Hi there,
I will hopefully shortly be having my interview with our OC TEST for commissioning. (I’m with a school CCF contingent)
I have plenty of thoughts on what I have to offer and hope to gain from moving from CI to an officer, but wondered if those of you with more experience, could offer any opinions on other topics or qualities they maybe looking for?
I don’t have a RAF background, so have a degree of catch up to play with detailed RAF knowledge.
Thanks in advance,
S
That is exactly the question I was asked in my pre filter interview interview.
I’m not sure I’ve nailed the answer, or even that there is a clear answer!
The other one was ‘why do you want to be an officer?’
Hi,
Well there’s no easy answer to this, and I possibly have more to gain than I give.
But moving to a role as a officer, I feel I’m giving a further signal as to how important this is to me, I’m making a commitment to learn more and do more.
I think that it also sends a signal to the cadets, I’m putting in the hours and going through many of the learning curves that they are. I’m learning drill, I’m making mistakes and I’m improving. So I help it will go some way to earning more respect from them (they are polite and respectful, but I think it’s good for them to see an adult pushing themselves too).
There are also some pracitcal reasons as our section is understaffed. There are times when I need to be the ic for an evening and this would be more appropriate as an officer.
I’m really passionate about the CCF, having seen it initially as a parent and what it gave to my son in his first year… I want to be part of keeping it going and ensuring as many of our schools students experience this as possible. So we need the right size team to help our section grow!
Does that help?
S
In all honesty the cadets couldn’t and wouldn’t give a monkey’s one way or the other. As a cadet new staff came in, and if they went for uniform and I wasn’t worried in the slightest about what they were doing and in all my years since, I’ve never heard cadets say anything like you suggest in relation to adults ‘going for uniform’. There’s no 'brother’s in arms" sentiment.
As for importance, what would say to someone who has been a CI for the best part of 30 years and has over the years put in as much if not more effort than many in uniform of all varieties, even as you have, been the person i/c when he was on a DF. I know at least one WSO who pursued him about uniform and he asked the WSO the question “what can I do in uniform that I can’t as a CI” and the WSO couldn’t answer. I think he could but nothing we would have said would have been a convincing answer, as it would have been the usual clichés.
I don’t agree entirely, I’ve overheard cadets asking about my role.
But yes, a CI with 30 years experience, you probably can’t beat.
Maybe it’s partly a personal preference issue. As a CI, do you have access to the same training as an officer might?
And why are CIs asked to become officers if there’s no potential value?
I give up a lot of time to the CCF, I’m prepared to give up more, I do see this as personal improvement, I think the key there is personal. I’m not comparing myself to others!
S
Hello SJC
CCF Officers can do much more than manage their section.
Courses such as FCI, ARD, SAA, RCO even ECO can only be done wearing a uniform.
Get some of them under your belt.
You’ll have a great time and so will your cadets.
Good luck.
SAAI / RCO can definitely be done as a CI
Only limitation appears to be Becoming a RAFAC ECO
When you boil it away, bums on seats.
They might flatter you with platitudes and ‘we need you’ (missing out the more than you need us bit), but they are hollow and shallow and as soon as you’re doing their bidding you get forgotten. A chap who took over a sqn that had a string of COs in quick succession, said while they were buttering him up, the WSO visited him at his old sqn several times and was very pleasanr. He’d been there nearly a year and he said I’ve not seen or heard a thing from the WSO except at the staff conference and then that was only how are you, I know as I was stood with him at the time, and he mentioned it.
The ATC hasn’t yet lost the need for officers in particular to run things, so there is someone to point the finger at when it goes wrong.
It might be worth asking why your unit is struggling for staff. Don’t know specifically about the CCF, but in the open world, they will suck you dry if you let them and not care one iota that they have destroyed your enthusiasm.
By applying and not asking the question as the CI I know did, you are the fly that’s flown into the web, now the spider can wrap you up.
Thanks all!
If you’re a CI and they don’t call you sir, what do they call you? (Excluding ma’am obviously).
Well, I’m already in MTP and called Ma’am, so I can’t get away with shorts (shame in this weather)! But it would be boring if everything was the same, here’s to a bit of individuality and the freedom to make things work for everyone.
At the end of the day its about engaging a bunch of young people, giving them skills and focus by which ever means works?
S
Almost contradicts military ethos. We are all individuals yes, but there to achieve the same goal. We have rules and regulations that apply to all, with no differences, we wear pretty much the same uniform for uniformity - everyone is the same.
Ultimately its a military youth organisation, everyone should* get treated the same.
*Within grounds of H&S (Disabilities etc)
Personally I think that’s mental, but that’s for a different thread.
I didn’t join Cadets to be called Sir either. I wasn’t a big fan of uniform as a Cadet so I can’t see myself wanting to try it as a adult either, but as said “People have their reasons” to want to go into uniform and good luck to them.
Being referred to like that is no different to the years you spent at school calling staff Sir or Miss.
Uniform is a personal choice for adults in the ATC and should not be forced or suggested by anyone other than the person wanting to wear it.