Not directly relevant to the UK and RAFAC, but interesting to see how the topic of FOI seems to be an issue in other countries too…
I cannot tell you how toxic the situation with FOI’s has become for the entire organisation. I have dealt with another today which had taken up my volunteer time to the detriment of the drone project. The wording indicates it’s very clearly from a CFAV and they’re trying to find a scandal that doesn’t exist. This is an utter waste of peoples time. I will say this again, as I’ve said it before. If you’re involved in this behaviour then ask whether you are contributing anything positive to the organisation or just using up valuable resources that could be better employed supporting CFAVs or cadet activities.
I understand the importance of being open and accountable for our actions and this is an important part of the utilisation of public funds. However, this FOI, and it appears many others, are put in as the individual didn’t get the answer they wanted through official comms, so thought they’d uncover some conspiracy through an FOI. It’s frankly embarrassing and if these people are CFAVs (which I will wager they are) then stop this and/or leave. You’re nothing other than selfish and are contributing to the decline of this great organisation.
I work as part of a small team of volunteers that have produced official comms, engaged on here and directly through email, and have more videos and comms on the way. Yet, there is still some need to prove we are aren’t working with some hidden agenda to undermine the activity unnecessarily. This is pure fantasy and delusional.
I’ve seen many on here state they’re going to submit FOI’s for no reason than to cause mischief or look for a conspiracy that doesn’t exist. I barely have time to work on getting RPAS flying, never mind running some conspiracy agenda alongside that.
The system is there for accountability and I don’t shy away from that. But for goodness sakes take a long hard look at yourself and your motivation for these requests. Do not delude yourself by thinking that you’re doing this for the “good of the organisation”, I can assure you that you are not.
Rant over.
Surely I cannot be the only person who sees the toxicity of this behaviour and how it’s contributing to our own decline, which is being discussed all over this forum.
5 Likes
I’ve never submitted an FOI, for clarity. But I find your attitude here to be utterly toxic too.
I’m sure those that do FOIs are doing it with best intentions, maybe don’t slap down long serving and hard working CFAV when you’ve only been in the door five minutes?
5 Likes
Not all, but most.
There certainly are some very malicious requests clearly with bad intent, but they are not the majority.
7 Likes
Replying to my own reply now because I probably got my own attitude wrong there. The post just felt a little too adversarial for my liking, that is all.
1 Like
& breathe 
you get those sort of people in every organisation. It becomes a fixation & some just purely want the world to burn or they don’t want the organisation to succeed without them.
Others are genuine & mean well, others want to be the ones delivering what you are doing & want to do your legs so they can build their own empire.
As you are a volunteer, can’t you just say “nah not doing that “ & let things gets tangled.
Organisation doesn’t have the information as the information is with a volunteer who doesn’t want to disclose it to the organisation.
2 Likes
I’m sorry you feel that way. Honesty I am.
I’m being honest, open, and transparent. Something that many on here are yearning for. If that’s deemed toxic then I’ll stop.
Calling out toxic behaviour, of what I believe is a minority in the organisation, is something that I and others shouldn’t shy away from. It’s called moral courage.
If people deem that toxic then I’ll happily leave this forum and resign. Because all is lost then.
1 Like
Also:
There’s a thread for this.
2 Likes
I think the OP’s points come from frustration.
If I had an FOI to deal with, given I can’t make my days any longer, I’d be cancelling weekend activities or not attending parade nights until I’d processed it. And it’s the cadets who then lose out.
2 Likes
100% this.
4 Likes
I have to admit, I see a topic with this title and just want to put an FOI in about drones just out of spite…
But I won’t, because I don’t care enough. But I will merge these posts into the existing topic, which will kill this antagonistic title.
4 Likes
I trust you’re doing the right thing, in your view. I sympathise with the FOI issue. But I’d just ask you to remember that the vast majority of CFAV are in this for the right reasons, even when they do stuff that might cause you issues. It’s most likely not being done from a position of malice.
Certain forms of words you’ve used in your self-described “rant”, and the former topic title all lean into and promote the “us Vs them” mentality between frontline CFAV and HQ CFAV. That adversarial relationship helps no one.
Id also argue, even if you do have three stripes on your shoulders, it’s not your place to tell members of staff to leave just because they do something you don’t appreciate. If we want to build a better relationship between staff at all levels, then that is something that HQ and 2FTS need to lead by example.
We all need to work together for the good of the cadets, not infighting.
5 Likes
I couldn’t agree more with your last statement and I’ll wager that 95%+ of all volunteers feel that way.
I’m a volunteer and to me that’s all that matters, I don’t have a uniform, rank to me is just a badge, and see no need for either to accomplish my role. There is no them and us, I’m a volunteer just like you. Different role, granted. But still a volunteer.
I’m sharing my own frustrations so others can see the negative impact.
3 Likes
Three rings, surely? Three stripes would make him a sgt.
Thought they were chevrons? Three stripes is a Specials Chief Inspector.
Well, yes, but by convention NCOs’ chevrons are referred to as stripes and officers’ braid as rings.
2 Likes
Can’t say I’ve heard of them being referred to as rings. Barcodes, braid, but not rings. They’re only really rings in sleeve form anyway, not like you can see the underside of my rankslide when it’s on my shoulders.
Pedantics aside, you knew what I meant.
2 Likes
Best rank in the RAF and held it for many years.
1 Like
Aren’t those bars ? 
Not so much the failure of comms as the poor decisions that are made which are then backed up with poor comms. If it was a good decision that benefitted cadets like, you can car park again then the poor comms wouldn’t lead to FOI’s.
1 Like