I’m returning to the unit tomorrow after being NEP for 12 months for personal/work reasons. Personal life is still a mess but not a great deal I can do about it at the moment.
I have tried to stay updated through this forum over the past year but feel like I’m the new guy on the block again, so I have some anxiety about coming back. As an officer, I’ll be returning in an exec position (I’m assuming anyway).
The process of returning from NEP was actually seamless and my OC has been brill.
Maybe ask if you can go back as a Sqn officer, at least for the first couple of months to get your bearings again? Don’t be pressured into an exec role just because that’s what they want!
Not worry too much about what’s on here? There’s some great discussions and interesting threads but depending on the person some of them are old fashioned opinions/thoughts, some new threads are just someone commenting on a thread 3 years old.
Sharepoint main pages are your friend (I would love to say the whole of Sharepoint but there is some definite odd stuff around!), talk to others around you, and if you aren’t sure on something don’t be afraid to go look it up.
The core of cadets never changes, your coming back which is great news for the organisation, remember to look after yourself within cadets because your there to enjoy it as well.
Don’t do that. You went NEP for a break, taking a lot on early risks damaging the benefits of that especially when trying to catch up on 12 months of developments on the unit and more broadly across the organisation.
Get in the door, take stock and refam, interact with the cadets, and focus on the most enjoyable aspects.
Welcome back! Just out of interest, did you have to ‘push’ the system to come out of NEP, or did they actively ‘pull’ you back?
My own experience and that of several others I know, is that once in the NEP, you’re left to your own devices and it’s up to you to make the effort to start back again. All I received was a message from the WExO at the 10 month point saying if I didn’t come back, my commission would be terminated at a certain date. Nobody called or messaged me to discuss options on what I wanted to do or where I could go.
As a few on here have mentioned in other threads, the NEP seems to be primarily considered as a ‘deferred resignation’, rather than as a temporary hold on RAFAC activity. I’d be interested to know if any Wgs or Regions actively manage their NEP people with a view to getting them back, rather than simply ignoring them until they leave.
It’s definitely a ‘push’ system. I’ve actively had to contact the organisation and request to return.
I’d agree with what was said above though; when coming back from a break, think carefully about what in the organisation drove that break and try to avoid returning to the same issues immediately.
The wording of ACP 20 makes it out to be more of a deferred resignation, which does not seem very inclusive. As we all know, life circumstances change quickly. Wings should be keeping those in NEP in the loop with a view to bringing them back in, not assuming they will not return.
You have LOA to try and help reintegrate but in a volunteer organisation NEP makes perfect sense as it then puts the onus of the volunteer to come back & means HQ isn’t always chasing them.
If they were being non-inclusive it would be an in or out option rather than the half way house that it is.
In 4 decades I’ve only seen a handful come back from NEP, which has been of their volition. But as said the same things that made them go NEP still existed, so they were gone permanently soon after.
I’ve seen those taking LOA get used to having their own time back and unwilling to make the sacrifices the Air Cadets requires.
the only ones I have seen come back from NEP were those who put themselves there with a known “end date”.
ie they needed 6 months off to cope with a higher priority (change of job or even career, moving of house etc) and once it all settled down were happy to return.
in one case i know it was for the London Olympics, they were forming part of some big team as part of the management, organisation and coordination and blocked out the lead up, event and a month post - they came back (and remain with us) but I thought it odd to take NEP rather than just say “i won’t be here for X months”
Technically you can get OC Wing leave for up to 6 months, but have to go NEP if it is 6 months to a year. (I think, I don’t have ACP 20 in front of me but that’s what I remember?)
Seems it is under Voluntary absence and advises no more than 3 months, going to the RC for up to 6. I’m sure I checked before and it wasn’t specifically referenced.
