Ive worked with a few RM Cadet units now and they seam to be in alot better shape than the ACF.
Not only do they have to be 13 to join but they dont take girls and they have a great PT outlook.
Ive been slated on this site for my veiws and the fact is the ACF is going down hill rather than up!(by the way i get my LS medal next year...PI indeed! Rank undisclosed)
I was thinking the other day why dont i get any normal sized teenagers as recruits and all thats comming through the door is the mini-pops tribute band?
then i realised ........if i wanted to go and do somthing in my spare time and i was 13-14 would i go to that place where everyone looks like soldiers and where well turned out and it was quite a challenge and id get respect in school cos i was doing somthing hard and not jackin on me Playstation......or should i go to that place where 12 year olds run about in oversized kit being all its a youthclub man not the army...i got me st johns first aid badge on me brassard the size of dartmouth where we dont get shouted at coz it herts our ears and if it rains we dont camp out coz we get soggy........??????(i know there are some hardcore ACF units still and if your one of them and your comited to produce quality Cadets im with you) i think il go RM Cadets and be a geeza......
Talking to a RM Cadet instructor he informed me of their 10 mile run and obs course recruit test...top man!
when was the last time you ran your cadets 10 miles?
when was the last time you gave that weezing ive got athsma 1* the old"i dont care...RUN!....?(coz you know they are just unfit)
or are you to busy cheaking the red book for what the Cadets can't do in stead of what they can......
To inspire to acheive my arse!

just waiting now for the onslaught of....its a youth org.....or its not the army.....maybe its all about having large dollops of fun.....or im a teacher and they are children and they should....blah blah blah......

Respect to the RM>>>

I know I'm missing the majority of that post, but what's so bad about taking on girls into cadet units?

Boring git !!!!

Having had experiance of the organisation you're speaking of I am very surprised to hear the sentance "10mile run and obs course recruit test" the closest I would hear of this was when the cadets went to America and tried an RM assault course with a lot of medics around.

Also do not forget the RMC (has the name changed officially now then?) is also part of the Sea Cadet Corps, other than two or three units in the south which I believe are being algamated. So are therefore bound by their rules. Health and safety prevalent. Codes of conduct etc etc.

Anyone doing a 10 mile run and obstacle course was either breaking the rules or well no, most likely breaking the rules. Especially if the words recruit test were in it. Recruits generally aren't expected to meet PT requirements... in fact no promotion is dependant on it. Also there are quite stringent rules about PT, PTI requirements, maximum timings etc.

The next problem I'll have with the statement is that they DO actually let girls in. Some very good ones too they had at least one cadet sgt when I was involved and that was in one small district.

So we then move to the issue of weapons. The SCC never got the amount the ACF did, with the SCC sharing 2 cadet GPS between 8 or so units in rotation. With the loss of all replica weapons there was a blow. Then funding isn't as high as the ACF, nor the amount of opportunities for help from the TA or Regulars.

I think you've either spoken to a chap in the corps bigtiming it, drawn the wrong conclusions or just need to wind your neck in. None of the uniformed youth groups are there to be miniture versions of their namesakes. They are there to help the development of young teenagers.

Perhaps you should take another look.

Cracking stuff Antbloke - nice one.

maby the RMC sign on the wall saying males aged 13 to 18 that i see today was wrong or that 30 lads with LSW's i see at crowborugh was a mirage or that Major in the RM cadets i was chatting to at a top RFCA event was chatting shi t???????
if im wrong then sorry...

i am boring yes......
nothing wrong with female cadets aslong as you got good female instructors.....
plus there is nothing wrong in a 10 mile run-tab its in the manual under expo training...
shi t i really am boring........

Did an annual camp duty with the local ACF det some 20 yrs ago.(Leek Camp)
(Had a range ticket so it was suggested "Brownie Points" were available if help were given.)
The restrictions were just coming in.
It was a shame as the lads wanted the warry bits and we made sure they got them.
(Thanks to some very good SI/SSI/Officers but they were ex regs.)
I did meet one of the first officers that was total ACF
Cadet to Officer- yep it showed. Shrill cries of "You can't do that!"

Wouldn't stop my lad joining but equally wouldn't encourage him.

Good point about the oversized uniforms!
Hard to be well turned out and take a pride in XXL kit

Right oh, to address your point of males Robber, I can assure you that the RMC most definately take females and this is nationwide. What you may have done is not checked the facts and found a unit with no appropriate female cover or a distinctly masoginist unit. The majority of units I met wanted to include females and would borrow female instructors from the Blue side to manage this.

30 lads with LSW's? That is very interesting, as I remember it the whole corps would be pushed to find 30 LSW's so it must have been a national event. Also one wonders why you would have 30 people grouped together with section support weapons? Not really tactically sound and you don't need automatic for range work.

Next I do not know who you were speaking to but I would point out even officers cadet, former regular, reserve whatever can also be known to embellish the truth. This is not a rank restricted occurance.

Then to the exped comment, I'm pretty sure an expedition doesn't consist of running with weight, as your change to tab and expedition would indicated, followed by an assault course. However the training guidelines may have changed since I last saw the TIs.

Over to you robber.

Originally Posted by robber25

nothing wrong with female cadets aslong as you got good female instructors.....

Why? Unless something radical has happened since I was in the ACF (ok, it was last century!) all they're required for is to chaperone the female cadets. On one camp we had 2 women from the WRVS because we didn't have enough female AIs to supervise the number of girl cadets.

God you really are boring . Stop talking complete crap . Ant philip my learned Cav buddie hit the nail on the head . Officers do enjoy a bit of ''big timing '' he was a cadet officer . And the point about 30 lsw's ha ha ha shut up little boy , i am nodding off . HUSSAR !!!!!!