organisations, whereas the have nots wear DPM, scrounged and issued FOC. It is not uniform, in both senses of the word. Adding expensive polo shirts continues to exacerbate this issue, an aspect that seems to be missed.
For it to be considered missed it needs to have been considered in the first instance. The last thing anyone dishing out rules about how we get dressed up, would be considered the practicality and financial aspect. You tend to feel that HQAC regard squadron funds and therefore parents pockets as a money tree ripe for continually shaking.
Great to see that after the Comdt saying we are all part of RAFAC and the new CFC brings us altogether that the CCF are not allowed to wear the RAF TRF but a CCF one!! one team, one goal???
Just like your cadets don’t wear the ATC beret badge.
Doh… 1 set of rules 1 way, 1 set of rules the other.
That is slightly different…
All CFAV officers hold a CFC commission (allegedly)
CCF cadets are not part of the ATC, so why should they wear an ATC beret badge?
I would argue that everyone in a formation should have matching TRFs, rather than those with the same commission (so everyone in the ATC should wear the same one).
Whether the CCF(RAF) should wear the same TRF as the rest of the CCF or the same as the rest of the air cadets is another question…
For me it is pretty straight forward - I wear the purple one when commanding my section, along with my colleagues on the Army side.
When I am on RAFAC Courses or on occasion working with ATC colleagues, I wear the RAF one.
I don’t see the fuss myself.
Stop thinking outside the box. We must suppress such free will. Uniform police, arrest this person!!!
That reminds me, I really should sew the purple one on. Haven’t got round to it yet!
Of course, I voted for ‘ATC’ and ‘CCF’ on the rank tabs…
If it works for the ACF and CCF, why change what is seen to work? Ah yes - because we like to do our own thing ta very much 