YES

I haven't bothered reading all this thread but isn't this the official ACF cap badge?

Not a capbadge, just a 'branding' badge.

I think publicity guidance is that it be used on all printed literature to the left of the sponsor regiment's cap badge, and be given equal billing and prominence.

I have never seen it as a struck badge, but if it was adopted, what colour beret would be appropriate? I think AGC Cypress green.

Purple.


Goths and Emos could wear black ones.

Purple? My company would look like acne!

Originally Posted by walt_of_the_walts

Purple? My company would look like acne!

Cadets have acne, thus it could be viewed as a battle honour :D

cant be arsed with this shit.

Well Stretchrgj,

Your last post has to be the most bigoted, ill informed pile of vitriolic shoite I have ever read on this forum. Did you mean to post this in the NAAFI or more suitably the arrse-hole. Its not good enough for the NAAFI

I nearly detonated when I first read this, so I decided to leave it a while before replying carefully and pointing out the major errors in your post. I am slightly saddened that others on this forum have not taken you to task on your post, but can only assume that they are busy at Easter Camp, working hard for their cadets and not trolling on the internet. I would be too, but I am awaiting a minor operation, and am not currently fit enough to fulfill my duty of care to the cadets in my charge. Easter is a very good camp for my Coy and I am gutted to be missing it.

Now, to your post

'I feel the ACF should get there own capbadge. I say this as a TA soldier and ACF instructor at the same time...'

If you indeed are an ACF instructor, you won't be for much longer. That's not a threat BTW, its simply an observation. You clearly have no respect for your fellow AIs or the organisation as a whole, as the rest of the post demonstrates. I wonder how you treat the cadets, and what they think of you? You'll be quitting or you will be pushed sooner or later unless you change your attitude.

So are you really an ACF instructor? Or did you once give a lesson to some cadets as a 'service helper'? Big difference!

- When I was in the infantry (RRV then 7RIFLES) you had to do Basic Training to 'earn' your beret (I believe regs do the same) and then CIC to wear your stable belt. The cadets sign a form for their beret, hand over cash for their stable belt, and wear both from day 1.

The cadets in my sector have to pass the recruit test before getting there berets and be formally sworn in as members of the Coy and give the cadet promise. Only cadet NCOs are allowed to wear stable belts. I have never heard of a county or sector that hands these out from Day 1

- Having cadets stood around annoying people, messing around and looking scruffy, in your capbadge, does annoy you.

I hear this all the time. It may surprise you, but it annoys me too. Then perhaps you need to stop being a jack cnut and get a fcuking grip of your cadets! You set the standards, not them. You will be surprised how quickly they learn what's right and what's wrong when you point it out to them. Of course, you can only do that if you actually are an ACF instructor, another freudian slip that suggests to me you are not...

And even if your not, talk to the cadets, tell them they are letting the army down and report the matter to the DC. It will be dealt with.

- AIs (rant approaching). 30 year old instructor joins ACF and is given Sgt upon finishing a 10-day rundown in all-you-need-to-know ACF. With no phys or anything. Subsequently walks round camp in full uniform and (supposedly) ACF rank tape. Though many choose to walt it by not wearing the ACF bit. Except these walts get MOD90s and are allowed on camp. When one gives you sh*t, how do you know which one to tell to f-off and which one not to.
- Officer AIs are even worse.

First of all, AIs can join at 18. (I'd rather the minimum age was 21, but its not my train set and that's another thread entirely)

To be of any real use to the ACF you need to complete about 25-28 days of training in your first two years, maybe less if you are an ex-reg/TA. How many employers would allow any longer? We have to work around peoples full time lives and careers just as the TA. So you did your 10 day course (funny that, mine was 8?) and learnt nothing? The CTT are regular soldiers. They taught you nothing at all? Or were you too arrogant to listen? The phys side is what it is because we are not training for war. As long as you are physically robust enough to be able to deliver your duty of care to cadets in a field environment that's fine. It does not require you to be fighting fit and it never will.

We walk around camp in full uniform because that is what we are issued, and we don't have any say in the matter. Take it up with the Army Dress Committee if you don't like it

As for rank, they are honorary appointments only, and we currently and quite correctly are to refer to our ranks as sergeant Instructor, Staff Sgt Instructor and so on, particularly when signing in or in correspondence, and make it clear we are ACF personnel. We are instructed to wear only ACF marked rank insignia. I do not know, nor have ever seen any AIs that don't.

MOD90s. You seem to be under the apprehension that this document gives you some right of entry to a camp? It does not. It is merely a standardised form of identity. If you have no proper reason to be on a camp then you might be trespassing on MOD property.

So what if we get MOD90s? It says SI CFAV on mine, below the words BRITISH ARMY. I would prefer the Words ARMY CADET FORCE, but I don't make the rules, and in some wilder parts of the UK having a badge with the words BRITISH ARMY on it could get you into serious trouble.

I think the real reason we now have MOD90s is because of JPA (which explains Army numbers too) and to make life simpler for the MPGS/MOD Plod.

Are you in the habit of telling lots of people to fcuk off when on a camp? Or is it just ACF? But aren't you ACF? So now your telling yourself to fcuk off?
This is getting very confusing...Don't expect a successful career in either the TA or ACF if I were you

And as for the ACF Officers...Well there are a few social climbers and uniform collectors in that mess, but most of the Officers I have met have been very good.

I think for all these negative reasons, it would be a lot better if actual soldiers could recognise who was ACF and who wasn't, by something more than a little ACF on the bottom of their rank tape. A seperate capbadge would be a good way of doing this.

Unfortunately the Army dress committee and the regiments themselves do not agree an since they are calling the shots after looking at a bigger picture than you or I. I am happy to let them decide and will do as I am told.

I ask this without prejudice : As for actual soldiers, there are regs who think the TA arent actual soldiers. Would you accept wearing TAVR on your slides, so that you won't be mistaken for regular soldiers? Would you proudly wear TAVR and tell people in no uncertain terms that you are a Volunteer? If not, why not?

I wear ACF on my rank so as to ensure that I am not mistaken for a regular or TA soldier,(little chance of that!) and because I am proud to be a member of the ACF.

I am the same capbadge in cadets as I am TA (R Signals), and the amount of AIs who you meet and are 'Sgts in the Royal Signals' is not even funny. Neither are the 'Officers of the Royal Signals'. (who get a Type B TA Comission, many of which take too seriously).

Nah, that's bollocks. I have never heard any AI or ACF Officer say anything other than '[insert rank] in the Army Cadet Force' and perhaps 'we are/my det is badged to[insert regiment]' Their must be bit of an identity crisis down your way, people not wearing ACF slides, people not mentioning the ACF in intros...That's bad. If it's true, of course...

I think the ATC way of things is a great way of doing things, it allows them to run things in their own books, do things their own way, and run as a seperate entity correctly. The way we do things puts far too much complication into things, and annoys soldiers to no end when people get far too many ideas about what relationship they have with the badge on their head.

You know what I said about ill informed...Well, you've proved it with this last paragraph.

I have over 3 years experience of the ATC as a Civillian Instructor, and can say it was a complete waste of 3 years of my spare time. The ATC is an utterly fraudulent organisation that lies to itself repeatedly, that has completely lost its way and its collective morale is on the floor. They run very little in terms of unique activities that Forces afilliated orgs like the ACF and CCF do. And what little they still do is few and far between. There Officers are often too busy (kissing arse) to get much done either. They are good at wearing a smart uniform and shining their shoes, but beyond that there is little of substance. There Officers are commissioned into the RAFVR(T) and they think its the real air force because they have done a 5 day course which is death by powerpoint and no phys. By ACF standards its a joke too. They look good and can talk the talk, but underneath the veneer of professionalism lies a stinking pile of crap, lies and insecure and immature staff. I have seen and heard many Air Cadet Officers pass themselves off as 'RAF Volunteer Reserve', and that they have a 'real' commission (no more real than that of an ACF Officer) and never even mention the ATC bit, or do it as an aside, such as one light blue fop who told me he was 'currently posted to the ATC' like he was doing missionary work or something and like he would be anywhere else than hanging around waiting to be saluted by kids in an ATC hut. Useless Cünts, the lot of them...

cant be arsed with this shit.

Personally I don't care what the head shed decide to do as far as identity is concerned.
I can see the plus of the ACF capbadge episode but let me ask you one thing would you wear your rifles rig or ACF rig when executing your ACF duties ,
Technically it would be your ACf gear as that who you would be paid as ?
or would you deem that beneath you as a serving soldier ?
Not an attack just a question?
The capgadging issue has been addressed in australia with one capbadge and works very well.
On a flip side it would appear it is the regiments themselves who seem to be keen to retain their cadets ,your own regiment The Rifles actually has 3 colonels on its regimental council a regular a TA one and an ACF one and firmly embraces the cadets as part of their regimental family.With whole counties badged rifles and retaining that title in its name Ie: County of Buckinghamshire cadet battalion (the rifles)
I understand this is actually stipulated by the regimental council?
It doesn't bother me my ACF appointment as a LT is largley for administrative purposes and simply helps me get things done.My detachment is also not badged to the same unit I served with as either a regular or TA soldier ,so I have no real issue to be honest.And if at 32 I find myself suddenly becoming excited about being commssioned in the ACF after being a soldier in one shape or form for 13 years then I would be the first to have a stern word with myself.
Not sure which TA signals unit you are with but having seen some of the creatures currently residing in 2 National sig brigade (which does contain some very good soldiers too),it may be worth talking to them about their attire personal fitness /equipment and personal military skills whilst gripping the cadets.
Or altenativley they could actually attend some of the very good exercises organised by their Regular permanant staff who throw a huge amount of work into jacking up good demanding green skills weekends which seem to attract very little interest (possibly due to some of the same soldiers having to actually work hard and do their job)
just a thought ...