I have been told that I am no longer going to be taking drill and I feel that it was the only thing I was good at, do I ask to be trained up in fieldcraft?
What you expect and believe and the reality of a Squadron can be very different. Who led you to believe this? Was it one of the outgoing SNCO’s, a member of staff or the OC? If it’s anyone but the last they aren’t in a position to make such a thing happen they can only suggest it.
The teaching of drill falls outside the remit of a JNCO, it is quite clear in ACTO 7 that teaching drill is the responsibility of an SNCO, so we’re you a
So expecting to be promoted?
(Also don’t use the phrase “senior corporal” there is no such thing, you are a Corporal and might have been longer than others but that doesn’t make a blind bit of difference you are all still the same rank).
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Being good at drill doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be good at teaching it, unfortunately.
I take it that the person who “got the position” over you is also a corporal? In which case that’s perfectly fine, you’re the same rank. Occasionally staff will decide to give roles to those who seem less able, so that they may grown in confidence and ability at that subject.
The best thing to do is suck it up, and move on. If your SNCO’s are on their way out, there should be several other responsibilities that will soon be available. Show your staff that you are a strong enough character to bounce back from a disappointment and that you should be worthy of a promotion if you really are a ‘senior’ corporal. Complaining and trying to kick up a fuss won’t get you anywhere, unfortunately.
i would add that being seen to be a sore, bitter loser will get you nowhere but to the bottom of the list.
even in the unfairest circumstances you have little option but to suck it up, show people you’re competant, trustworthy, and not standing around glaring at people because its all so unfair. a cadet NCO with the hump and the entitlement complex is the bane of an OC’s life, and an OC will not thank you for making his/her life more difficult with petulant whinging.
i should also point out that the situation does appear to be set in stone - the cadet SNCO’s are still around, this other JNCO may or may not get the job, they may or may not want it, and they may or may not be being tested by the OC to see how they perform while the cadet SNCO’s are around to provide a safety net.
my advice would be to be on your best behaviour for the whole of the extended transition period - losing 3 cadet SNCO’s can produce a great deal of flux within a Sqn, and plans for who fits in where often go awry. the plan as currently formulated may well look very different in 3-4-5 months time when those cadet SNCO’s have gone and their replacements are being tested under the cold light of day.
No. It’s all a decision at Sqn Level. At my squadron I like to give roles to the NCOs that are worst at that area. This forces them to stretch the comfort zone and becomes a better NCO as a result. My advice to you is look for your area of development and asked to be pushed in that area.
There’s more to cadets than drill. (Coming from a DI who has attended the ATF course at Cranwell)
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No, by the book in neither case should a Cpl be teaching drill.
What if a sqn has no cadet SNCOs? When I’ve taken over squadrons and at certain times of the year SNCOs are in short supply, such as in the last 2 months or so where we’ve somehow managed to run without them as they take time off under the guise of study leave. When they do return some are a little put out that we’ve kept going without their vast life borne wisdom and experience and the JNCOs and ‘senior’ cadets have filled the gaps.
With guidance Cpls can instruct and but then if they are taking squad drill and need to correct or advise on movements, is that not instruction?
There is also continual development, something that people in the ATC bang on about but show little commitment to, for cadets or staff, if it means that imaginary lines are, or potentially, going to be crossed. Corporal’s starting to instruct drill is all part of this. It’s such a shame that people still get protective about ranks and titles and spout out-moded made up policy documents.
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I semi-understand where you are coming from, however where is the incentive for those cadets that are good at their jobs? What do they do?
I’ve always taken “Teaching Drill” to be instructing someone on something for the first time. A Cpl taking a Squad of experienced cadets and correcting mistakes in the knowledge they already have would be coaching not teaching.
Quite simply put the person responsible for drill on a unit should be a uniformed member of staff, failing that it should be a cadet SNCO. If a Squadron is in a state where it doesn’t have any cadet SNCO’s then frankly they have more serious issues to be addressing.
ACTO 7 was last amended a year ago hardly out of date.
entirely true - but that should not mean that it should sit around doing nothing until that situation is resolved.
i’ve visited a Sqn that had a single VR(T), no SNCO(ATC), a tiny handful of CI’s, no cadet SNCO’s and cadet cohort with limited experience - none of whom were ready to act as cadet SNCO’s.
Which is all well and good, but a) In that situation as OC I would take on responsibility for Drill & Dress since if all of the cadets are so inexperienced that they aren’t ready to be an SNCO then they aren’t ready to take on the role of SWO b) nothing in the original post has indicated that this is the situation they are facing.
No … out moded not out of date.
Out moded in this context is the notion of one person does the job and no one else. Something that the unions love and I feel we act more like a 1960s-1980s union than a youth organisaion. Rail travellers will be aware of this as it seems from the news companies wanting to change working practices seems to be something causing lots of strike action. It’s also like the “senior” in section does a particular thing and no one else … until they’re not around to do it and someone else has to. I’ve never been protective of what I do and if someone else wants to do it, fine, it means I can look at other things.
As for no SNCOs a sqn I took over didn’t have any and there wasn’t an adult SNCO either, a WO was promised but Halley’s Comet is seen more frequently. I trained the Cpls to instruct/teach drill and made promotions after a few months and two went on to become be well respected CWOs.
Cpl Veale
Whilst I sympathies with your dilemma at not being able to teach drill at this stage of your training whilst being a SNCO later on might get you this opportunity at your Squadron, however this is not the be all and end all of your cadet career.
You could decide to transfer to a Squadron that is close to you should you not be able to teach drill at your current Squadron however this can also act against your favor if they have no positions to be filled.
However as the old saying goes when door closes another one opens by this meaning that being an SNCO has great responsibilities to which you will be a big brother/sister figure to the junior cadets, you’ll be a mentor to your JNCO’s, as well as personal development in this role whether doing Admin or overseeing activities, leadership skills etc or being asked by your CO to plan/teach/help around the Squadron in your capacity as a Sergeant, you’ll be the first person that a potential recruit will see when they decide to join your Squadron. There is pressure on being either a Sergeant or Warrant Officer there is not doubt about that given the rank and responsibilities that you have chosen to attain.
There’s is more to life than just drill just be open to what comes your way and be grateful for that.