Okay so I’ve been going to my squadron for about 10 nights now. And we haven’t done any activities or group teamwork or anything like that. The most we did was “first aid” wich just taught us cpr for 30 until they made us stand still for the rest of the session. Is it normal to be standing still for 2 hours not doing anything? Last session I went to we stood still for 2 hours with no break while the ncos cleaned up the building. Then another session they had us doing drill wich we weren’t allowed to copy so we stood still for around 30 minutes again until 2 girls fainted, to wich the commanders said it was because they didn’t have their cadet boots. I feel like they’re lazy and all the standing is making everyone feel sick. Is this specifically my squadron or are all of them similar?
Welcome to the forum.
It’s not normal at all for people to be stood still or do nothing constructive on a unit for 2 hours. I’d be surprised on most units if that is happening for more than about 10 minutes. Usually at the end of the night waiting for the parade to form up and notices to be given.
Raise the question to an NCO of why you were stood standing around and what is on the training program for the next few nights.
I checked the schedule and we’re doing more “drill” wich is usually us standing still for an hour and a quarter not being allowed to repeat the steps 
I might just leave the squadron because we don’t use their shooting range either and honestly the cadets there aren’t welcoming at all like I thought they’d be. I was just wondering if this is regular or if mine is just a bad one
Oh and while we were learning how to iron our uniform I was talking to another cadet and I got told to stop talking, wich is weird because we can’t talk during drill and we don’t really have a break anymore so I don’t get to talk to anyone either wich I thought was the whole point
If this is accurate then you need to take it up with the CO. If that doesn’t get you anywhere then I’d suggest contacting the Wing Commander. This is not what cadets should be. If there is another squadron nearby please give them a try rather than just leaving
This can happen, and it’s not entirely new either.
Part of the reason I left at 17 and a half years old was due to health and safety being overused by some.
I also recall us doing foot drill more often than not most parade nights towards the end of my cadet career as a cadet.
I feel the CFAVs could have done more to offer a varied set of activities. Something I shall keenly do should I become a CFAV
I am happy to explain in greater detail at a later point in time, now is not the place and time for that.
I just come to say that if the CFAVs are not thinking on their feet to provide a varied set of activities over the parade nights on the Sqn, things can feel stale for the cadets.
Yeah I just feel like it wasn’t very safe. The cadets are all new because of January and they straight away had us standing still so two fainted, and they didn’t send her home or call her parents they just sat her down for 20 minutes and brought her water. I have bad anxiety and honestly I already felt dizzy standing still so much but seeing 2 girls faint like that seemed abnormal. I’m really just wondering if all units are the same or if this one just has nothing to offer
Perhaps you can consider changing unit. Depending on your options and how easy they other unit is to get to, transport wise, the option to change is available.
I don’t mean to judge, but you say that you’ve been going for 10 nights or so. Is this as a brand new cadet or coming back to F2F from lockdown…if you are a brand new cadet then your Unit should have some sort of Induction programme for the new cadets.
If yore are an established cadet then your Trg Off should be proving a range of activities for you to be involved in.
Either way a cadet learns very little from standing and watching…
Sorry forgetting my manners…welcome to the forum!
Haha thanks. And I’m new yeah… but I was really confused because the cadets that have been there a couple years were all doing the same stuff as the new cadets. So I’m not sure if this is regular because every cadet does the same stuff or if this is because I’ve only been going 6 weeks.
OK so a new cadet should go through some sort of Initial training in order to prepare themselves for enrolment. This includes basic drill but not as you have described. Have you been told about/shown/given the Cadet Induction booklet?
I run a Junior Cadet programme and, although a lot of the training is ‘classroom’ based the new cadets need to be part of the training, not set to one side while Staff talk through things.
On a serious note this is down to your Sqn Staff and if they’re not offering a new cadet the opportunity to understand more about RAFAC then I would suggest looking at another Sqn…we’re NOT all the same…
Okay I didnt get any booklet… I haven’t been told anything about the introduction stage and I honestly don’t know much about anything even tho I’ve only been going 6 weeks.
I was wondering about cadet boots too because my mate from another squadron only paid £15 for their boots but I’m having to pay £50 to get them from an army shop. Is this normal? I was told before joining the boots were included in the uniform with the £20 joining fee but I’m having to buy boots and I had to buy a fleece so it’s coming up on £100 for me and It doesn’t make sense since it’s supposed to help kids with disadvantages but I’m not getting that at all.
Elements of what you have said are quite concerning.
You have raised issues surrounding health and safety and first aid incidents with in your words no action being taken.
If this is an accurate reflection of events it needs reporting.
Speak to you adult staff. Ask the question. They wont take issue with your asking.
IF in the unlikely event they do.
You or your parents can contact your aector commander. Details should have been provided in your induction. Failing that your wing HQ.
Failing all of the above.
Come back on here. Ask for a moderator and I am sure they can put you in contact with who you need to speak with.
Hope that helps and welcome!
Get mum or dad to speak to the CO, more impact than you.
If these cadets have fainted, I’m surprised their parents haven’t been in or the staff spoken to them on the evening. Which you will know nothing about. Their fainting might be quite normal. I’ve had cadets who have fainted at the sqn and the parents have said it’s not unusual and invariably linked to the stage of their life.
I do love the “go to another sqn” lines, given that this depends on the location of other sqns and parental desire to take their offspring, which of course we don’t know either way.
The girl who fainted parents weren’t called in. I was with her the whole time and she left at the same time as me without her parents going in. Maybe it was a normal thing for her but the officers blaming it on her not having her boots yet was weird and it obviously came from standing still for so long with no movement because they don’t let us copy footwork
Just checking, is it definitely Air Cadets and not Army Cadets? Only with you mentioning boots not shoes.
I suppose this could be linked to the uniform issues…
Cough… we do fieldcraft and shooting too… cough… cough
So long as you’re not South West… 
I know a lot of WExO’s who’d relish dealing with this…Safeguarding, H&S, Staff ability (or inability), welfare…need I go on?
All this on top of a joining fee and £20 pm subs…why do some people think that is the way to treat cadets??