I am newly commissioned into the VR(T) and a new sqn cdr to boot (but ex-regular). My sqn’s former senior cadet NCO went off to uni last October and has just returned for his long summer holidays. He was a Cadet FS, classified as Instructor and was DBS’d to become a Staff cadet under the previous regime; he is still only 18. He has very kindly offered to help out during his holidays and I very much want to take him up on that offer. However, he has been discharged from air cadets and taken off SMS. Moreover, he is too young to become adult staff. How can I make this situation legitimate within RAFAC regulations?
I believe that former cadets over the age of 17 can re-join - I think that would be the only option.
Pers Instruction 501: " In exceptional circumstances, a cadet over the age of 17 who has resigned from the ATC may apply to re-join; however, reinstatement is subject to the Regional Commandant’s approval. ATC cadet service will cease on the cadet’s 20th birthday."
So you would need to explain to the RC; it’s something I have done in the past.
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If he was already cleared and over 18 when he left why can’t he be put back on the books. TBH I wouldn’t have taken him off.
If not get him on the CWC and if you want one of the new style super dooper committee types who are CIs in all but name.
He can be put back on the books, and I’ve just posted the procedure to do that.
Easy to do on SMS as well. Just find him in the discharged cadets list and re-instate.
It would be like they never left…
New DBS required - break in service >6 months.
ACP004 8.17 refers
OK then CWC. I do love people who get anal about book, para etc as if it is a way of stopping things happening. The old sayings about rules and skinning cats apply.
You might not agree with it, I might not agree with it, but them’s the rules. And those are the sort of rules you don’t want to be caught turning a blind eye to, should the proverbial hit the fan. Most educational establishments are stricter than that and have a 3 month break in service rule. Why update service isn’t accepted is another matter…
But if they want to help there is more than one way to achieve this, which is why I suggest CWC and then go for super dooper CWC member. Gets around a lot of things and something I’ve done in the past and gladly do as and when, if an 18 yo doesn’t wish to or isn’t allowed to carry on as a cadet.
OK. Thanks for the rules. What about the practicalities?
The rules don’t address the relational issue within the sqn, i.e. the King is dead, long live the King. The old senior cadet has gone off to uni, the new senior cadet steps into his shoes, everything settles into the new way of things … and then the old senior cadet returns and our only official route is to re-enlist him - equilibrium upset. Not enough time to enrol him as a committee member. So, I will just re-enrol him as a cadet, but tell him to turn up in civvies and act as a CI (Probationer). Job’s a good un.
This whole 18-20 thing is a mess. The government is aiming to put 50% of kids into tertiary education which, in a significant proportion of cases, will likely result in them moving away from home at the end of Academic Year (AY) 13. Similarly, cadets attracts youngsters who are going to join the Services at the same stage. As CWO cannot be awarded to U-18s, this means that the gene pool for CWO is reduced to those who took neither of those routes, and that your best cadet FS who is heading off to uni or joining the services but just happens to have a July/August birthday is effectively denied the potential of ever becoming a CWO. That is inequitous.
Solution: Make the age range for cadet service AY8-13. Lower the age limit for CWO to 17 (or AY13). Allow CI status to any suitable person beyond AY13. Consider setting the minimum age for all adult uniformed service to 21. Job’s a good un.
I stand by for the howls of protest.
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You might have got them if your post wasn’t simply nonsense.
Why not enough time to enrol as a CWC member? CWC members is anyone who peels up and is active from day one. Get them DBS’d and they’re in to fly solo.
Couldn’t agree more, but make CI for anyone over 18. I think aligning our age limits to school years is the way forward. DBS becomes automatic if they continue in Upper 6th and automatically (no interviews etc) become a CI (if THEY want to) at the end of what would be the start of year 14. This would get around those going to uni, starting work and as CIs can ply their trade anywhere, without upsetting squadron dynamics and has the potential to retain more cadets into adult staff, as those currently not considered good enough to continue go and never darken the door again. There is also the personal benefit to them (and sqn cdrs) of not needing to worry about regular attendance and being treated as adults. Leave uniformed staff until they get to 21/22, which gives them time to lose the ‘cadet’, just like the old CWO to 22 did.
However the fly in this ointment in all of this is HQAC who seem poo scared to stop cadet service at 18 and some volunteer staff who are too wedded to the notion of cadets being over 18 and give the impression it would make running a sqns difficult. No more difficult than having SNCOs who work and can have the same patchy attendance as any member of staff, but because they are cadets some do not tolerate it, in the same way they do staff. These cadets drift away and you lose them in all but name.
This would make the ATC primarily a youth organisation with anyone of majority, staff.
I have seen a drop in the number getting much beyond Easter of the first year beyond leaving school in the last 3 years. When you go to Wing sports events the older age groups are getting less and less. When I was a cadet it was unusual for sqns not to field ‘teams’ in all age groups, now it’s unusual and normally where cadets have had their arms put up their backs.
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[quote=“Wolfy, post:11, topic:2885”]
The rules don’t address the relational issue within the sqn, i.e. the King is dead, long live the King. The old senior cadet has gone off to uni, the new senior cadet steps into his shoes, everything settles into the new way of things … and then the old senior cadet returns and our only official route is to re-enlist him - equilibrium upset. [/quote]
Just make it clear how things are - new senior cadet is the senior cadet, re-enrolled chap is essentially visiting. Unless you need a better senior cadet, then make it clear that old FS is basically there as an instructor, etc.
That must be why I’ve never heard of cadets who are in the upper 6th needing to get DBS’d.