I’m fully aware of the ‘VRT- Yes or No?’ semi-formal poll that was recently issued-out across the WO/SNCO cadre, and had heard anecdotally that the vast majority of respondents were keen to be part of the VR rather than the ATC.
Parking that aside for a moment, and, whilst also acknowledging the glaringly-obvious point that anything which improves the morale/retention/effectiveness of staff is clearly a good thing (all of which contributes to an improved Cadet experience), I’ve a few side-perspectives that perhaps deserve to be considered. Maybe these points have been discussed previously, and I’ve missed them.
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As I understand it, currently RAFVR(T) Officers cannot legally command Adult ATC WOs and SNCOs, not for the same reasons that they cannot legally command Airmen/Airwomen (ie the absence of delegated operational authority), but because ATC WOs/SNCOs are presently civilians, and sit just outside a similarly-official chain of command. Obviously in the vast majority of practical circumstances this poses no problems, in that requests/instructions/directions achieve exactly the same end results as orders would do, but surely a change in status for ACO WOs/SNCOs into becoming members of the VRT will mean that legally they will/can be subject to orders from Officers, and each-other, in terms of seniority and rank? Please note, I’m not raising this matter in any destructive or pointless way, nor do I think that the presence of formal linked command authority within a single unified grouping will be a bad thing. I do believe though that if this is actually the case, the significance of it deserves to be highlit with regard to responsibilities and outcomes in any extreme future circumstances of a local / personal nature.
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Do we know if any similar re-alignments are planned (or offered) for our WO/SNCO colleagues in the ACF? I mean a change in status so as to have responsibilities/opportunities equalised to those in their organisation that are commissioned? Aside from the clear difference that ACF uniformed adults and Cadets are all badged under one Cadet Force, the respective uniformed staff arrangements for the ACF and the ACO are almost identical (presently). I’d be very surprised if ACF non-commissioned adult staff were to ignore such a change in status affecting their ATC comrades, and would be sure to view it positively for the same reasons. If the adult volunteer advantages are genuine/tangible (eg ammo movement/SaBRE annual leave entitlement/course eligibility/insurances), I’d expect MoD to apply it equally to all Cadet Organisations (with all standard SCC caveats applying). Which begs the question: why haven’t ACF non-commissioned adults pushed for this in the past?
(more to follow…)
wilf_san
ps not well today, but at least I get a chance to sign-in on ACC for a change