I was a massive advocate for adult Cpl at 18 route when it was tabled… Think its real missed opportunity to potentially capture more uniformed CFAVs post 20
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I’ll say again… young staff are not the answer… we need responsible people, who can commit, in middle management.
We need to make uniform and in fact the entire organisation more attractive to these people.
Make the process easier and quicker. Push the pros rather than the cons…
Then maybe fund staff CVQO adult quals…
Try and encourage the right sort of person.
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I’ve never seen a valid reason to introduce Cpl.
Everything we need from a training rank is adequately covered by Acting Sergeant.
Everyone knows that person is still awaiting their primary training and adjusts expectations accordingly.
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Apart from I don’t feel any better equipped after OIC than I was before… Maybe the NCO course is more, erm, helpful?
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Ignoring the ex cadet/regular routes in
Anything that takes 2 yrs on average to get new people into uniform is a disaster - for parents that are interested because a child has joined are just getting started by the time their kids leave. If they are still CIs and have not progressed in that time chances are they leave as well
The whole systems needs to be reset to represent what we are - a youth organisation - so long as we meet child protection, h&s etc everything else is On Job Training from existing staff with some oversite from Wg/above and maybe some train the trainers from HQ
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I suspect the biggest blocker to people being uniformed staff is the requirement to spend a week at cranwell within 12 months when all they want to do is help on a Tuesday/Friday.
It’s “too much”
Compounded by no true difference in what you can / can’t do as a CI, why take the harder road?
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The year rule for Cranwell attendance is more of a guideline. However, I believe that more of it should be done by way of self study logbooks, virtual (e.g. Teams training) and local delivery. Obviously it’s nice to get a week at Cranwell and do the CHOM graduation but is it really needed?
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On the other hand…
Giving CIs the option to wear uniform would solve the uniformed youth group vs Civvie clothed staff issue. The RAFAC structure is our own construct - If we want to change it to say CI is the lowest “rank”, then so be it.
Using it as a feeder will result in the same people going forward, but could put people off joining in the first place*.
The VR(T) was a well established branch, but I still had people asking me what the badges meant whilst knocking around RAF messes. Non-Mil personnel wearing Mil uniform happens everyday on pretty much all bases (MPGS). Why would be so worried about CI’s wearing uniform? Just stick a pair of plain RAFAC rank tabs on!
*I mean that some people join with the intent to go into uniform, some people join as CI’s and are open to persuasion, and some people join with no intention or desire to ever put on a blue suit. I had an ex-RAF CI who felt that he’d done his time, didn’t want the hassle of uniform again, and was rather attached to his beard, but felt that he wanted to give something back to the squadron he started his RAF Journey on. If he’d been told he had to wear uniform, he would have walked away. W
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It’s rightly or wrongly all about perception.
RAF doesn’t want the perception of people in blue uniform to be 90 year olds.
Personally I feel we lose much by having an arbitrary upper age limit for going into uniform.
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Id like a more structure where wing and region deliver the basic training then HQAC provide SME training… I. E. How to be an OC, Adj, Trg Off etc
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Yes, because heaven forbid the boss…
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Civil servants in uniform can stay until they are 75. There are at least 3 officers in my wing who are over 70.
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Looking at the other end of the CFAV career, what options would there be for uniform staff who are no longer able or willing to give the full commitment to their uniform role, but still have some more limited time to offer a Squadron.
Anyone who knows me will also know that I can rarely get to the start of a parade night in any form of well presented uniform and if I then need to change into and out of uniform at the Squadron it further limits the time available to help, so dropping out of uniform is a very likely prospect at the end of this pandemic for me. If there are no CI’s then how would I still be able to give what time I do have left? (dont say committee as I am not getting stuck with fundraising and being liable for a vehicle!)
Cheers
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This is about JOINING. Not STAYING.
like I said I would allow CIs to join in uniform until at least 70.
After all most retire still at 65 and so we are rolling out untapped reserves.
As long as they are ‘fit’ enough to be safe.
I see no issue.
I think we are looking at the wrong problem. Why can’t the organisation get more CIs into uniform???
Is it because of the paperwork it takes to get into uniform?
Is it because you have to travel to Cranwell to do a 1 day interview (if going for a Cadets Commission) without a guarantee of success and then travel up again to Cranwell within 12 months before you can be a fully pledged Plt. Off?
We have to get to the route of the problem rather than suggesting any changes that I doubt will enhance the Cadet experience for either the staff or Cadets.
Personally I would streamline the paperwork, give Regional HQs the right to approve new officers and remove the week course at Cranwell, make it a weekend course at Region like the ACF and then have a 12 month online training program depending on route taken.
Remove the white tapes, it benefits no one! If your OC, Wing HQ and Regional HQ feel you are right for the position applied for why do you need to wait to get the full rank?
Maybe by streamlining this process and making it easily accessible to all I.e. local(ish) to their home we may find a larger number of VOLUNTEERS progressing into uniform.
You then leave CIs for the older volunteers who have come out of uniform and want to help out at the unit.
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I think you are almost right.
The question should be: “Why can’t the organisation recruit more new staff into uniform?”
If we solve that issue, the need to rely on CIs/Civ Comms to make the transition will diminish, and then the CIs can concentrate on doing what they do unpressured. We can then answer the original question - should the organisation recruit new CIs, or should we rely totally on uniformed staff?
PS Welcome to ACC!
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Indeed. The solution for the future is to recruit more into uniform than we do into civies.
There’s very little incentive for current CIs to put on rig. Staying as they are they can have their cake and eat it.
Certainly the joining process needs to be improved massively.
I wouldn’t agree that removal of white tapes is necessary. They fulfill a purpose and contrary to “benefitting noone” do in fact benefit all. They highlight who is not yet fully trained so that no unrealistic expectation is put upon the new instructor.
There can be a chasm between ‘being selected as the right calibre and potential’ and actually being suitibly trained, knowledgeable and equipped to carry it off.
There should be no benefit to doing away with white identifiers as, frankly, anyone who decides not to volunteer because they don’t want to wear white tapes we can likely do without. I can’t imagine that there would be very many.
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What cake for CIs?? Do you have to make an order via SMS? 
Must be to make up for all the VA that they don’t get.
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Hahahahahahahahahahahahah
Sorry. I meant to say “if that one week training course taught us anything useful and relevant, I would agree with you”.
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I definitely think that we should provide additional local training both prior to SSIC/OIC for new staff, and following (at sensible intervals) as CPD for all staff.
That said, whilst claiming that Cranwell teaches nothing relevant or useful might be amusingly droll it’s not always the case is it… Take the brand new civvie volunteer with no previous experience and the post SSIC/OIC Sgt/Plt Off…
Which one now has some knowledge and experience of uniform, drill, the service environment, ATC regulations, Methods of Instruction…?
Regardless of what anyone thinks of the initial courses, some method to easily differentiate between those who are new and untrained, and those whom we should be able to expect to get on with the job without supervision is a benefit.
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