This organisation (if we can call it that) is trying to sign its own death warrant.I came back primarily to turn round my old sqn which has basically been mismanaged for the last six years by putting in people who hadn’t a clue how to run a sqn and senior management allowing said people to get away with it.
The situation with SW has been coming and could I think happen to any of the other 5.The staff must be gutted and the cadets must be wondering what the hell is going on.
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Open and honest like we’ve been saying on here from the other side.
I had a really good discussion with parents and cadets about the situation and reason for it (regardless of personal opinions) and a “so this is what we are going to do in place” but I’ll be honest I also spoke to them about the impact of Forums like Air Cadet Central and to encourage them to come and speak to Sqn staff so we can focus it on a local level.
There’s no denying that it’s disappointing that planned activities have to be cancelled, but also I didn’t feel it went overly negative and I felt they understood.
As for staff we are going to take the silver lining (and it was absolutely our choice to do the activities in the first place!!) of we’ve got our weekends over summer back, so we’ll take some time to breath from the big activities. And we’ve opted for some longer parade evenings at the Sqn with more unusual activities
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I second @Chief_Tech - my A levels were not what I had hoped and the BTECs were the difference that got me into Uni. Now I am C-Suite, they are not worthless.
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I think when we do get our medals, there will be others leaving.
I’d like to know where that costing came from - if they have paid £26,000 per tent, someone needs sacking for wasting funds. Any more than £1000 each is way above what is required.
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What Bob1 said… 
The last 6SATT SAAI course only ran because we backfilled the vacancies from the ACF & CCF(A). Ended up only having 3 RAFAC CFAVs on that course as five dropped out. Our forthcoming SR RMQ course is only 75% full and the attached AR RMQ is only running because it is 50% SCC.
At 6 weeks 6SATT check whether a course is viable or not, then send chasers out to the parishes to try and fill courses. At 4 weeks is the “go/no go” and issuing of JIs.
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you say that but for direct replacement of what have been banned (the 18x24 troop shelters) cost upward of £1500 on the secondhand market - See here Anchorsupplies.com which is priced at £1750
So I would expect something new, “modern” with the same functionality to be at least the same price, if not £2000 each particularly when this is an MOD purchase which is rarely made at the “going rate” but with a bump up.
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we didnt have 18x24 tho did we? I was under the impression it was 12x12. Either way, £26,000 each is way too much
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18x24 tents have been used at RIAT for 20+ years, initially as “infrastructure” tents (breifing, control, canteen etc) while accommodation used 12x12 which were 12x24 (Cadets) and 12x12 (Staff).
That changed 10+ years ago when all accommodation moved to 18x24 tents, built into 18x48s to permit more beds per tent and make better use of the space given the ever growing size of the camp
the blue tents being referred to are those used for accommodation at RIAT. Since 2017 the RAFAC had its own 18x24 tents which were primarily assigned for annual camp use, and overseen by the RIAT Sqn Ldr, “OC Eng” stored at Little Rissington.
Following the ban on MkI and II troop shelters being used as accommodation, the initial effort was to sift out the canvases which were banned - but since the blue tents were purchased in their place.
At what cost I have no visibility of though
Again, please, we have a thread for tents.
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Today’s spending announcement by the Chancellor indicate the situation getting worse before it gets better with departments having to find even more savings.
Savings = gapped posts being taken. That’s a lot 
And now told we can’t do families day at RAF Odiham!! That will be the first since 1999 bar Covid #embarrassing with 11days to go…
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I hear the ACF are going the car parking…
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It’s way more than just directing traffic from the side of the road… there is normally 150-200 cadets plus staff there with a multiple of tasks and the cadets get an awesome mini Airshow… I hope the RC and/or above has phoned the Stn Cdr to explain and apologise… what’s worse is Odiham is the station that started the cadet musters and now we can’t help, they will need more staff to work when they are meant to be with their families….
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It will be too hot anyway!
I think we already knew this was going to happen, especially with the car parking STOP. A shame comms has only just been received. It’s incredibly disappointing all around, in the past Odiham families day had been followed by a flying day in the back of a chinook for the cadets involved (at least I know most sqns prioritised the cadets who were involved). Maybe the ACF or SCC will end up taking our place!
With the support that our Parent atation gives us, and Odiham has always given fantastic support, its the least we can do to support them.
I’ve never had any issues with Odiham, they always go above what is required…even when they are busy with operational requirements.
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Ah yes, like it was too hot to walk on Dartmoor while scouts, other cadets, and poorly trained school teams overtook them.
Or that time it was too hot to earn a Nijmegen medal.
Or too hot for RIAT but we continued anyway while every other event was cancelled and then got roasted by an independent investigation so implemented control measures that the investigation stated were unsuitable.
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And hopefully the Stn Cdr will realise it’s not the Squadrons fault now and in the future.
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