I see a lot of posts here saying you need to wait and gain experience before taking on the role, which I do agree with. Moving from Senior Cadet to CO in a few months is a massive jump!!
But, and it is a big but, I presume you have been asked as there is no one else (sorry if my presumption is incorrect, but that is the common state of affairs) so the Squadron would close if you did take this role? Whoever is making that offer is putting a great deal of pressure on you!
If you take the Squadron, you are making a massive commitment that would affect all the areas listed in above posts. If you donât take it, there is the guilt trip that a unit has closed due to your decision. A horrible position that your Sector Commander has put you in!
I would suggest that the Sector Commander commands the Squadron, with you as Adjutant or Training Officer so you can learn some ropes. But that would be unlikely!!
You could love it as it is a great job. You could hate it as it is a s**t job!!
But it is your choice, no matter what us keyboard warriors say! Good luck in whatever you decide!!
I think part of it is a change in society, cadets coming through the Corps rarely get onto fully operational stations. When I was a cadet frequently went to operational and training stations for camp. Cadets working setions, when I was a CI we had senior cadets when were at Waddington at 5am on an aircraft hardstanding under Vulcans starting up or at Valley, marshalling hawks back onto the ramp or out with the RAF police etc.
Other things such as HQAC and how itâs managed plus people have far more things to do from the age of 18 as well, look at social media for a starter. university has been pushed as well and if youâre interested in a blue suit then there is the UAS. Young people now move away from the home environment more readily as well.
There are certain things to take into account for the OP most already covered.
Where are you with regards to your career? Can you afford the time? (At the end of the day if no other staff are available for activity X either the OC steps up or the Cadets miss out and that spins becomes a heavy burden).
Where are you in your personal life, donât end up married to the ATC!
Finally how much experience do you have from a staff perspective. Some Cadets turn 20 Andy has their first experience of having staff responsibilities. Others get treated as full members of staff much earlier. I had a CI at my last unit who when she actually became a member of staff had already been the Adjutant for 2 years.
Being an OC is the best job in the Organisation, but it really is a job when it comes to the commitment required.
I suggest that you look up Op Shader, there was a 55 Squadron RC 135 within a Syrian S300 MEZ the other night off the Syrian coast. Russian IL20 got shot down there two weeks ago. That doesnât include the Typhoon FGR4s R1 Sentinals Voyagers who are rotating through Akrotiri. Thatâs why the Red Arrows went to Greece this year to get display practice and clearance. Not matter what you call the Syria Iraq operations, it is a WAR.
Then there is the Chinook force (Suggest you read Alex Duncanâs book 'Sweating the Metal or Mark Hammonds book Immediate Response) deployment to Mali in assistance with the French fighting religious fundementalistsin Op Barkhane, thatâs another WAR we are involved in.
The psychological stress to the RPAS crews of war that are starting to emerge.
Neither Afghanistan or Iraq were declared wars be we were and still are there, in fact the Afghan commitment of forces has just been increased again.
I suggest that you wind your neck in. This country has been in constant conflict in the Middle East since the Invasion of Iraq in 1990. And the number of fallen servicemen/women who have come back through, first Lyneham then Brize Norton and those who have been CCASTâd back to Birmingham, they and their families andfriends would tell you they have been to WAR.
Maybe as itâs what i did but I am a very strong advocate of CI, if you want adult SNCO and then if you want to Commission. Throughout this process I acquired knowledge and experience not just in the ATC but at work and in my personal life. When I took over a squadron as an AWO, I was in myself ready and was able to deal with things that came through the door or onto my âdeskâ.
I donât have a lot of respect for cadets who view being a CI as being beneath them and who have an attitude of having been a cadet FS or CWO is somehow comparable to being an adult SNCO, ergo the only option is be an Officer. Bearing in mind they will have to âleadâ these in future.
If the above was the proscribed route for all cadets and put a buffer of several years between cadet and potential squadron command. If this creates a problem with the ATCs model for squadron command, to paraphrase Alan Sugar âdidums and donât careâ. It might if they were management worth their salt make tHQAC look at properly at the whole CFAV cadre and why people shy away from commands. How many very capable adult SNCOs donât Commission as they donât want to be a Sqn Cdr?
One of the things we have found at work is that youngsters seem to have an over inflated sense of themselves and donât understand just because they have a clutch of A Levels or degree, they donât know more than the manager or people working here and wonât be running the place in their first week.
I also feel that Wings are almost preying 19 year olds, treating them like cannon fodder, as the organisation seems almost incapable of bringing in older people 30+ in as CFAV. When I was a cadet like @angus the staff were a lot older, there were more of them generally and seemed a lot more grounded. OCs under 30 were a rarity and I think this worked for the better. Young officers 22 - 30 spent time learning the ropes, which seems to be an alien concept now.
I agree that CI is a useful stepping stone into Uniform, but for my CIs who are keen to go into uniform itâs less like being on a stepping stone, more like being stuck in the doldrums. My wingâs admin is just so poor.
Iâm a 25 year old (Acting) Pilot Officer, and Iâm the OC of my Squadron⌠It took all of 3 months from confirmation of OASC success to become OC. Before that I was a CI for 5 years, and had been both a Training Officer & Adjutant.
My squadron was in a bit of a hole, if I hadnât have taken the job, it would have been âlooked afterâ by the sector commander until someone came forward to take it on full time. Iâm the only uniformed CFAV, in the past 12 months the 3 uniformed CFAVs have moved away for work or gone NEP. A good night saw us parade ~12 cadets we had around 25 cadets on the books, 3 CIs and a Padre.
We how have 25 cadets that are all turning up and moving closer to a parade strength of 20 as numbers are increasing via word of mouth recruitment
I have 3 new CIs in the application process, 2 with potential to move into uniform in the future
Personally Iâm enjoying being the OC as I slowly build my âtrain setâ.
In terms of your question @willmt if you are leaning towards doing it, go for it. But in my 5 years as a CI Iâd organised numerous sqn events to make use of the quals I have, and had CFAV Experience, which you lack being just 20. Also donât think of OC Sqn as a quick way to Flt Lt as thatâs no longer the case, you still need to do at least 4 years as well as tick the boxes on the CFC Promotion Matrix for both Fg Off and Flt Lt.
Above all remember itâs your hobby, so if you do take the role, donât forget you can still say no to things.
I think that you may have missed his point somewhat there - we are indeed conducting combat operations, but fortunately weâre very much not in the total-war type conflict with a combination of massive attrition and a need to hugely expland the forces that leads to 30yo group captains.
When you consider the size of the RAF today approx 38,000 and the RAF in 1945 at 1,100,000 personel, to those serving that is still total war as the ops tour come around far more quickly if not unrelenting operaios 7/7/365. I suspect to members of the RAF this is in effect âtotalâ war.
i wasnât being offended just making a point that the UK armed forces have been at waror in conflict zones since 1990 and in effect before that 1969.
As for 20 year olds asOC, they donât have the life experience to deal with the situations that will occur. A 20 yr old RAF officer, which I suspect is a rarity these days with the move towards a degree based officer cadre at least has people on hand to ask, and regulations by a force of law to follow unlike the ATC.
Bob, you are preaching to the converted here, thereâs no need to give me a run down of the past 20 years thanks. I am well well aware of what operations we are involved in at the moment, I happen to have read both of the books you have mentioned, but I think you have missed the point I was trying to make. You canât compare the needs of the services now to WW2! I was trying to state that you wouldnât be getting 25-30 year old OF4s and OF5s these days because we arenât forced to. My neck is firmly wound in and will remain so, but not because of you
Getting back on topic, based on what people have said on this issue thus far, should the ATC be introducing a minimum age to become an OC? Or even a minimum amount of time served as an officer?
It should be producing a pathway of CI to NCO and then suitable people commissioned. That way both sides can evaluate whether they both want to progress, same as happens in any organisation. Push people too early without support sets people up for failure.
Perhaps, but I think thatâs a bit unrealistic today. Do we have the recruiting power to get enough people to become CIs to eventually become NCOs to eventually become Officers? You may as well let those who know what they want (ie ex cadets) attempt what they think is best for them, with guidance from their Squadron and Wing. And if a 20 year old, motivated, committed person becomes an officer and thinks they have the time to put towards being an OC, then as long as they have good support around them then I donât see why they canât be successful. Young people are just as talented and committed to this organisation as they were 20 years ago.
