In reality how often are those cadets going to use the skills at these levels.
Pointless on unit. I’ve been involved with ATC radio for 15+ years but doubt I’d be able to give them adequate practice. Which means they need their course mates to comms with, which given these are Region+ courses requires HF sets, synchronised parade nights and the freedom to play ro do their own thing while the rest of unit follows the training programme
We usually run a Radio Course 3/4 times a year in my wing. Courses are usually held for 10-15 cadets with 3 instructors. The agreement in our wing is that even as a Radio Instructor/Assessor Bronze is not to be delivered on Squadron level, Wing only. If blue cannot be delivered at squadron then each wing camp, there will be an opportunity for all of the cadets to sit the course and attempt the exam. On my squadron, we have radios and attempt to regularly use them.
I have been signed off at both Blue & Bronze level by the current Corps Radio Communications Officer and was on one of his Gold Radio courses as a Cadet.
I personally think radio is a challenging one at Blue level for some cadets, especially those who are non-verbal. There seems to be no resources in place for alternative options in these situations.
I actually quite like the layout of Bronze and the cadets in my wing seem to enjoy it. To consider soldering etc at Bronze is just too much in my opinion. That’s what’s taught on the Gold Course and if you start on these topics too early, where do you take the syllabus from there? I felt at Gold I was more than capable of teaching the lower levels and actually knew far more than what was necessary. You have to remember that these are children who are trying to seek out as many opportunities as possible, they are not aiming to be SME’s. I feel that the new age requirements are suitable to the content.
Why? That makes no sense.
There is so little difference between blue and bronze.
Is it just to give something for wing bods to do?
I find this everywhere now, little cliche groups making up their own rules to build mini empires and secure maximum VA opportunity on a basis that suits them.
There is absolutely zero reason Bronze radio cannot be taught and assessed at Sqn level.
They do want to progress though, and making them repeat half a syllabus is a waste of a weekend for the instructors and cadets, and is demoralising.
Again, it’s all about progression.
There is no reason why a squadron can’t run a Bronze Radio Course, but open it to the other squadrons in your sector/local area.
Theres also no reason a Sqn cant run it by itself for itself. Is there.
None at all.
If you had an instructor on the squadron who had the technical knowledge to deliver all of Gold Radio, or QAIC, or JL, insert any activity here you could run the entire thing on squadron, yes.
But it’s all about progression and the bigger picture.
We’re not just individual squadrons. As we look at delivering higher and higher level activities, we open them up to a wider and wider audience.
Just because you have someone with a PhD teaching at the local secondary school, doesn’t mean you get them to teach everything up to degree level in that field. . .
Yes I agree with that.
But the argument earlier was all about numbers required for a course. That’s not in the ACTO.
Now we dont need people thinking bronze can ONLY be delivered at wing level.
To be clear. It can be delivered at any level to any number, provided the relevant instructors and examiners are present.
Opening stuff up to wings is laudable but let’s not let a laudable aspiration cloud what the ACTO says can be done. Else that’s the way we end up with people trying to enforce such non-rules for whatever reason.
The entire premise of the PTS is development and progression 
Blue - > Squadron
Bronze → Sector/Wing
Silver → Region
Gold → Corps
Yes and no.
No where to my knowledge does it say that Bronze radio or indeed any Bronze subject can ONLY be delivered at sector or Wing.
Happy to be corrected. But I want it in B&W.
You can start with ACTO85 if you like.
It doesnt say it can ONLY be delivered at wing though. Does it.
It says ‘should be run’. Not must.
In fact I have run bz leadership many times on Sqn. A FLIGHT candidates mix with B flight candidates. Bosh. Done.
On smaller Sqns it might be best to deliver at Wing.
But it deliberately, doesn’t say MUST.
It’s in B&W for Leadership as it’s about mixing of cadets to push them out of their comfort zone.
I’m 100% with you on Radio/Cyber/Shooting/First Aid if Sqn X has the staff to deliver in a self sufficient manner then they 100% should do.
Above all else it’s a Sqn that the wing SME doesn’t need to provide for
See above.
It’s not.
Says should. Not must.
Big difference.
OC wing can authorise instructors.
Funny that.
You’ve made me look up the exact wording now:
At this level, the cadet will be expected to interact, develop and be
assessed alongside cadets from outside of their Sqn/DF/Section
Are you really arguing the semantics of the word “should” on this? The two lines above are clear.
I can add evidence to this.
When Bz leadership was released, I challenged this very fact on the basis that isolates rural Sqns might not without long distance travel be able to ever get Bz leadership completed.
Consequently it was acknowledged that dependant on OC wing approval of instructors the courses can be run on Sqn.
I’m not a rural Sqn, in fact far from it. But the arguement was valid. Accepted and enables activity.
The fact that most wings have rolled up bz leadership into an nco course is great.
But it doesnt preclude the fact that the course can be run on Sqn alone with correct permissions.
Irrelevant, that.
See above.
And yes I am based on my local experience.
Returning to the PTS question.
No where in the overarching PTS ACTO 001 ot anyother anywhere does it say that…
Blue only at Sqn.
Bronze only at sector/wing
Silver only at region
Gold only at Corps.
Why
Because if it did it would hobnail us all.
Oh and returning even further to the topic.
It definitely 100% without any ambiguation or risk of agitating people say that Bronze radio cant be delivered on Sqn.