VR(T) Commission Change

All uniform should be correctly fitting and fit for use. The scope now exists for LLCs to get current uniform from the parent service so we should not longer see cadets in a 20-year-old ill-fitting No1 jacket, No2 trousers, a belt found on eBay and a saggy hat that looks like it has been slept on.

Compared to that, the switch of commission and branding that comes with the CFC is actually almost trivial.

CACWO said on Twitter that he was going to wait for the Warrant before switching slides.

Just remember when lining up with some in RAFAC and others in VRT that reserve officers take precedence over cadet force commissioned officers of the same rank. :sunglasses:

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Apparently, until the ‘go live’ date for the CFC, the CAC\CRAFAC said we hold both commissions simultaneously.

How can you hold CFC when it doesn’t yet exist …

Once it’s signed off both will be held until the enforced relinquishment

Wouldn’t that then make those who still hold VR commissions incorrectly dressed if they elect to wear RAFAC pins?

How can one be told to wear identifying insignia for a commission that doesn’t yet exist?

Would they be considered ‘walts’? :joy:

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Quite … :slight_smile:

When holding both (for the short period this will be) CRAFAC has decreed that the CFC takes precedence and therefore RAFAC Insignia should be worn.

Of course this was all based on the CFC being live from 1 Oct and a relinquishment of 31 Oct… now nobody really knows when anything will happen.

Just because CRAFAC says it’s so, doesn’t make it correct! How can a civilian commission be senior to a military commission?

And CRAFAC has popped off on holiday for a week, so nothing will be heard until she returns!

How can the lesser take precedence?
According to the letters VR(T) is regarded as a ‘higher’ commission and CFC ‘lesser’.
The CFC almost follows on behind the sweeper uppers at the back.

What is taking precedence is the new over the old/obsolete. If you are moving then you might as well move sooner rather than later.

To be fair, the insignia isn’t doesn’t identify the commission per se, it just identifies you as a member of “RAF Air Cadets”. I have an Army Reserve commission currently but I wear an ACF rank slide.

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However, our existing rules state that members of the RAFVR(T) are to wear gilt VRT pins blah blah blah.
Similarly, SNCO/WO are required to wear ATC pins.

The rules need to be in place NOW to support the commission when it comes, along with the general rebranding.

It’s being introduced piecemeal which indicates a distinct lack of planning and foresight.

Why couldn’t they do all this work behind the scenes, keep the volunteers informed of progress and when all the legal issues had been resolved and the way was clear to implement the new commission, go live with a future date for the commission to take effect (knowing that nothing else would get in the way) and rebrand the ACO to RAFAC? That would also have given them time to get the funding in place for new rank slides and allow for the timely distribution of same.

Or would this have been too simple?

Instead they’ve chosen to create different tiers of commission (a la AEF and some VGS retaining VR(T)), conducted a survey and completely ignored the outcome, haven’t communciated effectively and efficiently, made a hash of implementation dates, told people they can wear whatever rank slide they like until this is all sorted and generally annoyed a not inconsiderable number of volunteers they say they value so much.

I’d like to see how long these guys would last in civilian employment in the real world.

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New update on Flarepoint. CFC implementation date now confirmed as 2 Dec 17.

New Update from RC(N) available here

New Date 1 Dec, with current commissions ending on 2 Dec. No CFAV will remain VR(T).

Good, hopefully this will not change and will stay.

I hope so too if only to put to bed a chapter of this debacle but I won’t be holding my breath.

The update still uses the word “intension” will so that implies that they still have work to do. Also the wording cease to apply is very strange. I have never heard of a commission ceasing to apply before. I have never heard that in 1919, 20A or anywhere else in our TACs of service.

Sounds like a

to me.

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This whole thing has become a complicated

…so do we apply to Santa for delivery of our new Rank Slides as a cost savings exercise?

I have been good, honest :innocent:

I really would rather take the lump of coal!

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