Not the CI time, but the cadet FS yes. They haven’t gone so far as to recognise CI yet. Which is a shame or I would be filling out my begging letter next year.
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Thank you for clearing that up.
I find it frustrating CI time is not counted. My role as a CI was hardly any different to my role that I do now as a junior officer.
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I agree. The idea of CIs being ad hoc helpers is probably the reasoning behind this, but the reality is very different these days. It would be a big big change though to extend this. Maybe you need to find a friendly MP/Peer to take it up if you want to.
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The reality so very different for some, not all.
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I give you that
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I never get why cadet service counts but adult service as a CI doesn’t.
Just because you’re in a uniform doesn’t mean you do or are doing more or better things. This is just a long service award.
The only reason this is for time spent in uniform is to “encourage” adults, especially, to go into uniform if they think a medal like this is something special.
I think I must be due my 3rd clasp, but it’s not important enough at the moment to bother with the paperwork. Medals and clasps should just come out in the post and flagged on sms, you’ll soon find put if a qualification or something is no longer current.
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I’ve just chased up a CFM application for one of our chaps which was submitted in July. The response was that its been checked at HQAC and now waiting to go to the medals office for approval and issue. Looks like it could be a year from application to receiving the gong!
Perhaps a token effort to recognise such as allowing a maximum of 1 year of CI time to count towards the CFM.
That would at least recognise those who go from CI into uniform.
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Nah I think any time as a CI should. I took (acting) command as a CI and know of a few other cases like that. Why should that time not be recognised too?
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Because it’s for uniformed commitment.
That’s why a compromise of allowing 1 year would be good.
Would help the many who were CIs at some point.
I might also suggest that if a uniformed cfav retires after earning the cfm, all time after uniform as a CI should count towards bars on the CFM.
All a bit redundant this chat though, as the mod arent going to change it again soon
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The learning needs to be that wings need to try and endeavour that smooth transition from Cadet to CFAV with minimal CI time if any at all, if that’s what’s they want to do of course.
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I totally disagree with the idea of letting CI time count, if you want to be eligible for the medal sooner go into uniform sooner. (Yes the process for going into uniform should be much faster).
I agree that this change is a good one as people taking breaks shouldn’t be punished for having Ives outside the organisation though.
This could be a discussion entirely on its own.
I know CIs that exist on paper, come down once in a blue moon and drink tea. Do I think it’s fair their time should count towards the CFM? Definitely not.
However, I know CIs that go way above the call of duty and have done more than uniformed staff in some cases.
As @AlexCorbin has said - we need a smoother transition to uniform process and I would say make it more attractive.
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What is “above the call of duty”?
We volunteer and do what we can as a volunteer your “call of duty” is just that.
Differentiating on some arbitrary basis, which is all it would be, is nonsensical. Unless you can have some hard-wired empirical system of recording people’s actual input is, you can’t measure it.
God knows why this organisation (or some on here at least) has it in for CIs? Baffles me completely. Having worked with CIs of all kinds and been one for 5 years or so, I won’t hear a word against them. Wearing a uniform doesn’t automatically make you better, it makes you more controllable, but only if people are scared of some of the utter gibberish threatening things of no consequence spouted by people who think they are better than others because they wear a uniform and have a different badge. I’ve never been bothered by the nonsense they come out with, like you’ll be subject to disciplinary measures if you don’t do this or that, as what’s the worst that could happen?
I know plenty in uniform who scuttle off to hide in the dank, dark corners of Wing, Region and HQAC, as they can’t do the nitty gritty or are completely useless and mates with the Wing crowd, and, no talk of their lack of input. WSOs turn up and just sod nights up IMO, they don’t really serve any purpose.
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I’m pretty sure that discussion’s been had on here, several times 
There’s so much variety in effort and commitment, that no blanket rule always makes sense. Plenty of people in uniform who do the bare minimum and lots of CIs who do loads (and vice versa).
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I’d suggest more than above the “average” CFAV but also notable more than “the rest”
@steve679 What a load of vague tosh. I would love to see this metric measured in a consistent and meaningful way.
@grounded People doing more or less than others is the same in every place where ever groups of people get together, in paid and unpaid roles. I’m always wary of people who make a lot of noise about the things they do, opposed to those who just get on with it.
Whilst I think you’re splitting hairs, there is already a set criteria and that being time served in uniform.
The point is that many CIs have done what is considered a uniformed role for some years and this doesn’t count.
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The CFM is tri service, the other cadet forces don’t have a large non uniform cohort, we are unique in that way.
You can happily have a CI turn up once a quarter and that’s fantastic.
If you are a uniform CFAV there is a the baseline expectation of 12 hours per month.
This is a medal worn in uniform, why would a CI want it, they get a long service certificate.
I think it’s only right that uniformed service only counts, I’m glad now that breaks in service don’t stop anything counting.
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Indeed. Some WHQs enforced a spell as CI for all ex cadets going into uniform, which meant their cadet service was unable to be counted.
Personally, I think time as a CI served before they go into uniform should count. If you allowed to use cadet service, why not?
Why not allow up to 4 years CI service to count towards your eligibility, the same way we were allowed to use up to 4 years cadet service back in the day?
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