Cadet Forces

[nolips71 0]

hey guys. who is a member of the cadet forces, or was. just wondering how many of us there is on here,

also should add what are poeples opionions on them. do you see us as young wannabees or a good thing for the youth of today

[Badgerboy 0]

Air cadets I take.

Providing you fancy your chnaces at being an Officer, you should attempt to apply for your local University Air Squadron when you start uni.

They will take you up in the Grob, and do your elementary flying training with you, and then you head up to Cranwell after three years, for all the fun and games that entails. While you are with the Sqn, you'll be an Officer Cadet rank. (You salute superior officers, but enlisted men don't salute you. You also get the run of the Officers mess)

For the record, the air cadets are whiny little b'stards who can't hold their drink and they always puke on fast jet check rides

[Col. Kurtz 0]

I was in the Australian Army Cadets for a while when I lived there. It was a bit of an unstable time in my life at I left after a few months, even though I quite enjoyed a lot of it. I'm back on my feet now and I would join up with the cadets, but there isn't an army cadet unit locally.

[nolips71 0]

good good. thankyou badgerboy but im not old enough at the minute since im only 16. and its good that poeple join cadets and stuff i used it to help me through dificult times

[ozanzac 0]

I was part of the RAAF Cadets for a few months.

Put simply. It sucked. I didn't mind the basic training e.t.c., but the 'equipment' was so antiquated, that it was pointless to stay there.

Unless.

1) For some strange reason, you got kicks out of drill. (Because I kid you not, that's all they did, because the majority of the antiquated equipment was not functioning.)

or 2) You enjoyed commanding (or being commanded by) wheezy little no hopers. (There were too many people there that I simply did not want to be associated too)

That was a few years ago though, and things might have picked up via boosted government spending. But that's too late now.

Nolips71, keep this in mind, your at the age where if you haven't discovered alcohol yet, you soon will. If the squadron that you attend holds its meetings on Friday nights or on the weekends, It's probably in the interest of your social life to find a part time job instead (mention that you're a cadet in your resume) and then quit cadets.

If what I think badgerboy was hinting at is correct, then yes. If you want to make a career in the armed forces, use cadets as a taste of military life. But that's all it really should be used as. I explored the pathways that were available in making a career in the armed forces that were available to a cadet and decided it was better to opt out for the sake of enjoying the spoils of a social life outside of school with good mates, and re-persue career aspirations after high school. (Which is what I am doing now, currently enduring pre-selection phase for officer in the army reserves whilist studying at uni).

IMO, staying at cadets during your adolescent years, especially if it takes otherwise socialable time away. Wastes alot of what's good about those adolescent years.

I had to explain all the above to my grandfather (who had been without my knowledge at the time, the officer commisioned to establish a cadet squadron in Darwin, Northern Territory following WWII), after he queried why I left cadets. Thankfully, he understood.

[USSoldier11B 0]

U.S. military cadets don't get enough real world integration during their 4 years in college. Especially ROTC cadets. While some fine officers come out of the ranks of ROTC I'm not a big fan of ring knockers from the Point. The best officers I have worked with are former enlisted men who went through ROTC or OCS. The ROTC program at my university has a lot of washouts and it's a waste of gov't funding sometimes. Cadets need to be exposed to enlisted men in real units during their training so they don't get the "caste system" mentality where they think they are better than the men they "lead". A good program from this is the simultaneous membership program (SMP) where a cadet can drill with a NG or Army Reserve unit. It gets them out of the BS overly easy ROTC weekend training excercizes and into a real unit where they will get a taste of how they will be treated as a cherry 2nd Lt. The only drawback is that most unit commanders don't much care for SMP cadets because they are non-deployable. I am considering doing ROTC, I only have to do the final two years of it since I'm prior service, however it make prove to be difficult since as a cadet I will be non-deployable and I would have to suspend my cadet status and jump back into an enlisted slot for deployment which might not be there when the time comes. My current base pay is about $1,800 not counting BAH, BAS, etc etc...as and O-1E (Mustang, which makes more than a regular O-1) my monthly base pay would jump up to around $3,000, which is close to what a regular Cpt. makes.

[cobra@pulse 0]

I am in the Air Cadets aswell, 216 ATC Squadron. I grant you that yes, it is crap quite alot of the time, especially during the winter, but it gets better during the summer. We do more things. Plus its good being part of a squadron who had a lottery grant so everythings new. Also we have (well, had now, lol) quite a reputaion in the Midlands in England. We always used to win everything.

[Badgerboy 0]

good good. thankyou badgerboy but im not old enough at the minute since im only 16. and its good that poeple join cadets and stuff i used it to help me through dificult times

16? When do you start your A Levels?

When you do, you can go a on a flying sponserhip program run by the airforce, plus they give you 2 grand to spend. Then, you can apply for the UAS and join that way. (This is providing you want to go for pilot, but the UAS serve all branches..... even regiment!)

[tankieboy 0]

I was in Army Cadets. Badged Queens then REME, back some 15/16 years ago.

[nolips71 0]

i start my A level course in september ive just done my gcses i will look into that thanks badgerboy

[Monkey Lib Front 10]

good good. thankyou badgerboy but im not old enough at the minute since im only 16. and its good that poeple join cadets and stuff i used it to help me through dificult times

16? When do you start your A Levels?

When you do, you can go a on a flying sponserhip program run by the airforce, plus they give you 2 grand to spend. Then, you can apply for the UAS and join that way. (This is providing you want to go for pilot, but the UAS serve all branches..... even regiment!)

so i could even join the UAS if i wanted to be a loady?

[nolips71 0]

i believe you cant choose to be a loady they filter you out between that and aircrew of some description its changed into that recently

[nolips71 0]

I am in the Air Cadets aswell, 216 ATC Squadron. I grant you that yes, it is crap quite alot of the time, especially during the winter, but it gets better during the summer. We do more things. Plus its good being part of a squadron who had a lottery grant so everythings new. Also we have (well, had now, lol) quite a reputaion in the Midlands in England. We always used to win everything.

you going to central and east regional field day? i am there representing trent wing

[Monkey Lib Front 10]

i believe you cant choose to be a loady they filter you out between that and aircrew of some description its changed into that recently

what!!! details please?

[nolips71 0]

badgerboy will know for sure.... but i think thats it

[Badgerboy 0]

A loadmaster is typically a Senior NCO, but not an Officer. The UAS's only serve to recruit Officers, although they cover all trades.

A loadmaster would would enter as a enlisted man, and then visit OASC at Cranwell to qualify for aircrew.

Sadly you would have enter straight in, as there are no real schemes for enlisted men in the Airforce. Have a word with your local recruiting office, they can fill you in.

[bmgarcangel 0]

Currently i'm in Civil Air Patrol, the only cadet program around where i live and the biggest in Washington State.  

My Grade is currently Cadet Airmen 1st Class.....i became a CO last month after I completed my Mitchel Award.  

Civil Air Patrol isn't exactly the program that i had in mind.  ROTC was going to be my first choice when i was looking around back in January of 2003 but we have no ROTC.  Then i heard about the young marines...but they are across the mountians in eastern Washington.  So then i heard about the Air Force Cadet Program, Civil Air Patrol....so I joined up.

Civil Air Patrol was founded December 1st, 1941....just 7 days before the first bombs dropped on the United States that would Start World War II.  During the war Civil Air Patrol, made up of Cessena's and cadets ranging from ages 12 to 21 and then senior members ranging from age 21 and above sunk a totaly of 4 German Submarines off the coast of the Eastern United States with only Cessena's as there bombers.  

Through the years leading up to now, Civil Air Patrol has grown some more and we still fly around and patrol our skies.  We participate in Search & Rescue, Survelliance from the Skies, Border Patrols, and many many other things.  

I'm part of the Bellingham Composite Squadron and will be heading off to Fort Lewis on August 18th to attend a 2 week ATS training school.

~Bmg

[cobra@pulse 0]

No, we went to wing training, down at nestcliff, couple of weeks back. We aren't the force we used to be though. lol. Its cause our warrent officers is leaving. He was the loudest one down there.

And yeh, If you go to the RAF, they will put you through univercity aswell, and you must like tea if you ever want to go into the RAF. lol

[Badgerboy 0]

No, we went to wing training, down at nestcliff, couple of weeks back. We aren't the force we used to be though. lol. Its cause our warrent officers is leaving. He was the loudest one down there.

And yeh, If you go to the RAF, they will put you through univercity aswell, and you must like tea if you ever want to go into the RAF. lol  

Its not the tea you need to get used to, its the Gin and Tonics!