Hi all,
I’n new here so this is my first post.
I am a (fairly recently promoted) Cdt Cpl and am looking for some advice.
My squadron is facing some big problems at the moment. It started as one big problem, however this then resulted in a lot more smaller problems cropping up. I cannot go into details, but what I will say is that a CI who has been at the squadron for a very long time has claimed it is currently at the worst point they’ve ever seen it. The problem has been ongoing for a good few months and as a result has caused quite a rift between not only some of the staff members but also some of the cadets. Some cadets (including myself) have been made aware of these problems even though they don’t directly involve us, and this has caused some of my peers to lose motivation and interest in being a part of the squadron, and many are claiming that they want to transfer to other squadrons and some have even left already, meaning that cadet numbers are now very low - on a good night we get about 20 cadets down when we used to get around 35. We are also now very low on staff.
The cadets aware of these problems shouldn’t’ve been told/made aware in the first place, however now that this has happened it has lead to a kind of division between the cadets (those who know/those who don’t, the group who know is small and is pretty much just NCOs, however those who don’t know definitely know that something bad is going on) and this has caused petty arguments and drama, and a certain cadet has threatened multiple times to transfer to a fairly local bigger and more ‘well-known’ sqn, however she doesn’t know the full extent of the problem. These arguments happen almost every night and has left a fair few of us upset and wondering what the point of being at the squadron is.
I cannot go into details about the problem due to the severity and how specific it is, however I am just looking for advice really - those who have been made aware have sort of had to deal with the impacts of the problems much more so than if we had not heard about it at all, and because of this morale is very low amongst both cadets and staff. It has left many of us just at a complete loss of knowing what to do. While I completely understand that every squadron will have problems, the main problem here is severe enough to have caused a fair bit of input from the wing.
I don’t know if anyone can help me, but I’m just looking for a bit of advice as I really don’t know what to do. As much as I enjoy cadets, I feel like I’m slowly becoming less and less motivated and interested, all due to what is going on at the squadron.
You are a cadet, and you would be best staying well away from any issues that there is in the squadron relating to staff.
Just because the CI has been there a long time doesn’t make them automatically right or wrong in any matter.
My suggestion would be to discuss these problems with your parents and then ask the to discuss with the squadron commander, if things do not improve then they can speak to the wing Xo. The main point for you is do not get involved or be seen to take any sides in any staff issue go to the sqn and try and just get on with being a good cadet 
I don’t think we can help you much really without knowing the specifics. (Not that I want to.) I agree with the above view, discuss it with your parents and have them discuss it with the staff. It sounds like something that someone needs to grasp more firmly than they already are.
Is it possible that your wing could already have a plan to solve these issues in place? I imagine they’ve at least attempted to solve them if they’ve been involved.
Out of curiosity, what is stopping you (and the cadet saying they want to transfer) from transferring to the nearby sqn?
However, I would definitely speak to a member of staff to discuss your worries.
My squadron is currently going through a similar situation. As a cadet it is best to stay away from any issues involving staff, as it will only make things worse for everyone. However, I don’t know about the situation at your sqn but some cadets have ended up involved because we’ve been dragged into it.
As for transferring squadrons, this is something that’s causing a stir at my sqn too. If this is really what you or any other cadets want to do, then personally I’d say just go for it, at the end of the day no one can stop you. Just remember that you’re a cadet because you enjoy it, it shouldn’t feel like a chore. If you’re no longer enjoying being at the sqn and you feel like transferring would be beneficial to you, then do it.
Have you spoken to your OC about how the problems are impacting cadets? Maybe that will help.