Agree with this. Should be no need to do OASC for them and any OIC should be over and done in a day as there will be very little on that which a current WO would not know.
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Yes, that’s true.
Though, we’ve got a new commander now and any new policy might well choose to ignore historic ‘local’ decisions.
And this is why having an OASC-style board without any adjustments is beyond moronic and a colossal waste of everyone’s time.
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That was under the Current Regional Commandant
I actually meant the new Commandant RAFAC, who might not be too concerned about what used to happen when approving any new Corps-wide policy.
Absolutely. A step in the right direction is that Wing-level filter interview has been recently updated and is now a bit less ridiculous and a bit more RAFAC applicable.
Not so. Have to complete the promotion matrix. Requires attending both a greens and blues camp and having achieved a qualification (in rank, not as a Cadet/CI/outside).
A lot of newer officers won’t be moving up to Fg Off unless there is a Covid exception for some of that.
Yes. Very good point.
I’d forgotten about that. I’ve been completely focused on SNCO promotions of late.
I’d really like to see a major change to both streams promotion “matrix”.
Attending a camp is all good and well, but as a box tick is ultimately a fairly useless measure of someone’s ability.
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Indeed, and (not having the form handy as at work) I can’t recall if it specifies a camp exec role for Fg Off, Flt Lt or both.
Worst case gets people going on camp to meet the matrix requirements rather than to deliver a good camp. Or people who should otherwise be promoted won’t be, because they can’t get the annual leave or the drop in income.
From memory I don’t think it does. Though I never studied the officers’ route too closely so I may be wrong.
Totally…
I know people who were an absolute hinderance on camp.
I also know some great candidates for FS who I’m keen to get into that level. If the lack of a camp were holding them back I’d be miffed as hell.
Frankly, with the reduction in camp places which we’ve all seen over the past few years and which we know is likely only going to continue to decline, any policy which places great emphasis on attending camps, rather than focussing on the demonstrable ability of the individual, is not only massively short-sighted but practically incompetent - Roll on the much-needed replacement policy.
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well under this, I’d spend my entire RAFAC career as a Plt Officer 
I haven’t worn greens since I was a cdt, and I’d be more of a liability than assistance on a greens camp
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Why should there be exemptions for covid… if we keep exempting and exempting we might as well just give any old bod a Commission and automatic promotion!
If they haven’t completed the matrix then there shouldn’t be promotion. It’s to ensure relevant experience and a wide enough skill set.
I think AT camps count under this, so I think you’d be alright 
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There is an exemption in place, I got my Plt Off upto Fg Off without a Blues Camp on the basis of Covid.
100% agree with this, it’s only i their because some Wing were struggling to Staff the Annual Camps.
Which is 100% the problem, it’s been put in as a box tick because some Wings couldn’t staff their camps, but now all Wings are having to use the very few Staff places we get taking people who are only their to tick a box. I know plenty of AT focussed staff who have had to do a Blues Camp purely to tick a box.
So once again we have Staff who could be doing something valuable with skills having to do something else to tick a box.
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I’m not convinced that matrices actually serve any purpose given they have become little more than a box-ticking exercise and are far too narrow in terms of what the creators regard as important, going on a camp of any colour or doing any role says nothing as whether someone is any good. But it’s what we have.
Given we should really be becoming more technical, with the potential of a new look ATF I think we should have a range of courses to give people the information to properly instruct in all the classifications and new practical technical courses to support STEM and projects in general and these being a compulsory in terms of the matrices. Their delivery of these would be easily traceable and benefiting the cadets and it would give people something to get their teeth into for general parade activities. I did a PofF course and Air Nav course many, many years ago, the Air Nav at what was then Finningley was excellent and fitted the requirement in terms of classification instruction. Even then these were horrendously under used as there was no incentive to go, which led to their demise. I find practical skills and creativity among younger staff to be shockingly lacking, which really affects what you can do at the sqn and life in general.
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Have to keep the system flowing - find another way to assess competence or suitability. After all we are accepting RC interviews in place of OASC.
I agree. Staff aren’t allowed to teach fieldcraft or PTT, unless they’re qualified & current. Why should any CFAVs be expected to teach much more technical subjects, like Principles of Flight, Propulsion Systems, Airframes, etc when they have zero subject knowledge (it definitely happens!)? Given that these subjects form part of the progressive syllabus it seems to me that they should require quals and currency. Without this, on-squadron teaching by clueless instructors devalues the whole cadet experience. The ACO needs to be consistent in cdt instruction and training. Why not appoint subject matter experts from wing and region to train and assess sqdn staff?
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For reference VA is never reduced upon commission. A WO turning Plt Off remains on WO rates until such time their commissioned rank is on higher rate…
At least that’s how I understand it as it happened to a WO turn Flt Lt I know…
Because then all it takes is one little empire builder who doesn’t get on with you, to deny you access to a course, and as a result say you can’t deliver core training on your squadron.
We’re already so very limited on what we can deliver ourselves without a checklist, why add another layer of difficulty to the mix?
And it completely hamstrings cdts with MOI - how are they going to get on those courses?
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This is the outlook of a SNCO I know.
Although not against becoming an officer, ended up OC before they got to OASC and now doesn’t see the point in going. Previously believing their was a glass ceiling as a SNCO (and now WO) to being OC but having got there first
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Totally agree! I have always taught the PTS since being a Cadet SNCO and have made sure that I understand the subject by speaking to the SMEs or using Google.
If we keep pushing stuff like this to Wing, then units won’t survive.
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