Well, officer does have the word office in it.
The farmer tends the farm, a driver does the driving, so an officer surely stays in the office!
1 Like
In the air force the officers lead from the front & go in to combat whilst the enlisted stay behind 
And to be fair plenty of pilots (and Navs when we had them) refer to the cockpit/flight deck as ‘the office’
1 Like
No.
It itemises how many can be on a unit and claim home to duty pay.
Theoretically a sqn can have as many staff as it likes.
3 Likes
Yeh, I mean I do my current role because it was necessary (although I didn’t have a choice of route, because I was already commissioned).
I dearly miss the intense cadet engagement and career / development chats I started my time delivering with experienced cadets. It’s no wonder “do admin” doesn’t appeal, especially when you frame that in terms of an entire application pathway you can’t revert from.
The commissioned / non-commission barrier needs to be one you can walk through whenever you want.
Allow someone to commission to run a unit and then become a sgt if they want to give that up and go back to training.
But why can’t officers do the training? There’s no need to revert & if you are CO appreciate it’s hard but you should be teaching at least one specialist subject so your cadets gets to see you & get that leadership.
As a bit of a generalisation the cadets psychology is that of those at school so as CO or an officer you are seen similar to a head of year, housemaster or head of department so they expect to see you out on the ground leading from the front.
I am very rarely in my office as CO normally for meetings & phonecalls. But my two hours a night normally are out & about speaking teaching training.
5 Likes
I just want to turn up, do my few hours and maybe cadet-sit for flying/gliding or weekend activities that need a adult from the Sqn. For me having to wear uniform isn’t my thing. I rejoined as an adult knowing uniform wasn’t a requirement, and I’d be less stressed than those who chose the uniform route. If uniform was a requirement, then it may have put me off.
2 Likes
I’m thoroughly enjoying my time as a Civilian Instructor. I’ve been actively involved in camps and training weekends, stepping in to teach where needed and making the most of every opportunity to contribute.
I have chosen to begin the transition into uniform, but that decision wasn’t taken lightly. It followed a thoughtful conversation with my OC, and I made sure I was doing it for the right reasons, not out of any sense of obligation or expectation.
Ultimately, it’s a personal decision. No one is pushed into going down the uniform route, and that’s exactly how it should be. It’s about finding the role where you can make the greatest impact and feel most fulfilled.
That said, one of the biggest barriers for many potential applicants is how long the process can take compared to other branches, and that’s something that can understandably put people off.
3 Likes
This is where I think the culture is all wrong. CI is the default and going into uniform is considered a big step. This isn’t the case with other uniformed organisations, notably the other cadet forces.
4 Likes
This with bells on!
On two of the Sqns I’ve been OC, there was a thought of Officers should stay in the office, which was changed fairly quickly but did raise some eyebrows - you want to teach, our previous OC never left the office. Yep, let me get out of this office!
On other Sqns, as OC, I had no choice, we didn’t have enough Staff for me to be sat in the office. Where I am now (not as OC), Officers are in the office and it is this mindset that is pushing me to consider my options. I joined back when the option was Officer or Warrant Officer, whilst I knew going for Commission would mean OC of a unit (it was that or the Sqn would close ultimatum), I also knew that I didn’t commission to just sit in an office, nothing changed on my first Sqn apart from I was now wearing a uniform, I was running it as a CI.
I was chatting with a friend in another Wing last night, currently CI, application for commission went in back in February, still waiting for a Wing board, on the verge of saying stuff it, I’ll stay as a CI.
2 Likes
It’s a shame that this is so common. It needs the training officer (with the OC’s support) to really encourage people to get out and engage. Admittedly, there might be people who are better suited and happy to mainly do the back office work, which is okay, but you don’t want that to be the norm for everyone.
I only really hear this said by SNCOs often to newly commissioned officers. Those who take it to heart end up in the bad habit of not being out & about with their troops.
It’s also not good for the CO as it disconnects them from the rest of the Sqn.
2 Likes
If I couldn’t instruct, I’d leave. My predecessor was an office dweller, seen by cadets only once a month or at formal Wing events.
I’ve probably gone too far the other way and teach most nights!
3 Likes
is this in part because CI (or equivalent) is never considered a “long term” option elsewhere though?
That was the case at your place even when I was a cadet there, back in the early 2000s.
IMHO, it suffers from its own success; too many staff leading to a culture of complacency regarding CFAV capabilities.
1 Like
I feel your pain, application went in Jan, Wing Board Easter, Regional Board???
Sea cadets has civilian instructors & just the same proportion of not more.
It is but it’s also a step.
Whilst I agree there has to be some standards if takes more than six months to get someone who is interested in going into uniform into uniform then the process will never gain the traction you would like it.
Reasons I’ve heard of CIs not wanting to go into uniform have included “I don’t want to get drawn into wing politics”, “the process is too long” and “it’s just dressing up anyway” (the later was also stated by a now retired regional commandant).
There is a credibility issue to uniform that puts people off applying but if the paperwork or wings acting a gatekeepers so only the “right” sort of people get through then it doesn’t matter how much you market things CIs will remain the preferred route.
1 Like
But why can’t officers do the training? There’s no need to revert & if you are CO appreciate it’s hard but you should be teaching at least one specialist subject so your cadets gets to see you & get that leadership.
CCF voice here; gazetted in 2010 and OC Section since then, now recently retired.
Honestly, hand on heart, I can state that not a single minute of parade time has ever been spent in an office. Rather, out training with the whole contingent and using SAAI, RCO and M.qual tickets - as many other colleagues do - weekly, during Field Weekends and both RAF / Army Summer Camps and ACLC (what a loss in its bringing the two branches of cousins closer together).
All admin for cadets and staff, training program, flying, gliding, camp etc done outside parade time.
Brilliant!! More posting colleagues should try it.
1 Like
Unfortunately, the admin burden in the ATC has got to a point where this is a luxury for many (particularly OCs). You could spend all your parade evening time doing admin and still need to dedicate time outside of that to keep up.
4 Likes