How many will that deter in the first place with a stipulation like that?
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Possibly less than if we loose the CI option all together, as some are suggesting.
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If someone had tried that with me as a CI, I’d have said thank you and good night.
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Also, @moderators this could really do with a thread split out away from Promotion Matrix to staff recruitment/retention I think.
From my very limited experience/knowledge, our American counterparts the Civil Air Patrol have both a Cadet and Adult element and seem to put a lot into training both.
Also they seem to have a much greater budget for uniform. Every cadet and staff member gets No.1 equivalents.
This is the current policy in my wing, unless you are a serving cadet.
When I challenged it, because I had a Registered Civ Com member want to become an NCO, I got told that it was to give the candidate experience of being on a squadron, and for them to prepare for the board. So now I have a CI who has been on a Sqn for 2 years as RCivCom pointlessly marking time, when they could and should be in uniform already.
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CAP is funded by membership dues, corporate donations, Congressional appropriations, and private donations according to their wiki page.
Maybe we should be asking Ex-Cadets to dig deep 
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CAP adults also pay subscriptions.
Their role is significantly different to ours as well. They fly search and rescue and other such civil support operations.
But we should certainly be putting more time and effort into our staff. It will benefit the cadets in turn.
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That is an absolute joke…
What does being on a sqn give them in prep of a board?
Have you ever tried it? How will they pass an SNCO board with no experience? Despite what ACP20 says
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And CI’s should they ever start mentioning they have to (or words similar) go into the uniform.
I do more than 12hrs
I can show cadets parts of drill
I’ve never shouted but have raised my voice
I have zero desire of going into uniform after thinking about it. Yes you are right, my role as CI wouldn’t change if I wore the uniform. (I didn’t sign back up with the desire of wearing one)
But with uniform comes expectations (I’ve seen people change within months)
I’ve never needed help with any kind of expenses except from the Sqn kitty, buying things to keep the place clean and topped with tea and coffee etc.
Uniform takes up space I don’t have (keeping on Sqn is not something I want to do as space is a premium)
Greens would be needed, plus other bits and bobs.
As a CI I rock up, open up, do what I do and then lock up. If escorting cadets on the weekend is needed because uniformed staff are busy, then I can do that.
I DO NOT want to be called Sir or Saluted, or have to Salute another volunteer in uniform.
What I do want to do is be like the CI I had at my Sqn when I was a cadet. And over 5yrs later I’m still rocking at what I do.
Don’t ultimatum me over uniform or it’s going to be the cadets that suffer.
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Thats good. Becaise its not you being saluted, it would be your Commision being saluted and by inference His Majesty. With you returning the salute on behalf of His Majesty.
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How do people ever pass the interviews for the armed forces without any experience?
We change what we want the board to be, rather than expect everyone to know everything before they start. We need to be looking at people’s potential, rather than how much their OC has bothered to train them before their board.
Why can’t we email out a ‘Guide to becoming a uniformed CFAV’ when we send out the DBS packs, which contains all of the background information they might be asked about. There is a natural gap of a few weeks whilst the DBS clears - a good time to study the prep material?
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I empathicly agree and given a choice I would prefer we got rid of the SNCO rather than CIs.
CIs have been with the organisation since the start & it’s the SNCO introduction that unsettled the balance and (bringing it back to topic) required the introduction of the matrix.
But we are where we are & removing one of the adult volunteering streams will not happen - the organisation would loose volunteers & won’t be able to take the hit.
What is generally lacking is that development pathways.
What stage should a CI of your two year experience be? Until we get to this issue, the uniformed route is irrelevant.
Absolutely this. I’ve had instances of not having the salute returned by cadet officers.
It’s not personal to you having a commission, it is graciously bestowed on you by the Sovereign. It’s one of the few things that get me in NCO mode…
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So interestingly I was shown the officer promotion route for volunteers in the Sea cadets.
Prior to the pre-uniform weekend you have a workbook with exercises you have to complete. Think of the old Pam21 /CTR exam where your asked questions on ACP & ACTOs & have to give a reference to policy in your answer.
I think something like this would work as part of an extended CI induction as it then starts to get people to learn about the policies which is what the uniform bit is more concerned with.
I’ve had four moments of “NCO mode” since I got picked up.
- SAC smoking and walking around with his hands in his pockets.
- Cadet officers not returning my salute at a remembrance event.
- Issues on a deployment.
- Phase two naval ratings cutting round without hats on when I was on a course at Excellent. (Ironically, this was the day before my back went so that may have been karma).
I don’t like doing that, but number 2 got me the most. It’s not your commission and it boils my mammaries that people think it is.
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That is very true and I understand that it’s the commission that is receiving the salute but I, as a person have to motion the salute and the other person also has to motion a salute.
I get why you pointed that out as I said “I do not” (I’m just not a uniform person)
I don’t think I have the mental beans to pass an SNCO or Officer board either and I am happy as I am.
How will they pass a CI interview with no experience?
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