Hello, I have a over 18 Cadet wishing to join the RAF Reserves, and stay on as a cadet, I am 95% sure they can not do, this but can’t find where it is written in an ACP, would someone be able to let me know which ACP it would be noted in please.
Many thanks.
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ACP 20 PI 501 para 24:
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It is worth adding though that PI 601 does allow them to join as a SI at 18, but you need permission from the Rgnl Comdt.
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This feels like a smart thing to do really.
Having adults in this weird cadet status feels to me (someone out of the picture for many, many years) like something that needs to end.
Encouraging them to join the reserves and help out as SIs (and better yet, offer SIs the CFM in recognition of their sustained volunteering) would be a great way of continuing their development while increasing staffing numbers if they stay on. Though I imagine you lose many to uni anyway.
How do 18+ cadets not quickly become tired of being adults who can’t adult while in uniform?
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Yeah I’m more and more of that opinion with every policy change by HQAC.
That’s a really good shout.
Especially those who go off to University or who have proper grown up lives.
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Institutionalised Shawshank style. 
If you spent your entire teenager years from 12-18 in Cadets May be difficult to leave.
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Yeh I’m really surprised that the CFM can’t be earned by SIs, all of whom are blocked from actually joining the organisation in uniform but can give just as much of their time.
And it’s a long service medal, so there’s literally nothing stopping this in practice. The military having “recently” confirmed that all long service medals can be earned concurrently (as is the case with CSMs running alongside the ACSM, while LS&GCs or VRSMs are being earned).
Edit: typo, and to add that the CFM would be good adult volunteer recruitment too. It’s always bothered me that back when I was a SI, I always felt that I was permanently at arms length, never truly part of the team (and couldn’t ever be). Things may have changed a lot these days, but the CFM would definitely go a long way (it’s not like SIs appear to cost anything to the org).
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They don’t mentally view themselves as adults. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll correct you if you call them a child, but they haven’t developed an adult mindset just because they’ve had their birthday, and they’re still surrounded by their peers.
That last point is, IMHO, a reason why any cadet becoming a CFAV should have to do 6 months at a different unit once they’ve become staff. It really helps with that mindset and the ability to have professional distance for their peers who are still cadets.
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I’d agree with you there.
That’s also why the Army prefer making someone an Adjt on a different unit to the one they were just on while getting boozy with their peers…
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I was still a cadet at 19, but I was in charge of a cardio-thoracic surgical ward on night duty as a second year student nurse with a night sister on the end of a ‘bleep’ who came around four to five times a night on rounds or working on a paediatric renal surgery ward in the same year. I had dealt with by that point people who had died or were dying. Or there are young soldiers sailors and airmen going into action in the same age group of 18 to 20 years old.
Is that not an adult mindset?? Each person is different.
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I support the thinking but I don’t think this works - the better route is compulsory CI for six months.
The rationale is that it’s the break from uniform that helps changes the mind set. If you just swap straight with another rank slide they don’t break the mindset & just become a cadet NCO with uniform.
It’s not the individual judgement that is the issue but the context & frame of viewing which is what you need to change in an individual.
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Over 18 cadet joins reserves and comes back as an SI, first round on him in the pub then.
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A cadet SNCO / WO might not want to be a ‘civilian’ (putting aside that cadets and CFAVs are civilians). I certainly didn’t, so i joined the ACF as a Sgt Instructor (and eventually the TA / Army Reserve) instead.
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I think there’s definitely merit in a probationary rank for ex-cadets transitioning while hopefully separated by their peers thanks to attending a new unit for a bit.
I can understand not wanting to be out of uniform, and you need to maintain the pace and feeling of belonging so they don’t start to drift…
I’d love to know what efforts the organisation puts into cadet retention, specifically. Seems an obvious place to focus effort considering the time a timing-out cadet will have put in (while clearly enjoying and developing themselves).
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Really good question. If a cadet has to leave on their 18th birthday because, for example, they’re too busy with school / college for DBS / BPSS / MOI / AVIP then they’re out until they are at least 20.
And off they float…
Yeh, this 18-20 gap is so weird.
Can you imagine if we’d kept that at 22…
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Unless they choose to join the CivCom (whilst they still exist)
They don’t mentally view themselves as adults. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll correct you if you call them a child, but they haven’t developed an adult mindset
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I’d have to disagree, Staff cadets across the org hold vast amounts of responsibility and work harder than a lot of CFAVs i’ve met.
And you mention “professional distance” as part of that issue when it generally is not. it’s common that cadets won’t be all buddy buddy with someone who isn’t in the year above or below at school. so these “childish” new Staff cadets would realistically only keep a contact with those who would also be a staff cadet soon ( in most cases a fellow SNCO)
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Oooof…strong words… staff cadet are you by any chance?