Or the course on how to buy shares in companies that will shaft the people under your command and screw up the forces when you are due to retire so it’s not your problem.
Or how to go over every exsisting acronym and change it so it looks like you have done some work, and get a pay rise.
Or how to manipulate your time in the forces to shaft everyone you have under you just so you get a good CV to go on to Whitehall as a good little yes man puppet and shaft the forces.
Oh the word civilians says it all, please don’t forget we are all now civilians licensed to wear the RAF’s uniform, by the RAF for the RAF’s purpose and their purpose only.
That is just semantics, I imagine BALPA don’t like the word uniform as calling it uniform may have overtones for some.
It’s still doing what a uniform does which is making everyone look the same … ie uniform.
Currently that’s what I’m doing; verbally someone has told me the CCF(RAF) will be wearing the purple CCF TRF the Army issued last year, but nothing’s appeared in writing as far as I can see. Personally I’d rather have a RAFAC TRF though I know the rank tab says RAF Air Cadets.
Our wing has just been informed that following that letter that the sector WO’s will be conducting an inspection of all uniform staff to check standards. Part of me says ‘fair enough’ part says ‘so are they admitting that for 30+ years they accept they havent been doing their job propery’ and part says 'that is moving my ‘doomesday clock’ closer to midnight.
Were they ever not concerned with improving (and if necessary, enforcing) standards of drill and dress in the ATC? The main drive is to ensure that our personnel aren’t an embarrassment to us and to the RAF when working in public, including maintaining uniform standards and making sure that those participating on parades are actually capable of marching neatly and know how to turn!
The concept behind a drill check will be to ensure that those parading in public are capable of doing so. Fail to meet the standards (after assistance) and you don’t get to be on a public parade. There is a similar mindset to formally sign off sing banner bearers as competent for public duties.
You are right in that there are some empire-builders who will be looking for a much higher standard of drill than is strictly necessary, which may be why I’ve seen little more of this check than when it was mooted a couple of years ago. Some wings may have already implemented something locally though.
it is because we are capable of addressing multiple issues at the same time.
The drill and dress ones should be easier and faster to improve than the failures of flying and shooting.
TBH the imperative to be overly concerned was never really there or not that we were ever made aware of and believe me the WWOs I had as a cadet and early life in uniform, were tartars due to their background. Things were done to a level which satisfied the need, but you didn’t go around checking and getting snotty with people, as I’ve seen in recent years.
I will say that anyone speaking to me like that, would not get the response they felt they would get. I’m not some wet behind the ears 20 something ex-cadet still in awe of WOs. I’m a grizzled old timer, who has little or no regard for people who get shouty.
What I don’t really understand in all of this, where is the negative for the staff? Uniform doesn’t fit properly and or drill not up to scratch, don’t parade, where is the downside for the staff concerned?
If we lose uniformed staff through any of this, it is the cadets that suffer. Will there be a acceptance of resignations? Will there be potentially acceptance of a number uniformed staff becoming CIs?
I think increasingly that for people who want an adult experience in the ATC being a CI is the best thing. As uniformed staff we are treated as little more than very old cadets, we are not treated like adults.
I have read the uniform letter and also will be subject to a Uniform check. I too am torn! I have always tried to ensure high uniform standards, both with my cadets and myself. I don’t think that any check will cause me or my staff any problems.
My issue is with the threatened sanction of being debarred from wearing uniform in public events (but you will still be able to take the cadets to these events, just not be involved!!!).
So if you don’t fit in a uniform that was issued many decades before and you can’t afford to replace that uniform, you cannot represent the RAF in the Anytown RAF100 celebration. Don’t worry the RAF will step in and help out, supervising your cadets and displaying their wonderfully tailored supplied uniforms. Oh no, there’s no RAF left and the Air Cadets are the only light blue representation in most towns in the UK.
So RAFAC Adult Staff, who have been told many times that they are civilians in uniforms, have to volunteer, give up their non work time and represent the RAF at their own cost!! You couldn’t make it up!
As I’ve said many times i’ll only support RAF100 as far as getting my cadets there, I won’t be taking personal part anyway since I don’t feel it would be in keeping with the decision to throw me out of the RAFVR. If they want an RAF Officer they can cancel a regular RAF Officers weekend off.
I’m also not worried about having an upcoming uniform check although it does seem to be a bit of a waste of time.
