Purely marketing. It means that all uniformed CFAVs wear the same badge be them officers or SNCOs and allows the outward facing picture to be simpler. We wear a rank slide which denotes whether we are commissioned or not.
Not sure that I follow your logic there.
Military commissions all work the same, and yet have a wide variety of post-noms.
In which case I would want the Post Nominals ATC as that’s the organisation that I’m a member of.
2 Likes
I was badged VR(T) not ATC or ACO, so why now with CFC is it the long winded RAFAC fully spelt out on the rank slides and not CFC or even ATC on the slides?
The only reason that seems feasible is like with RAFA the RAF is with the ATC desperately trying to invent an RAF family, in order to make it look more than it actually is.
You don’t see this with the Army cadets who is seems they are still happy identifying with regiments.
Fair point - that was indeed my vote
You previously held a UK Military Commission (Queen’s Commission) awarded to you by the AFB to serve in the RAFVR(T), and wore VR(T) to signify which part of the RAF you were a part, and were subject to Air Force Law. It’s important to note that the same was the case for our CCF(RAF) Colleagues…
You now hold a Cadet Forces Commission (Queen’s Commission) awarded to you by ??? presume HQRAFAC… to serve in the RAFAC, for community engagement purposes as a Youth Leader the designator is recorded in full so that public when talking to you can understand that you don’t get to travel to sunny sandy places.
It’s not ATC, because there are officers with exactly the same commission in the same organisation who do not do the majority of their work with ATC Cadets.
The ATC now consists of Squadrons / Wings / Regions the permanent staff (although technically they are Civil Service) but primarily the cadets, and is staffed by RAFAC Officers / SNCOs / CIs who also assist with delivering training to CCF(RAF) Cadets.
1 Like
It hasn’t really done anything to solve this perceived “issue”, though. I occasionally pop into Sainsburys on the way home from the unit, and I’ve already been asked twice if I’m in the Army (I was wearing blues the second time!). If someone has got a bee on their bonnet about us being mistaken for deployable troops, why not lose the RAF uniform, and introduce a RAFAC uniform?
Your explanation is compelling, but I can see why we have the confusion. I have a Tri-cadet Service commission, serve in the ATC, yet wear the designator of the RAFAC organisation. One of the reasons cited for the new commission was to get rid of the RAFVR vs TA class B vs honoury commission debate - to level the playing field, so to speak. Yet, we still wear different identifiers, and play to different rules…
I get the point that it is corporate branding, and that it’s easier for Joe Public to understand than ATC - but if that is such an issue, why not just lose the ATC and make us CCF(community sqn)?
Why are you not working across RAFAC and with our CCF Colleagues… Have you ever sent a cadet on ACLC - a CCF (RAF) organised course…
2 Likes
Because I have a life and a family away from the ATC, and being an OC takes up enough of my time that I don’t feel the need to offer my services to the nearest CCF unit (which isn’t that near, actually).
I grew up from playing the “I do more cadet work than you do” game a long time ago - I suggest you consider doing the same.
1 Like
That’s not the game I’m playing, i’m trying to highlight that RAFAC is more than just your Squadron of 30 cadets, and working with the CCF could result in your 30 cadets getting more too…
Anyway this is thread drift to the commission & branding change. @Threaders has answered the OP
No, but can depends on the situation. An RCO regardless of rank / grade can pull rank on anyone if they are running a range. I wouldn’t recommend an RAFAC pull rank on a regular, if you have to or try to pull rank then the situation has failed.
Many years ago I was at an event when a CF Capt (Army) insisted on pulling rank on an RAF AC Fg Off. The facility was booked by the Fg Off for the weekend but the Capt said he was taking over the facility for his own use and that was an order. I was asked to intervein, he got rather rude and told me as a CI to stay out of it. Tried to reason with the guy but he went down the rank route again, asked him was he sure about the rank game and he said yes. It was only when I showed him my military ID he stopped talking, apologised used the word Sir about 20 times and promptly left - I was disappointed as situations like this even arose.
Never a good plan.An old Air Force buddy of mine who at the time held the rank of F/Sgt and was on the mess comm as entertainments rep found two ATC Warrant Officers slouching about in the mess bar in DPMs .He politely pointed out that they were improperly dressed and asked them to change.They decided to try and pull rank on him and got quite stroppy.Now my mate is one of lifes real characters and did his share of daft stuff when he and I served together.These two prats though were well out of order and got short shrift.Thing is thats the sort of behaviour that brings the organisation into disrepute with the regulars.Personally ive never ever pulled rank on anyone on an RAF station.Oh yes ive been called sir by airmen etc but Ive never stood on ceremony.
4 Likes
Are you a SI then and not an CI?
I’m nothing now as I left the organisation.
I’m wondering why he was referring to you as a CI if you had military ID?
2 Likes
So was I…
2 Likes