Used to be worn by cadets and Nco’s. Then just NCO’s now only staff wear stable belts. Should they be worn by cadets? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :?
The book says that they’re an optional item - it doesn’t list any particular groups who get to wear them as a ‘privilege’!
Experience however says that there’s probably someone’s train set involved somewhere.
Pretty much wot he said.
By the book, cadets are permitted to wear RAF pattern stable belts (either the old buckle style or the new RAF clasp style) in No2 dress and in No3 dress (when worn as barrack dress or during non-physical activities), though there is a general “unless otherwise ordered” attached to it all.
As stated they are optional, private purchase items: if someone has one they are permitted to wear it and there is no need for everybody to have them. Contrary to commonly held belief, uniformity is not always required 
^^Seconded and agreed.
a typical “unless otherwise ordered” i know of is RIAT where it has been in the JIs that Cadets were not permitted to wear one
Another common one will be for formal parades where uniformity is important and optional items can be left at home with the pens and ipods.
Why this debate keeps cropping up I will never know, simple do what Incy said, but with the otherwise ordered bit, apply common sense. Very useful if wearing number 3 dress to distinguish yourselves from the vastly superior organisation known as the Army 
Unless of course you’re a JL who thinks you’re an infanteer
that can be done simply and easily by the application of the RAF beret and badge (as appropriate) and RAF Blue rank slides and the Air Cadets/Royal Air Force flash (as appropriate) without the need for a stable belt…
Yes, but the badge and flashes are quite small, and the beret is similar in colour to the generic Army one.
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Doesn’t make the stable belt any less useful and it looks smart to boot.
No one can see my stable belt when I’m wearing PCS. 
my point was a list of other features which differentiate between the Army and RAF/ACO DPMs thus throwing out the argument that a Stable shoudl be worn as a unit identifier
my point was a list of other features which differentiate between the Army and RAF/ACO DPMs thus throwing out the argument that a Stable shoudl be worn as a unit identifier[/quote]
But that’s exactly what they are?? Hence why all regiments have their own?
Threads like this frustrate me beyond belief. So petty and unimportant. It’s been discussed to death on the legacy forum. Let’s not have another.
The book says cadets can wear them and the limitations.
I have noticed that the question was “should” rather than “can”. Unless somebody had a new and overwhelming reason to suddenly prevent the wear of stable belts by cadets then this isn’t an issue. The question could well have been “Should cadets wear blue-grey berets?”
We don’t get this sort of discussion about staff wearing optional items like “chip bags” or even stable belts.
My old CO always wore a chip bag at the sqn with SD only coming out for formal parades, even then he ditched it asap.
[quote=“steve679” post=4814]
that can be done simply and easily by the application of the RAF beret and badge (as appropriate) and RAF Blue rank slides and the Air Cadets/Royal Air Force flash (as appropriate) without the need for a stable belt…[/quote]
Clearly you’ve never had to distinguish someone’s unit/ regiment from their TRF or Unit Identifier, or cap badge, for example, an airborne engineer soldier/ officer would wear a maroon beret with the engineer cap badge a 16AA Unit Identifier and then their regimental TRF or DZ flash, given a stable belt is a large item to identify their regiment it draws the eye more so than a tiny piece of cloth or a beret that isn’t the standard colour of their regiment and a cap badge that for a soldier looks like the RMP at a distance and an officer looks like the artillery.
Back to the original point, everyone imposes their own ‘local’ rules and doesn’t follow the book as they should.
[quote=“wraycoon” post=4830][quote=“steve679” post=4814]
that can be done simply and easily by the application of the RAF beret and badge (as appropriate) and RAF Blue rank slides and the Air Cadets/Royal Air Force flash (as appropriate) without the need for a stable belt…[/quote]
Clearly you’ve never had to distinguish someone’s unit/ regiment from their TRF or Unit Identifier, or cap badge, for example, an airborne engineer soldier/ officer would wear a maroon beret with the engineer cap badge a 16AA Unit Identifier and then their regimental TRF or DZ flash, given a stable belt is a large item to identify their regiment it draws the eye more so than a tiny piece of cloth or a beret that isn’t the standard colour of their regiment and a cap badge that for a soldier looks like the RMP at a distance and an officer looks like the artillery.[/quote]
Exactly. And let’s not forget the fact that the ATC Tactical ‘Recognition’ flash is one of the only TRFs to be produced in subdued colours, so is actually unrecognisable at a distance!
[quote=“Baldrick” post=4831]
Exactly. And let’s not forget the fact that the ATC Tactical ‘Recognition’ flash is one of the only TRFs to be produced in subdued colours, so is actually unrecognisable at a distance![/quote]
as well as easily available in large enough quantities!! :whistle:
[quote=“wraycoon” post=4830][quote=“steve679” post=4814]
[/quote]
Clearly you’ve never had to distinguish someone’s unit/ regiment from their TRF or Unit Identifier, or cap badge, for example, an airborne engineer soldier/ officer would wear a maroon beret with the engineer cap badge a 16AA Unit Identifier and then their regimental TRF or DZ flash, given a stable belt is a large item to identify their regiment it draws the eye more so than a tiny piece of cloth or a beret that isn’t the standard colour of their regiment and a cap badge that for a soldier looks like the RMP at a distance and an officer looks like the artillery.
[/quote]
no your right i havent…and neither would i need to given the circles i move in, namely that of the ACO, limited in its exposure, on my Sqn and in my Wing at least, to very few miliatry persons who are not ACO/RAF Personnel, and those few that i do (Service intructors) it has been clear thier “different” as they are wearing MTP/PCS (if they are wearing uniform at all!)
Another way of putting it is that the stable belt could be seen as a regimental badge (army) or in the RAF’s case, a reminder of it’s origins and is something that can be proudly worn when in uniform. Cadet’s don’t have anything else to wear that is 3/7ths maroon, 1/7th sky blue, and 3/7ths navy blue.
Alternatively, they can proudly wear their RAF-blue uniforms, with or without a stable belt, which is probably a much better way of showing their origins and current family! In S95, the colour of a stable belt won’t make any difference and they’ll still be mistaken for Army cadets as the general public won’t know the differences!