A reasonable explanation.
Except when in DPM/MTP 
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But we didnāt have them for basic cadets; leadership was only for more senior cadets completing one of the prescribed courses, DofE you had to complete the level not this DofE light for the basics badge and heartstart didnāt generate a badge. What we have is what you see in primary schools where small children like a badge or sticker. I suppose we should be thankful we havenāt gone to stickers.
What I am finding annoying is that we still donāt recognise sporting achievement on uniform. Iāve got lots who have represented the squadron and current and past cadets who have represented Wing, Region and Corps and unless they wear whatever they put their ābluesā on or looked through their 3822s no one knows. So much for recognising achievement and progression.
I do see your point, but Iām not adverse to recognising the effort put in by cadets on the squadron - which is what the blue badges go someway to do.
Each badge requires the cadets to put in extra effort, and reach a common standard. Anything which motivates cadets to put some effort in, canāt be a bad thing in my book.
The implementation of the whole thing, on the other hand, has been major PITA.
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Is anyone still waiting for badges from the new system?
Wing HQ keep telling me theyāve received none of the new badges, I have requests in for Heartstart, Leadership, Pre-DofE, DofE, shooting, musciansā¦and nothing. Cadets are getting fed up of waiting as they keep seeing the badges in other Wings fb posts and in the flesh at places such as RIAT and are asking what is the point in doing things from the new syllabus when they get nothing to show from it and I can see their point as compared to other Wings, they look like theyāve done nothing.
Why introduce a new system without the end result been available to all?
Same here with no badges at WHQ
Incompetence.
Weāve had from our wing:
Heart start
Foundation Leadership
Trained shot air rifle*
Trained shot small bore*
Blue communication/cyber
Bronze D of E*
Silver Musician badge*
- these are all for cadets who have qualified recently, not like for like swaps with old badges.
Speaking to our wing training officer, it seems that supplies are still limited, and the wing policy is to only issue badges to cadets whoāve newly qualified for one. Those who have a full brassard of old badges will have to wait!
A response from TG1 about badges can be found on the Valuing our Volunteers Sub Section of SharePoint.
https://sharepoint.bader.mod.uk/vov/Lists/Ask%20The%20Team/Flat.aspx?RootFolder=%2Fvov%2FLists%2FAsk%20The%20Team%2FTrust%20OC's&FolderCTID=0x01200200E46E40EBC05F8D49ADB2CBD15E1EA1D5
āIt appears to me that a large number of orders have been placed for transition badges rather than new PTS badges for the 2,500+ new cadets who joined from Sept 16. This has meant that the initial stock of some badges has been running down but I do still have badges available, including all musicians badges, 19,000 blue leadership badges, 8,000 blue Heartstart badges along with 5,000 DofE badges already sent out to Wing DofE officers and all stocks of the bronze and silver first aid sent to Wing FA officers. An order for 62,000 badges will arrive on 24 Julyā
I have been to my WHQ today and whilst there I asked about what is happening about badges, as they keep saying they cannot get hold of any even though TG1 says otherwise on the post above.
They told me how frustrated they were. They keep putting in orders via email but they are being ignored. Even follow up emails asking what is happening are ignored.
They phoned to ask what was happening and were promised theyād get their orders sorted. But so far they havenāt.
I was told that there is a volunteer that comes in to sort the badges 2 days a week.
Did we or should we expect any different?
Weāre waiting for heartstart and leadership and have been for 3 months and 6 weeks respectively. Staff arenāt keen on doing anything else, until we see something material, materialise.
Iāve given up with Wing as getting the same answer, is tedious.
The only frustration we should be concerned about is young people waiting for something and being fobbed off.
But being fobbed off seems to be one of the things we are becoming all to used to at the moment. We need people in charge who can and do make things happen and happen quickly. Still I imagine everything is rosy in the La La Land of twitbook.
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Is their a series of badges available for your ability to fob things off?
Would be useful to see who was the biggest male cow defecater when speaking to them!
It could be part of the promotion matrix, canāt begin a Wing Co without a Gold badge in that surely!
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The lack of supply and my desire to not fob off the cadets, Iāve been forced on occasion to purchase from ripoff direct. Not ideal, but to keep the cadets interested itās what I have to do.
However, we shouldnāt have been forced down this route.
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Itās irritating to spend money on badges that I know are in stock at HQAC, the other issue is that not having seen tee real ones how do i know that the cadet drirect ones are any good?
So has anyone done a side by side comparison on the Cadet Direct badges for Heartstart? are they the same?
Buy them from Ripoff and if the badge police pick up on any disparity in design or quality, you can always point them in the direction of Wg\Rgn\HQAC and ask them to take the issue up with them.
The introduction of this initiative - like one or two others - was badly timed and badly planned. We have posts all over social media proclaiming the introduction of myriad badges just for turning up and cadets salivating to get their hands on them. The fact that we are expected to meet the cadets needs by the cadets themselves; and nothing with which to meet these needs, is down to P-P-Planning at Cmd level.
I would be swivelling any officious shouty-type about their own vertical axis and giving pointed suggestions as to what they could do with their comments.
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They look good enough on the website - Iāll just order them and can always return them if they arenāt up to scratch
I donāt give a stuff what the Pace Stick wielders have to say about this farce.
However I do care about my cadets and my own credibility. If they are wandering about with a Mickey Mouse badge they look a joke and if thatās pointed out to them and is my fault I look a joke.
I have grown to embrace the PTS idea and the cadets seem keen, we just need the badges at present.
Looking at Cadet Directās badging in the past, I donāt think the quality or design will be āmickey mouseā. In fact, Iād argue the opposite - itāll probably be of superior quality than the suppliers HQAC will have engaged.
Having already purchased a handful of heartstart badges, they are very good quality!
I seee that the official supplier to HQAC are now selling the badges direct to units. Iām more tempted to buy from them but itās annoyingly having to consider spending Squadron funds on something which should be issued!