In the future I predict (three things…)
That there will be an aerospace wings badge for Cadets who attend an Aerospace camp.
Ultilearn still hasn’t been fixed.
The MOD will cut more funding to the ATC which will lead to fewer cadets going on an AEF in their Cadet career.
Better alignment with the parent service but a much smaller organisation.
Hopefully still in existence!
I predict that we will no longer have single forces but a combined multi domain defence force, including space and cyber and possibly civil contingencies.
The Cadet forces if they exist at all by then will reflect this.
The air cadets move to the sea cadet model of management & funding.
Alternatively all three (four?) cadet organisations come under a combined joint HQ with either a single 2* as overall head or a 1* with each service lead by an OF-5. Sort of a mirror of the MoD structure just solely cadets.
AEF / VGS for all a thing of the past. Limited flying scholarships available each year, 20-30 maximum.
Mass flying days once every other year, but not a routine thing, just an if available.
All other ‘flying’ to be synthetic.
All fieldcraft and shooting to be lost when the RAF disbands the RAF Reg.
Fully funded activities.
Lots of shooting.
Lots of AEF
A leadership CoC who actively listen and respond appropriately.
Growth in cadet numbers and sqn numbers.
An enhanced package of recognition for volunteers, including a new medal for CFAVs for regular issue for those that go above and beyond.
Money made available to fix the built estate.
Yep. All three CFs combined into one, under single cadet HQ command. RAF branch: Definitely fewer flying opportunities (mostly given to well-heeled cdts from LaSER region); shooting and fieldcraft provided by Army branch (formerly ACF); and increased focus on AT & DoE.
To be strictly accurate, reduced AEF opportunities have not (recently) been due to cuts in funding, but to increases in costs/infrastructure problems.
The result is the same but the intention wasn’t there!
More alignment with the RAF, definitely. Badge for something related to space, and hopefully not in those god awful Star Trek uniforms.
Replace the QCS and ill be happy.
The way the forces are shrinking it won’t be long till CFAV and staff cadets are guarding the palaces
Still promising to reduce the admin burden on CFAV
My CFM will have arrived….just.
We’ll still be trying to work out whether 18 year olds are cadets or grown ups.
Some squadrons will still have NCO only rules about stable belts.
There will still be Wing events happening without SMS sign off.
Renaming valuing our volunteers people → “appreciating our adults”.
No further action taken.
RAFAC Command and Leadership School will have been renamed
RAFAC University of Diversity, Space and Interconnected Domain Management Systems
Project Astra will have gone down the pan and will have been replaced with Project Ardua
or more accurately Project Astra will have raised some valid and well thought out points, with a suggested timeline of actions only to be side-lined almost immediately in the hope it will be forgotten about…then Project Ardua comes along with a very similar mission objective and repeats the exercise 10-20 years later, with references back to Project Astra highlighting problems X, Y and Z could have been tackled by adopting solution A, B and C from project Astra…
Someone at my unit feels that the ATC will cease to exist in 10/15 years with many units closing due to their viability (lack of staff, cadets or both).
HQAC then pushing on with their plan to enhance the number of CCF’s in schools to compensate the number of ATC units closing which ensures there are no job losses at HQAC and they can put a positive spin on the fact that the ATC no longer exists as they will have plenty of schools offering the chance to join the RAF section.
Personally, I have no idea but I do hope someone up top decides to invest in the volunteers and stop treating them as employees. Reduce the admin burden and let us do what we do best which is to get our Cadets out and about doing all the fun things