Road marching.
Ok so have just read the new rm orders…
Isnt the blue badge a bit of a sod to get… especially if a Sqn has no trained staff to deliver RM.
I know not all Sqns can do all things. But I find it surprisingly disheartening that the STARTING point requires (and we are talking about walking here) a 2 day staff course to deliver 3 training walks.
Seems overkill and underjoy.
I would have thought that blue would just be a natural consequence of a wing team delivering its training as part of an annual Nijmegen campaign (or similar). If a squadron can achieve that internally then good for them.
NOTE: I have not read the full document - it is a bit long and I no longer care that much 
We dont currently due RM and I cant see us starting anytime soon with the staff training burden as such.
I was hoping the new RM orders would have made it easy to get going.
The new system does make it easier to get going you only need to do a 2 day training course rather than needing a full NGB qualification which was the alternative.
Realistically the expectation is that Road Marching will remain a Wing Event as it already is on most places, but that those who “have a go” and don’t ultimately do one of the big walks will still get an entry level award.
The new document also addresses the previous issues of most Cadets skipping Silver and of certain huge events like the Death-march being massively under-rewarded.
That’s why the wings have been given a Wing RM officer to facilitate training for all Sqns in the wing. They certainley shouldn’t be just selecting a few Sqns to attend and should be building a staff team around them
I know it’s open to all cadets in my wing but Sqns are choosing not to allow cadets to see it…fully get having to get parents to take and pick up and no staff to take etc
Let’s hope…
My policy including pre CP has always been ‘open to all’ when it comes to events. There isnt a single event on CP i havent green lit for my lot.
Especially easier since the latest upgrade to CP.
-----All hail CP and its latest upgrade-----
Maybe I’m not explaining it right. But essentially, I was hoping that the blue badge would have basically been a theory lesson and 1 road march of about 5km with the staff requirements for an entry level event such as this set low.
That way all Sqns could do blue badge in house and also it opens RM up to more as an activity.
It’s just a bit too high a level at blue badge IMO.
I’ve not yet read the TIs but I’ve rather been expecting that there will be some unnecessarily restrictive “qualification” requirement for staff.
In all my years of road marching I had always been able to avoid the WARMA “team leaders course” by simply never being the official team leader.
When a colleague - a newbie to Road Marching - wanted to take the team to Nijmegen one year he had to attend and I can say that with all the childish nonsense he came back with I’m glad that I never had to do it myself.
Ahhhh, the old days… “Competence through experience”.
The new process is actually a real improvement.
There has never been an official requirement for a BELA or higher for road marching, because it fell outside the definition of ‘trekking’ in the ACATIs. Yet, many WATTOs would refuse to agree with that argument, and I would be told to take a BELA with me, when I had already successfully led teams at Nijmegen previously.
That continues, and the qualification is now the RMTL course, which is to be deployed by regions, and is two days.
CTE will only cover us between now, and the required date to do an RMTL. it’s simply an interim measure.
There is also still a requirement to do the much hated FTTL, which is an absolute waste of everyone’s time. But I hear rumour that the RAFAC are hoping to get rid of that waste of time.
Overall, it is a better system than the mire of confusion we had before.
The second reason for the RMTL is to try and get out of having people be required to do FTTL.
Is FTTL a requirement for the BMC at Nijmegen or is it just required for RAFWARMA? I know lots of Wings are avoiding WARMA these days because of it.
Was still hoping for it to become less niche.
Nevermind.
Do we know where the courses are advertised? That is if it’s open to Squadron Staff? Tried a bit of a search yesterday but could only find one that was last year.
In my Wing they are coming out from the Wing Road Marching Officer.
Hmmm yes. Proactive RM Off is required to make this work.
That doesnt just mean someone who runs RM events when they want to, but someone who takes the initiative, gets info out about courses and supports others through them.
Will wait and see before I lay judgement on ours.
Interesting - thanks!
Thread Resurrection - but I’m sure the vast majority of you (who care) will have seen the news that this years 104th Nijmegen marches have been cancelled.
Whilst this news was expected tis still a shame 
here’s to 2022!
Cosford Airshow just announced their cancellation too.
Several big trade events have all cancelled in the past few days:
EBACE/ABACE and several of the other trade air shows etc.
I think we’ll be lucky to see any large scale events before September…
Edit to add, especially if travelling is involved.
I wonder if they will cancel DSEI this year? 
Be interesting what happens to RIAT
They should do a national fly past of everything.
That would be better.