If the ACF unlock the buildings then itās allowed right?
I missed this entirely. Credit to them getting this out then.
To support you, a central toolkit of digital assets and guidance will be provided in advance. This is designed to make participation straightforward, with minimal additional administration at unit level but give the greatest impact of the week.
^ this will be key, and this also needs to be timely.
For once I am not gong to be cynical and say this is a Good Idea.
It would really help us to push the idea of cadets in schools, with councils and other bodies such as grant awarders.
Maybe backed up by a good FAQ document that explains what we do and how we are funded?
I wonder whether halving the length of a camp would help get more cadets through a slightly more focussed camp experience. Thereās always been some filler, to a degree.
Actually not a bad idea
Also takes the pressure off staff, given that a lot struggle to get a week (or more) off at a stretch, unless they have volunteering leave available.
Perhaps camp com stays the same for a week to aid continuity, but that seems more achievable.
Hell, if I had the right job I could give 2 weeks to be a camp com by using AFC bonus leave.
Theyāre already half the duration of ACF annual camps.
A full time FTRS team running camps out of a few bespoke locations based on when everyone has their holidays would be pretty awesome, but Iād guess no money.
Unless there was a way to bring together those with enough special CFAV leave and see what they can run.
Iāve never done RIAT, but considering the effort, what would people rather do? What are the advantages / disadvantages vs an annual camp?
Big advantage for cadets is using it as work experience. Especially those on Ranger, Comms, VIP and other duties.
I havenāt seen any cadets in the VIP area (Patronsā Pavilion) since the ban on cadets being around anyone that might be drinking.
RIAT can also be used as a Gold Residential
i donāt think it is a straightforward comparison.
RIAT is a camp with known routine, which repeats every year and where everyone (not just the RAFAC personnel - everyone, even the punters) are coming together to make the show happen.
Annual Camp is nothing like that. While I have only done a handful in my 20 years, no Annual Camp has been the same for me. of course the location changes every year so there is that, and with it the opportunities, but also the personnel.
Not once have i had more than 1 CFAV I have been on annual camp with before - out of a team of 6-7. there have always been 2-3 I have met before, maybe 1-2 I have heard of, but 1-2 i have never heard of at all - every time.
So each annual camp is different from the last with regards the team.
then there is program. it is put together by the CampCom and ACLO, but is unique to that Station. what works for one will not work for another - even less so if one is a flying Stations and the other is not.
I have attended 15+ RIATs and year on year worked with give or take the same team. Each year the format was the same. Arrive Saturday, build the tents Saturday through to Tuesday. Assist with the airshow set up Wed-Thursday.
Support the airshow on the Fri-Sun with tasking
FOD Plod Monday
Camp disperse on Tuesday leaving the build team to take the tents down by Thursday.
It is a challenge for me to separate the years, recalling what took place or was different in 2013 versus 2014 other than the big step changes - these are the years which were either exceptionally wet or hot and the challenges we faced/how we overcame these - or when the camp site moved from Married quarters recreation ground, to the āCinemaā and the to the ābomb dumpā
because of the familiarity and predictability of the RIAT Camp, some might think it is dull, but somehow it is not. there is always something to do, there are always tasks that need doing and everyone is pulling together to make it all happen - at the end of the day there is a sense of achievement - progress was made or a successful show day was completed.
I have arrived at RIAT on the Saturday and felt like I have ānever leftā, within two hours the lack of interaction with the fellow CFAVs over the last 11 months doesnāt matter - We are able to pick up where we left off from the end of camp. - i think part of this forms the āaddictionā for me and why i kept returning. I was working with some great CFAVs and people, and we all had the same goal to succeed which we did, pulling it off year after year, and wanted more of that so returned year after year.
With Annual Camps, as indicated above i have worked with a new team each time. And the personalities are so different with different expectations from what they want to achieve from the camp
that same teamwork and sense of pulling together isnāt there for annual camps.
At best the camp is split into two streams running concurrently which are then swapped later that same day or later in the week.
the outcome of an āannual campā is also vastly different. there isnāt the pressure of 700 RAFAC personnel to get on task, and 60,000 paying public to serve. there are ~30 Cadets to keep entertained for the day in a readily achieved program.
I am not saying a CFAV has to choose or certain types of CFAVs are only suitable for one or the other - but some people will prefer RIAT and others annual camp and that is ok because they are so vastly different
Following on from the Comdt Town Hall an update on this week has now been posted.
2 Months to go!
Saw this, and immediately started planning. Iāve been booked already to go down to another part of my Wing on 10th, so hoping that people can get into the habit of tagging the Wing Socials in on stuff before we get to that pointā¦(stories especially, rather than tonnes of standard posts through the day!)