I’d not heard any rumours or further official comments from anywhere on this topic (ie the stated intention to uprate all “WOs, RAFAC” to having the full Royal Arms emblem rank-badge).
Is this still happening next year, in Apr 2020? Presumably the delay was a deliberate attempt to get badge supplies sorted-out. Or is there another complex and challenging reason, for which ‘T&L Day’ won’t happen? (either at all, or on the original timeline).
I’m just intrigued as to how quiet it seems to have gone, as an anticipation.
It has the potential to be a very-constructive, positive & morale-boosting event for all: so I’m hoping it does still happen, and soon.
IIRC the announcement came out and then almost immediately they back-pedalled with October and then the TBD.
I couldn’t see where the difficulty was, with April.
It can’t be badges as they could be turned round in a fortnight and then supply handed to cadet rip off, or just buy them from rip off
To be honest their morale isn’t really on my horizon.
It’s quite frankly ridiculous that we have the same rank insignia with “Royal Air Force Air Cadets” underneath at all ranks except this one because we don’t want to hurt their feelings.
Actually every RAF WO I’ve spoken to is kind of open to it and understands why.
There only concern is some 30 year old throbber goes on camp strut his stuff cause theyve got Tate and lyle and got an ego they need to nurse. The result being tarnishing the opinion of a WO on that station
A 30 year old would require slick paperwork and admin to be on camp with T&L. Three lots of paperwork and processes to negotiate in the ATC, ie initial appt, promotion to FS and then promotion to WO, which ATC would this be in? Not the one I’ve been in all these years.
The only place they would get an ego from is the ATC if they are around similar numpties and the ATC making or letting them think they are something more than they are.
This was always an argument against having young adult WOs in the ATC, making out they’re something more, but there was a number of us 25-30 years old and because we had been well coached by seasoned WOs who weren’t averse to putting people in their place, we never had any problems at all. So it comes down to the current Air Cadet adult WOs, doing the same to ensure those showing the pillock traits are told to wind their neck in. I think there are more likely to be problems with some young officers in the ATC, aged 20-25 than people over 30. If people over 30 act like that then they need to get a life.
Perhaps it is because I grew up as a scalybrat that I have a belief that a Regular WO is so far above what any of us pretend WOs are that we are barely comparable and that the wearing of the regular RAF rank insignia by us part-timer youth leaders devalues the badge.
I know similar arguments can be made with Sgt and FS RAFAC but it is not to the same extent…
I walked in from the streets and, bar 6 months as as a CI, into the rank of AWO. For me to be given the same badge as the most senior of non-commissioned officers in the RAF who has served decades in their full-time role and thoroughly earned their rank would simply have been inconceivable, even with the inclusion of a tacky metal pin to show my true affiliation; age of the wearer be damned. The introduction of SNCO(ATC) did not change this.
I still wear a variant of that original badge and I am perfectly happy to do so. I do not see it as an anomaly in any way, it is simply my rank insignia. Given that these are already in place with all current RAFAC WOs I also cannot see how we could justify the additional expenditure that changing these would incur, purely for cosmetic reasons.
This is simply another vanity project, like canes (and T&Ls) for senior RAFAC WOs, white belts for DIs etc.
As I don’t know how old they are that is an idiotic point to make for a cheap laugh, but then one gets used to it and almost expecting it from certain quarters.
As it is the case I stand by the comment there was some unusually sick admin going on for the ATC across the board for a number of years. If our Wing managed that they’d need to take a month off, even for the initial appt.
It wasn’t an “idiotic point for a cheap laugh”, it was an entirely factual statement made for rhetorical purposes given that you seem to think that 30 year WOs are all but impossible.
Not slick admin just being a CFAV for the right reasons and doing every thing I can so the kids can have the most varied and enjoyable experience I can provide allowed me to tick all the boxes at 29 years old…
My strong suspicion is that they approved the idea and then ‘uh-oh’… someone realised that some complete spanner had already signed a 2 year exclusivity contract with Cadet Direct to supply all rank badges; and since that same or another spanner didn’t twig in the first place that Cadet Direct are known as “rip off” for a reason they now can’t afford to buy T&L badges from them and aren’t permitted to buy from anyone else…
Of course I may be wrong and maybe I’m just cynical…
