Yeah I did think about that after I posted…I think there would be argument for that if it was adopted
In my neck of the woods almost everyone applying for a commission already holds a Sqn role. I can only think of a couple who didn’t. It’s not a requirement, rather a demonstration of commitment and willingness to step up.
So making it mandatory for promotion to Fg Off wouldn’t make much practical difference, except perhaps on larger Sqns who have more than 2 Sqn Offs but still only the 2 official exec roles.
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In for a penny…
In the VRT days there were far too many FltLt/WOs knocking around - Wing events you could not move for T&Ls and Crowns. Same for Flt Lts but many were just time served tea drinkers on Sqns that were run by Fg Offs etc (we called them Seaguls as they just drifted around squawking).
Under CFC we should/are topping at Fg Off with anything over being appointment based - as far as I understand the 8yrs rule is for retained rank after retirement - if you are not in a ranked role you are a Fg Off endex.
Therefore SNCO should go somewhere along the same route for WOs.
Now look at the parent service - most Officers are Flt Lt within 5 minutes of leaving Sleaford Tech or before end of professional training - how often do you see a Fg Off/Plt Off outside a training establishment? Therefore when we deal with them they see a Flt Lt as a credible junior Officer, a Fg Off as mixed experience and a Plt Off as a newbie to be patted on the head.
We need something similar in SNCO or else we have the opposite problem - a room full of 8yr wonder WOs who has done very little will soon deflate the opinion of their parent service ‘peers’, rather than seeing one or two experienced WOs leading the remaining SNCOs
…and awaiting incoming
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You’re not wrong. I’m led to believe even the Comdt belive there’s too many WOs in the organisation and it needs to be stemmed going forward.
From my perspective I was appointed WO at 28 and if I’m honest I wouldn’t of felt comfortable walting around a RAF station with the Royal coat of arms given some actual warrant officers will of worked 28 years before receiving their Warrant
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That is absolutely the opinion held at the top as well.
Personally I much prefer the new SNCO Matrix, it’s partially more thorough than the previous version but it incorporates a lot more of what the air cadets is about. It’ll still not please everyone, however I think it’s a step in the right direction.
Having been a cadet for 7 years and only a staff member for 2, in those two years I’ve already completed the matrix with a full time job in a wing where opportunities are far and few between, so 4 years to complete it is ample. The opportunity for accelerated promotion will likely appeal to many as well.
We’ve just had a Sergeant OIC in my wing promoted directly to WO.
Were they ex regular?
Allowed with current regs
Nope.
Not questioning it, just thought it was interesting that my wing publicised it as the first such ‘accelerated’ promotion for us.
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Ive seen that post, the Sgt now WO concerned was promoted under the Squadron Commander clause, however I thought that this was only an acting rank whilst in that post.
Yeah, that’s correct. If they were to step down from OIC within the next 4 years they would automatically revert to Sgt again. After 4 years they might step down to FS if they fulfil the other criteria for promotion.
Whilst the option is there for Sgt to be promoted to WO as OIC it’s not automatic. They are supposed to be worthy of holding the rank. I can imagine a number of accelerated Sgt to FS in this regard but all the way to WO ought to be pretty rare.
Accelerated promotion aside and not wanting to do down the individual’s concerned abilities, but where are the Officers to take this position? With the virtual world in place currently someone could have been appointed and do everything online for a while.
Having said that this will hopefully start to break the ice in terms of SNCO’s running squadrons as a more regular occurrence and not just a temporary or emergency measure.
If they are deemed good enough to do it on a temporary or emergency basis, then they are good enough to do it all the time.
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Or they should commission…
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Should they, though?
I don’t think many people join as an NCO with an aspiration to run a Squadron. Most NCOs I know who have ended up as OIC have done so because there isn’t enough commissioned staff ready to fill the posts. Asking them to change their area of interest, because they’ve ended up in a post that no-one else could fill, is a bit unfair IMO. You wouldn’t ask a Plt Off to become an NCO, just because you have no one to teach drill on the Squadron, would you?
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I know of a couple of Sgts and FS who don’t want commission and
Are running squadrons.
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I guess it depends on whether they see it as a temporary measure.
If the SNCO is just holding the fort until an officer is available, then it makes sense to remain a SNCO.
But if they want to keep it, and be an OC long term, then they should commission, IMO.
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This seems the logical approach
It may be a silly question, but what do you see as the advantages of having an Officer in command of a unit, Vs an NCO? It’s the same person, doing the same job, on the same squadron.
Asking someone to prepare for a board and OASC on top of the OICs workload is a big ask (and what if, for some reason, they don’t pass ?).
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The only reason I can come up with is we tell Cadets that officers command, because that’s what they do in our parent service.
The whole reason that we do anything the parent service does is because are all just playing dress up for sake of the kids. We all know that we aren’t in the raf (most of us at least) and the purpose of any of it is to give the kids an RAF-like experience.
So I think we have to ask, how important is it that we do what the RAF does. If we are asking why can’t NCOs run squadrons, The next logical question is why do we have NCOs and officers to begin with. Maybe next is why do we even wear uniform.
I do think that OASC is nonsense and should be chinned of. It could probably be assumed that someone running a satisfactory squadron would make a credible officer. After all how many sub-Par squadrons are out there, run by officers?
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