Am I correct in my understanding that it is not possible for someone to go directly from civilian to CFAV RAFVR(T) Officer?
That they’d have to serve at least some time as a CI first?
Am I incorrect in this? Is it perhaps a formally-recognised option, mirrored by the route via which there is a 20+yr old Cadet-to-VRT path?
Unusual consideration, but, I’m looking for definitive regs (and practical instances).
Thanks all (apologies for the recent radio silence from me, far too much day-job)
wilf_san
No, quite the opposite. It IS possible, however they’d most likely fail the P2 or OASC and thus no wing will dare put them up to fail.
Unless of course, those same civilians have previous commissioned service in one of the three Armed Services?..
[quote=“ACP20 PI201, para 1”]Potential commissioning applicants must fill one of the following criteria:
[ol=a]
[li]Be serving in the Air Cadet Organisation as a non-commissioned officer (SNCO/WO(ATC)).[/li]
[li]Be serving in the Air Cadet Organisation as a Civilian Instructor (CI).[/li]
[li]Be an ex-cadet who has reached the rank of CWO, FS or Sgt and who has served as a cadet for a minimum of 4 years and is aged between 20-25.[/li]
It is also permitted for currently serving commissioned personnel of other Reserve Forces to apply for a
RAFVR(T) commission.
[/ol]
[/quote]
That would indicate that the only such civilians are those who comply with para c.
Para 10 indicated that teachers applying as RAFVR(T) within a CCF may enter direct; non-teachers need to serve 6 months as a CI.
I would disregard the regs and look at what is best in the practical sense. Would it not be prudent to have some experience / knowledge of the Corps and how it works etc before embarking on a uniformed role in the Corps? Not only from a personal perspective but also for the sake of the squadron(s) you were on. Given how much the Corps intrudes into your daily life coming in with maybe a year (if the CI process was a swift one) it would be a shock to the system. Nothwithstanding the rapidity, due to lack of officers, that some people find themselves as the man/woman in charge. To not have at least a couple of years as a member of staff under your belt, could soon have you sayng no thanks. I have staff who struggle to get to grips with squadron roles as CIs and SNCOs, so someone crossing to the ‘dark side’ with little or no experience of the organisation as staff, might well be an interesting situation for all concerned. The one thing that I found as a CO (why commission if you don’t do this role) is that apart from now being a second job in terms of the calls, emails etc is that you do need to fill in for if not do many other roles. Could someone coming in ‘cold’ be able to do that, given there is little established training and mostly you do it on the job with little or no support?
At work all new starters undergo an extensive training and induction period and unless someone has had previous experience in a similar role, they wouldn’t be coming in and running the show for several years.
I have always maintained that spending 2-3 years minimum as a CI whether an ex-cadet or new to the Corps, gives time to get used (if people ever do) to how the Corps works and properly evaluate how you want your own ‘experience’ of the Corps to go.
Does happen; know a couple of ‘new’ WExOs who have come straight in as Sqn Ldr RAF VR(T) 
The role is Civilian Service, Band C2 grade and Sqn Ldr equivalent. Whilst some do have ACO or military background, it is not a requirement of the job; the rank/grade goes with the job.
You could end up with ex-service, someone with knowledge, but you could also end up with someone with no experience/knowledge at all; just a CS who ticks the boxes with the right competences for the grade.
Presumably though, since these are MSF posts, these individuals will have had either relevant ACO or equivalent experience at the very least?
And they will have to do OASC/OIC at ATF, I take it? Or even (ideally) ROIT at RAFC, which would’ve been the case for those rare DE RAFR commissioning candidates (prior to WAdO posts being made VRT instead of RAFR)
In any case…the individual seeking direct commissioning to VRT will have to accept that logically they must serve some time in an appointed role as a probationary period.
I think that there may have been an oblique point attempted to be getting made by them that a DE candidate for a regular commission doesn’t have to become an OR or NCO as part of their progression path. However, I don’t accept that comparison, since the IOT process at Cranwell requires incoming Junior Officer Candidates to be College Officer Cadets…which is inarguably a training/selection rank on the path to commissioning.
wilf_san
Comparing with the regulars is a bit of a nonsense IMO. Each strand undergoes quite extensive training and then has the support in terms of established and experieced staff after initial and trade training’. Apart from this of course is the fact it is their day job and not hobby, as such will be given the time etc (like we are in our day jobs) to attend courses. In the ACO has has been mentioned many times we don’t have that luxury and some sort of pre-service is to my mind essential, if nothing else to avail yourself of the knowledge of what you might be in for.
If there was DE for VR(T) I imagine the attrition rate would be higher than it is/has been, as I don’t think people coming in would fully appreciate as I said the instrusive nature of the Corps into your personal time at all levels of staff.