Uniform skirts banned by RAF during formal parades?

Adult Staff The Staff Mess
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Whilst there are quite a few other matters taking our collective attentions at the moment, I’ve heard absolutely no mention of this topic within the Corps, the broader RAF, or here on ACC : our parent service has allegedly banned the wearing of skirts by female personnel on formal parades.

This article from the magazine Woman And Home is dated February 2017

[URL]http://www.womanandhome.com/news-and-entertainment/541469/raf-women-are-skirt-ban[/URL]

Note that the picture of an ‘RAF Airwoman’ wearing a skirt on the march is actually a female ATC RAF Air Cadet. Also, the photograph of two female beskirted ‘RAF Officers’ is (in inevitable reality) Gp Capt Vorderman RAFVR(T) and Air Cdre McCafferty RAFR.

So is this confirmed as being official RAF policy?

Will RAF Air Cadets follow suit (pun intended)? In fact, has this already become a RAFAC dress regulation in an amendment to AP1358C?

Should female Air Cadets be forbidden from wearing skirts on parades? If so, why? And if not, why not?

(ps perhaps it has been discussed and/or commented upon, either via formal channels or here…but I highly doubt it)

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As far as m aware, female officers have the option of wearing trousers with their No1’s.

I don’t recall seeing anything in 1358 that says they should not wear skirts.

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I think it used to be that they could wear trousers on parade but only if all females wore them. Surely it would make more sense to just allow us to choose which we want rather than mandating one over the other. The female trousers are really uncomfortable, or so I’ve been told.

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Didn’t we discuss this in February when it was ‘announced’ IIRC the RAF cleared it up and said nothing had been decided?

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This is just sexist.

What if I want to wear a skirt?

“There are obviously too many people in the RAF with too little to do if they have time to agonise over whether or not women should wear skirts in ceremonial uniform,” he reportedly blasted.

This pretty made me chuckle. And pretty much sums up the entire Forces attitude towards the RAF. Bunch of sprogs gobbing off.

And shoddy journalism too. But that’s to be expected from blood sucking, spineless journalists.

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You have too much rage.

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Hmm…if so, was it related to this cryptic post by @pEp ? (the thread of which I missed completely) [URL]https://forum.aircadetcentral.net/t/that-thread-about-skirts/1242[/URL]

The consensus here so far appears to be that the magazine reporting is inaccurate, and that the RAF has not banned the wearing of skirts by female Officers and ORs in formal parades.

However: if you consider these points…

  • Female ORs that complete Phase1 at Halton appear only to wear trousers with best blues, during graduation parades (yes?)

  • Female Officers and ORs that are members of either the Central Band or the Regt Band never wear skirts on marching parades, and have probably worn trousers since well-before the 1994 WRAF merger

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Or maybe there’s too much stupid out there.

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I am under the impression, from speaking to those that have attended a Drill and Ceremonial Camp, that armed personnel must wear trousers. Unsure whether this applies to officers holding a sword.

Also, those marching in a band must wear trousers (believe this is in the regs somewhere… 1358c?)

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