Direct to uniform?

Hello!

I’ve been waiting for my DBS and stuff to return since April and as such I’ve ended up waiting an awful long time to get onto squadron, my OC has been amazing in welcoming me so far and is really interested in having me in uniform (I’d be one of only 3 including myself), I was a cadet myself not too many years ago so I was wondering if it’s possible to go direct to uniform?

I understand that there’s something under AP20 but I don’t yet have access to bader to be able to look it up.

Thanks for the help!

Definitely possible to go straight into uniform, but for some reason a lot of Wings don’t promote / accept it.

Don’t take no for an answer, and push for it if that’s what you want.

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My one caution if you’ve already started the CI process is you’d likely have to start again.

My suggestion would be to wait until you’ve started properly, then get the uniform paperwork in.

Pre Covid we had 2 ex cadets ask if they could go down the uniform route but were advised to go down the CI route first to get back into sqn life but we haven’t heard from them since we had to shutdown.

Just wondering why you want to go straight into uniform and not the CI route for 6 months or so.

Please keep to constructive responses to the OP’s query.

I just feel that there’s a lot that I already do as a CI that I shouldn’t really be doing until I’m in uniform (ie drill) but because of our lack of staff I’m in a position of doing it anyway so it would be nice to be able to formally work with those aspects of the RAFAC, furthermore there seems to be a lot of extra curricular stuff ie camps that I’m unable to do as a CI but would be accepted on as uniformed staff.

I guess ultimately I feel that I’d be of much more use in uniform than in civvies and I think that the cadets on my sqn are currently suffering somewhat from the lack of uniformed staff

I’m going to talk with my OC on Monday, I doubt that she’ll try and dissuade me from wanting to take that route but I would imagine that my wing will probably try and push me away somewhat… luckily for them I’m not easily put off

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If you’re still waiting on DBS, you shouldn’t be doing anything.

There really is very, very little you can’t do as a CI (there’s details on other threads - I’m not going to open that can of worms). Even camps - apply anyway.

I would honestly wait, at this point, until you’re a “full” CI - you’ll confuse your wing and slow everything down. Get all your officer/NCO application paperwork ready, and pop it in as soon as you’re properly set up - 6 months isn’t a long time in this organisation.

My DBS has returned now so I am OK to be on squadron, I just feel like I’ve waited forever to be here (it’s only my 2nd week)

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It won’t be long before it feels like forever since these two weeks. There’s no need to rush and right now, as a CI, there’s less pressure.

So it does no harm to let the process play out before applying for uniform, to get yourself properly settled and happy, and make sure you change and put yourself into that deeper end for the right reasons and knowing what it means.

If you do go right away, this is an instance of making sure it’s right for you not just right for the cadets or Sqn.

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I have to say I disagree with the blanket advice to settle in as a CI. It’s so circumstantial depending on previous service as a cadet, the research you have done, plus a whole host or dependencies. The 1 year minimum is built in for CIs with little / no cadet experience but not for all CIs. I went straight from Cadet into uniform staff having completed all the steps beforehand and that was right for me despite so many trying to put me off doing that.

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My key point is simply that there’s no rush. @JR1929466 is already in as a CI and the time difference between putting the application in now or later is inconsequential in the grand scheme.

Taking my own trip down anecdote alley, I was out for a couple of years before returning as a CI, but it was my time in that position that reinforced to me that I wanted to go into uniform for my own reasons and not anything external. Being pulled a direction just because someone asks/suggests, or just to fill a gap are not healthy ways to start off and once in uniform the pressure can be greater to continue following those types of decision drivers.

If JR is sure now then crack on, but the reasons given don’t wholly suggest a confident position of having personal motivations.

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