Flight tags, name badges etc (again!)

Everyone Uniform and Drill
1

So I’ve seen some posts from the NASC with cadets wearing flight indication badges, and staff wearing similar. I assume that they have names on them, but been blanked out for the photos?

AFAIK the only time this is allowed according to policy is for staff attending C&L School courses at Cranwel. And it also says strictly not allowed on MTP/CS95. I’ve got two questions really;

    1. Why, again, are HQ just making the rules up as they go along, but we’re getting told off for similar?
    1. Why are the rules actually so tight on this?

On point two, it would make sense for name badges and/or some sort of flight indicators to be more widely available. It does seem a bit silly how strict the rules are on this, especially when you then see the likes of the NASC breaking those same rules.

If we’re going to be using such badges on HQ led courses, then standardise it and make it available to all when appropriate.

2

Flight indicators of the type you wear on epaulettes are allowed, they just have to be restricted to use on squadron (and I guess on camp the logic is similar?). Not name badges though.

3

Since when?!

4

To be fair, I don’t know if it’s formally allowed and I can’t be bothered to trawl through 1358. It’s always been something we’ve allowed in our area as long as it stays on squadron.

They’re typically just a thin coloured band.

5

For the record, it’s not currently allowed…

Which is half the point of this thread. It’s a good idea, and works well. It’s just banned.

6

Personally, I don’t really see the point, but it’s hardly egregious. There are far worse things I’ve seen squadrons make up.

7

Can someone check in on Alex? He might be hyperventilating right now.

8

Loads of people do it, and it works.

I think we should formalise it. Design up some decent flight tags that Sqns can use to define their flights. But then they’d also work when away on camp as you can then give out flight tags then too.

Likewise with the name badges; I think the NASC ones look pretty good. Formalise it and allow us to do it.

As it is, our 1358 explicitly says we’re not allowed to do either.

And if HQ really thinks we shouldn’t be doing it, then don’t go doing it at national camps and posting pictures online!

9

That would be nice. But given they can’t even implement their own updates correctly, I can’t see it going well.

Plus, different squadrons call their flights different things, so it would be difficult to provide a standardised solution.

10

Just needs to be coloured tabs. Doesn’t matter what you call your flights, red can be one, blue another etc.

Problem now is we’ve introduced the FSC tabs which use blue and yellow. This does set precedent that we can have coloured tabs though…

2 Likes
11

I don’t see why CFAV’s don’t have name badges tbh, CCF(A) colleagues do.


So much easier to know off the bat who you are talking to (on my side anyway, I still have to introduce myself).

2 Likes
12

Because the organisation is stupid?

What would be an issue now is that having coloured stripes on every rank slide already makes it less effective.

13

@AlexCorbin

Has anyone seen or heard from him… is he sat in the corner slowly rocking and mumbling to himself?

Or shouting at random pigeons…while cursing flight tabs, UBACS and Duty NCO sashs…

14

Lurking in the background

1 Like
15

Hes alive… someone check his pulse…

1 Like
16

I think we need proof of life, the response above could be AI generated

1 Like
17

ACP 1358 does make accommodations for “recognised training courses” that are other than those held at CLS. An example could be a bronze radio course or Drill Training Course (Instruction). Nothing re/ flight tags.

18

This is not correct.

I previously submitted an ASTRA for consideration of flight flashes as they have a clear use but aren’t currently permitted.

I have been invited to submit a proposal for proper discussion, but with the release of the new rank slides I’ve paused my response. I no longer think what I wanted considered would work and it could now become quite confusing (and my basic idea for private purchase rank slides with a coloured bar on for use on unit and on camps etc are now taken by the new rank slide system).

So no, these currently should not be worn and OCs should be conforming to our dress regulations.

3 Likes
19

If we really need them, why don’t we take a page out of Halton’s book and use a coloured rankslide with flight name at the bottom?

Ranks can be worn over the top of them (look at the transfers and rejoiners). It’s not unheard of.

But also… do we really need flight identifiers? Does it make that much of a practical difference in day to day cadet life?

2 Likes
20

This - it doesn’t need to be formalised just have it as a local arrangement if CO ask for it but it’s mainly an old style fad.

Where it comes in useful are

  • big camps with 10+ flights and activities are allocated/rotated using flights

  • courses but in this instance the epaulette should have a number on so it’s easier for DS staff to assess.

I suspect this is the origin of the tags at Sqn which has just been replicated without understanding the purpose (although it could be likewise when sqns had multiple DFs in the 50s)

The question is - what purpose does it achieve?

At NASC it make sense as it’s a quick way of identifying which group goes where at what time & it feels more military than different coloured wrist bands.

But at Sqn, unless you have more than four flights & are about 150 cadets then there isn’t really a need & it’s just extra work.

2 Likes