We shouldn’t be on the military list at all. The statutes of the order say that the military division is for the officers and non commissioned employed in the army, navy or air forces. We are none of those, ergo should be on the civilian list.
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It’s pretty unfair that we are on the military list. Especially considering the badly handled move from VRT to CFC that made a lot of people feel even more like second class citizens.
Loads of people in the RAFAC that deserve more than just an AOC commendation. I disagree that the VSDT are the only ones that have done anything noteworthy during the last 12 months. Having to run a sqn and activities in a virtual environment week in week out for 10 months is far more than what is expected of any CFAV. If it was the expectation, then Senior Officers wouldn’t have sent out emails stating that nobody should feel pushed into delivering virtual sessions etc…
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20-year old former CWO in my wing has received a BEM on the civil list for services to charity (not RAFAC related).
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Its the same in the Special Constabulary - good work from a Special who is putting in 16hrs+ a month for 35 years (plus 12hrs min a month with the VR(T) and RAFAC) will get a Chief Officers Commendation whilst a 3 year Probationer PC got a MBE for setting up a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. There is also the annual “who shall we give the Queens Police Medal to next” charade - Specials are entitled to it but I don’t know of one who has got it.
I had hoped that all this volunteering would have got me something over the years - somehow abuse from my current and 2 ex’s for doing it doesn’t really make you feel warm inside…
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In my old force they tended to give Specials the BEM while PC’s were lucky to get the QPM when they retired.
MBE upwards you had better be a Chief Inspector or above!
That being said Specials get their long service medal for less than half of the service required by a PC (they get a clasp before the PC is given a Medal).
It’s not what a CFAV has to do, its what the CoC has to do to get it through the hoops.
You are telling me that there are not people in the RAF who can’t help with writing the citation to get it through the Award process 
We seem to be able to get 22 Gp Commendations but nothing higher.
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Let’s not forget though that there are strict limits on how many can be given out in the military division each year. The CoC are going to concentrate on keeping their troops happy rather than bothering about “walting scout leaders” as I’ve heard one army 2* refer to CFAVs.
#valuingourvolunteers
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Yep. I floated the idea of nominating a fellow OC for his many years of uniformed service, only to be told by my Wing Commander that he wouldn’t be helping me because it was so much effort, and the chances of it getting through was slim.
It’s no wonder we don’t get many awards with that attitude…
Exactly the problem with being on the Military List, either we should be taken out of it or the numbers allowed should be upped with a set quota put aside for CFAV.
If there isn’t someone deserving of an MBE in every Wing each year I would be very shocked.
To put this all into a little bit of perspective.
There were 1097 awards given out this year (BEM, MBE, OBE & some others)
66 million people in the uk (2018).
I’m sure there are millions of people out of that 66 that are very deserving of an award including CFAVs.
It would be incredibly unfair to give us as the cadet forces a quota or a guarantee of even 1 award a year and not every single other volunteer organisation. You would end up with 50,000+ gongs every year. Kind of makes a mockery of it all.
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I actually don’t see a problem with a 10-fold increase in the number of awards, make MBE’s a local award like the BEM so that they don’t all go to the palace. The actual value of the medals is negligible (£40 retail so you would hope they aren’t paying that for the originals) the nominations are already made and assessed, the only extra cost is that of handing them out.
Even if it costs an extra million quid that’s a drop in the ocean for government money.
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When someone like Hamilton gets knighted and scores of others things for just doing the job they plumbed for, yet a woman over 100 who has been doing good things for longer than many of us have been alive gets an MBEs it shows what a complete and utter farce the honours system is. By comparison they knighted Tom Moore for only a few weeks of doing things.
There should be no “just doing the job” or “time served” or “winning something” as these just go around the “club” honours give them a clock for “turning up”.
Also only those UK nationals who are primarily registered as a resident in the UK for tax etc, get to go in the hat.
I can’t see the cadet forces ever not being included in the military lists as this would potentially mean more recognition for "walting scout leaders’ and I can’t see the MoD having a bar of that.
The irony is some of these ordinary people awards will have been sitting in the pile for up to 2 years and people like Hamilton jump this.
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Astonished to find myself agreeing with you on something! But I do agree, if you want to be honoured by the state you should at the very least pay your taxes.
From the independent below…
“HMRC’s UK Income Tax Liabilities Statistics, published in 2019, puts Hamilton among the top 5,000 highest tax payers in the UK.”
That’s squashed that arguement then.
Arrogant? Maybe but he’s the top in a hugely competitive and demanding sport with records that will last for years.
Charity? Tick
Just doing his job? Nope, he’s being the best at his job.
BLM?
As one of the most recognised faces on the planet he’s in a great position to fly this flag. He doesn’t agree with the organisation but the idea. As the only black person on the grid this does affect him with racism at the tracks (I remember a few years ago people making monkey noises at him… Dutch fans I think it was but I may be wrong).
I’m a huge fan of his and thinks he needs to be recognised like Sir Jackie Stewart, etc.
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I wasn’t referring to Hamilton in particular with my tax comment, just people who leave the UK to live in tax havens. James Dyson springs to mind.
Indeed.
Frankly there should be cast iron rules.
- Domiciled in the UK or its dependants as a resident.
- Pay full, appropriate tax within the spirit and letter of the law in the uk or its dependants.
- Awarded for something separate or in addition of your main source of employment and/or income stream.
Those 3 rules alone would mean the awards went to more volunteers for a start.
Rather than just people getting awards for their day job.
Perhaps a limit of 'day job awards’of 100 per year or something. As we still need to recognise the scientists and engineers.
Or of.course as others have said. Simply up the number of BEMs issued by a factor of 100.
You dont go to the palace anyway for that.
They can be posted to recipients with a nice certificate.
Cost is minimal.
Spreads the love.
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They all do “charitee” work so it’s nothing special. They need to do something to keep in the spotlight, in between jobs. When I see celebs rambling on about charity this and that, it comes across as hollow. I immediately get an image of Smashy and Nicey. Lord knows how many “ambassadors” the UN and the like have, it’s not special and I believe they have now stopped celeb “ambassadors” exploiting situations in foreign countries and peeling up for a selfie.
He is only doing his job and been lucky especially in F1 to have been with established teams. He’s not had a Benetton for instance and been successful. When McLaren had a blip, he didn’t have the nous to win and only once they changed the engine rule when he was at Mercedes and they got the engine right, did he win.
He currently “lives” in Monaco not just for the potentially sunny weather. Does he have a house in the UK, not mum and dads?
As for BLM largely political. If he and other celebs / sporty types wants to get political stand for seat, don’t just chip as and when it gets a few more SM brownie points. Some have become politicians and hats off to them.
He jumped on the vegan or vegetarian bandwagon; I imagine it sells more merchandise and SM likes.
Perfect example here of someone who did his job - a dream job for many people - for two years and thereby copped an MBE:
https://twitter.com/jimpetersons/status/1344681936023916544?s=21
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