I have seen Plt Off to Wg Cdr in 6 years.
Yeah and I’ve seen kiss bum to bum being kissed in 6…
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Is that all?! It was a 4 hr round trip for me as a cdt… 
…on Friday nights Mrs Biggles_Lovechild lets me be whatever rank I like - but she is always one higher…
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Friday night promotion ceremony in the Biggles_Lovechild household:
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Ok, please stop now.
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So what would people have on a matrix for promotion
Yes.
I’ve just filled the first sick bucket had to run to the toilet after that.
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Here’s the start and end of it;
Does your CO recommend you for promotion?
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But if doing away with time served/appointment you need to have some requirements for each rank otherwise it becomes a joke depending on how friendly you and your CO are
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We play dress up in a kids club.
It is a joke.
But fine, add in a second question;
Have you been promoted in the last 3 years?
And make the limit Squadron Leader (no limit needed for NCOs).
To have any value, rank should be related to capability and responsibility, not time served or someone’s mate. We’re also a military themed youth organisation, so the ranks should relate to expectations in the RAF. Hence some guidelines on standards/expectations for promotion is appropriate.
Measuring capability and responsibility is best done by a) what quals and experience do you have b) what do you do with it. Promotion should be possible if you’re a specialist (e.g. AT guru) or a generalist (e.g. Sqn officer) and you deliver activities for cadets.
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Wonder why someone with that attitude would have anything to do with the organisation?
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The point is that there are some in this organisation who may have lost sight of the fact that we are a Youth Club, and focus too much on the RAF aspect.
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I see this. I also see those that would want to lose the military ethos altogether.
Like most things in life; it’s a balance.
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Because I believe in providing to the current (and future) kids what was provided to me and what led to my service in the regulars.
And because I know that rank willy waving - in the grand scheme of things - means the square root of chuff all
Beyond that, fundamentally, we make everything far far more complicated than it ever needs to be.
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^^^that!
Yes we’re military themed, but being a Sgt or FS, a Plt Off of Fg Off means little in the “real” world - from the outside we’re all CFAVs - youth leaders playing dress up.
and by the outside i include the Regulars in that - yes they recognise officers and salute them (it is the commission held after all they are saluting) but it makes no difference to them how many stripes we have on our shoulders to them they look at us just as CFAVs (generally)
based on elements of the SNCO Matrix this is the case. to be promoted you need to have qualification (list A), have shown responsibility in a management role (list C) and used some of these experiences elsewhere outside of the unit (List B)
the time served element for SNCO is a falsehood, and although requires a minimum of four years, is not a walk in the park to tick the other boxes.
for Officer however i agree that the time served promotion is pointless and feel that the experience gained in that “time served” should come with some evidence (such as the SNCO matrix)
there was talk of an Officer’s promotion matrix Plt Off > Fg Off but still haven’t seen it, but as its too late for me probably not taken interest if it has come out.
the trouble with the matrix is these are seen as minimums to achieve and once achieved little to say “no” to someone who is a box ticker other than use:
and how many COs are going to say no to someone and cause a bad atmosphere as the last blocker to their much wanted promotion and risk losing an otherwise (in their own way) useful Staff member?
Plt Off to FG Off does have a matrix, the same matrix as FG Off to Flt Lt (it makes distinctions as to which box is for which).
It includes much the same as nco by the sounds of it:
OIC/2 years commissioned/RA Course/1 blue camp/1 green AT activity/ management list 1/ management list 2/ support of a wing team
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Pers 2-09A - CFC Officers
Pers 2-09B - VRT Officers
This should be renamed as both are for CFC as for ATC v 2FTS (VGS) as we know CCF just have plain Time Served, having also not needed to attend OASC, but hey #OneRAFAC
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^ there it is 