Have we formally become the RAF Air Cadets?

I went to the West Ham game and was very proud to see and hear an Air Training Corps band play before the match. Then I got annoyed when the announcer said “Please give a big hand to the band from the RAF Air Cadets”!!
Are we the ATC and CCF(RAF) or are we the RAF Air Cadets? Can we be both?

We’re both.

Just as I’m both English and British whilst my wife is Scottish and British some of us are ATC and RAFAC whilst others are CCF(RAF) and RAFAC

4 Likes

Good analogy

There is a lot of ignorance around at the moment. I have seen people refer to ATC Squadrons as RAFAC Squadrons!!

1 Like

We are ATC squadrons and need to refer to them as such not RAF cadets…
Until such times as our beret badge says RAF then we should always say ATC.

The problem is the woolly way the Air Cadet Organisation then RAFAC has been rolled out has left some confused

2 Likes

The RAF Air Cadets is made up of the two braches: CCF(RAF) and ATC. RAFAC is the name given to, what used to be called, the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO).

Doesn’t help that the Commandant seems obsessed with referring to us RAF Air Cadets even when their are only ATC cadets present.

(Oh and West Ham game :joy::joy::joy::joy:)

Has she now become CRAFAC then?

That’s a lot of ink every time she prints something, not sure the budget will stretch to it.

1 Like

There’s a reason why the supply of PTS badges and new rank badges is severely delayed :wink:

2 Likes

I agree Sgt Briggs, but where and when was the change from ACO to RAFAC promulgated? I have not seen any document, twitter feed or Facebook post where this change has been detailed? It is being done by stealth!
I have been previously accused of not wanting change, but in this case we should make the change official. Give the cadets silver RAF beret badges, change the brazzards to read RAF Air Cadets like the CFC rank slides.
If it means the end of the Air Training Corps after 77 years, so be it to stop all this confusion!

Interesting that the “Royal Air Force Air Cadets” FB page was referring to the ATC at Pride of Britain as RAFAC

As I understand it, the change was made in April, and it became official in October. All merchandise/advirtising now has to say RAFAC, rather than ACO.

I’m afraid I have to disagree - I think it important to keep the two branches (ATC and CCF(RAF)). Personally, as a CCF Cadet, I do not have the time to join the ATC. Alternatively, if it was only the CCF, many Cadets who do not attend schools with CCF’s would also loose out.

Strictly speaking, they weren’t wrong - the Cadets are still RAF Air Cadets!

Again, I ask where the official notice of change was published and if anyone can place a copy of it here?

it was put on sharepoint last year that the ACO was moving to RAFAC,
our wingmedia person sent out an email.

HOWEVER… they were also advised that we should use the term RAFAC in place of ATC
which is wrong.

I think there should be a push back in that we are ATC not RAFAC,
if someone sees RAFAC and decides to join they look for the RAFAC not the ATC and can lead to confusion.

1 Like

“BRANDING
For many years, the collective administrative term for the Air Training Corps and the Combined Cadet Forces (RAF) has been the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO).
From October 2017, all branding throughout the organisation will reflect the corporate logo “RAF Air Cadets” with the abbreviation RAFAC as required”.

As seen here: https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/news/hm-the-queen-approves-new-commission-for-cadet-force-volunteers/

This is the best I can find at the moment, but I will try and keep digging (can’t promise anything though!).

I like to split hairs. Surely we should only be using the RAFAC term when both ATC & CCF(RAF) are present. If only one is present then we should use that term.

But because we are from the same organisation, so it is appropriate to use the name of the umbrella organisation. Often the ATC is used in replace of RAFAC, and as a CCF (RAF) Cadet, it often leaves us feeling ‘left out’ (for want of a better phrase).

Make sense?

1 Like