I have a question that I hope all the experience of staff knowledge and just anyone with knowledge can help me with.
I am wanting to get Cadet Warrant Officer hopefully by the end of the year.
A bit about me - I Joined the Corps in 2015, and suffering from a sensory disability it has been quite hard to fulfil my cadet career I have reached a point where I have achieved all I can syllabus wise, not being able to progress on JL or QAIC due to my disability.
I age out late 2021, however, I would like to progress to CWO I’d like at the end of the year. I want to be able to give back to the cadets ( i understand rank shouldn’t mean this) however it will be good to motivate people who do suffer from disabilities whether physical or mental to take part in the RAFAC.
With current lockdown I understand I can’t progress at the moment, however my OC stood down just before all this happened and my new OC don’t know much about me, can this stop me from getting CWO? and that do you think will be the best thing to do?
Might be a silly question but are you currently FS…that’s the first hurdle to jump.
What I would suggest is you email your new OC (OC.xxxx@aircadets.org replace xbox with Sqn No) and ask your tell your new OC your desired to become a CWO and ask their advice and feedback for things to work on. Ultimately they need to sign a piece of paper to recommend you so make them aware and get them on board by listening to them and actioning thier feedback.
Hi, Yes i am currently FS, my OC became OC in month or two ago whilst in the lockdown period. So they will only know what I’ve done on squadron from what other staff have given them I assume
CWO is a Wing, rather than squadron appointment, so as long as you have your OC’s approval the lack of VPN activity on your unit shouldn’t prevent things from moving ahead.
From how you’ve asked this question, I can tell you probably don’t feel this, but as a staff member looking at those who want promotion, I am less likely going to favour someone for CWO promotion if they only want the rank to check another box in their cadet career list. Particularly is that cadet is expecting the rank to just be handed to them, that it is expected.
But, if like you said, it is truly to give back, then that is a fantastic mindset to have!
CWO positions can be viewed as a small look (but not complete) into what staff do. CWOs have much more responsibility, and often are, if not already, involved in the training of the younger cadets.
Email your new OC, let them know your ambitions, but also in that email highlight what you can bring to the squadron. Do you have any ideas on how to better the cadet experience? If you are ageing out soon, then you should be old enough to count as a staff ratio in a Virtual parade night (18+). Let the OC know you are there to help, and the show them they can trust you with responsibility.
If you are able, perhaps you can think about ways to get your squadron more involved online? There are many resources on SharePoint that your staff should have access to. If jumping into weekly parade nights is unmanageable for your sqn, perhaps a sqn quiz on microsoft teams, using a website such as kahoot. As long as the staff ratio is met, and a staff member makes the activity on sms, then a cadet can run the activity. Being a motivation to cadets will make you stand out as a cwo candidate.
I am also wanting to give back to the organisation after I age out by coming back as staff (ideally Adult SNCO), The corps has made me the person I am today by not letting me give up and giving me the responsibilities that will help in future life and for not just spoon-feeding me because I suffer from a disability, which other organisations do.
thank you for your input, I will take it on board!
although admirable, i don’t feel this should be a reason for anyone to be involved, and least of all a reason to desire a rank, or be any easier at a higher rank.
My view is you need to get something out of it yourself, yes some of that might be “giving something back” but what does that actually mean in a Cadet sense?
For me, i get a lot out of the process of being a CFAV, and part of that is giving the Cadets I work with the same (and more) opportunities that I had myself but when i hear that phrase i cringe as all i can hear is “i feel obligated to do it” which isn’t the right motivator.
for me as a CFAV it is different to being a Cadet, be that a FS/CWO or otherwise, but I enjoy my time in the organisation as a social aspect, seeing and making friends, enjoying new experiences and reliving old ones with new cadets each weekend training course or annual camp. I also enjoy putting my skills, knowledge and qualifications to good use in a captive audience who are interested in making the most of them.
I became as CFAV as I was invited by my then Sqn Staff to join the team knowing i was soon aging out. I accepted it as i wasn’t finished with the organisation, I enjoyed my time as a Cadet i didn’t want that part of my life to just end. I kept going, now with a different “uniform” and still do the same activities but now sitting on the other side of the event. That is why I became staff and i ended up enjoying it i am now decades down the line.
is there an element of what i do, “giving back” the time I enjoyed? yeah sure, but it is not the reason I do it.
in much the same way GeoC has indicated going for it to tick a box is the wrong reason, but in my opinion at least, so it “to give something back” - as to do that right, requires several years to be in a position to make that really happen (to get qualifications and the like to make a real difference), not 18 or so months as a CWO
Apart from giving back, what do you look for in a CWO? All the bold above can be done by any staff cadet regardless of rank; in my eyes a CWO should, above all, be a role model and a capable leader.
I understand and respect both of your replies. I would like to get out of it myself, the sense that I’m doing something right. I understand entirely that to gain a rank can do this. and having friends who joined the organisation (with similar sensory disabilities) who left because they think it wasn’t friendly towards those who have disabilities. And a sense of the freedom it has given me and the motivation to not let it stop me.
Also, I would like to be a mentor to newer cadets on not just my squadron. but the wing to give them a sense of hope and to show my experiences.
