Most of these things are historic and the folly and errors of their ways of the decision makers exposed for what they were. They acted in haste (default position) and didn’t attempt any sort of common sense evaluation of their decisions.
You would hope that in the future someone sees sense confronted with such a situation and correlates qualifications to need and not the bit of material you wear on your shoulder.
I would like to see what you really need to have a “uniform” in the Corps to do, given that the vast majority of uniformed staff can’t see anything in the current system, outside of Sqn Cdr or Wg Cdr. There are an increasing number of WExOs who have no military backgrounds and only seem to wear a uniform and have a pretend rank to avoid confusing idiots in the Forces, who supposedly can’t cope with civilians, despite the vast number of civilians running things in the Forces. If the WExO doesn’t need a ‘uniform’, why do we?
Just for appearances. Being a “uniformed youth organisation” it serves a purpose to have the membership (adult and cadet) in a uniform.
I’m less clear on why it needs to be an RAF uniform, specifically one locked down to the RAF’s idea of what uniform needs to look like. Branching off a little would make life easier for us and for the RAF.
They can sponsor us without locking us down or dictating the minutiae. I am talking about stuff like deciding whether or not we can wear a jumper without wearing a tie, or whether we really care if cadets are wearing GPJs or goretex jackets. Remember: “scaled for” and “permitted to wear” are not synonyms.
With the commission drifting away from the RAF there is even more scope for latitude.
OK I know we are a youth organisation attached to the armed forces and the uniform/ranks mimic the structure found in them, so those that feel it is their calling take up the chains of office.
But, yes, when you consider that the only roles that seem to require a uniform are Sqn Cdr and Wg Cdr, the others are gap fillers in terms of what is actually required in real terms. Not many I concur but some squadrons are run by CIs, so what happens is they are given the necessary authority and just carry on, the uniform is then secondary to the role. When you were at school you knew who was in charge and the teachers don’t wear a uniform don’t indicate who is who and then the same in 99% of working environments.
When you have a ‘scruff night’ the ‘CoC’ is maintained and believe me I can dress down and look less like the perception some might have of officers.
Someone changed the wording of the Cmdt’s update to take away the words “military commission” and replace with “VRT commission”. Thanks whoever read my post above and changed it
I would like to know what the Army have been on about to hold it up and why the ATC / RAF don’t like it and can go ‘lone wolf’ on it, when you might have supposed it was going to happen for everyone at the same time. Of course ignoring it is a teddy throwing exercise to cover management inadequacies within Cranwell.
What I’ve read seems like a whinge from the ivory towers that the Army want something and have been holding things up and the RAF just want to do it. But no explanation as to what the Army wants so we can evaluate if it’s really important, as apparently it’s eyes only and CAC will self combust if she tells us.
Unless they are going to post the letters to our home address any mail going through the system using 2nd class post will take at least three weeks. HQAC to RHQ one week, RHQ to WHQ one week, WHQ to my house one week assuming one mail drop per week.
Assuming this will go ahead on the 1 Oct t looks increasingly like we will all be improperly dressed. Lets all remove our VRT pins on 1st as we will no longer be in the VRT. It will not be our fault that they have not provided any replacements.
Until I have received confirmation, in writing, not a FB post or generic note, of being sacked/retired/whatever mechanism they are going to use to terminate my VR(T) commission, I for one will be remaining with my gilt pins, as anything else would be incorrectly dressed as far as I am concerned!
I’d be wearing my VR(T) pins until they supply me with the correct rank slides that I require.
And sorry, but a “you can only have 1pr wedgwood backed braid” expectation is not good enough when I should be wearing MTP for some activities and we’re soon to go into jumper season…
If I am being shifted from ATC to RAFAC designators I will be looking for a 1:1 replacement on what I already have, and I am using around 7 pairs of slides. At least I don’t need to worry about backing colours
There is. And - shock horror - 2 new lines have been drawn in the sand. 1st Oct sort of stands. But now we have a backup plan of 1st Nov. ACF have also scale.
Lots of words and justification on the CFC page - mostly about how much work has gone into this.
There’s also recognition that this is causing a degree of ill feeling amongst - apparently - the long serving VRTs only!
