Merged Telegraph ACF Article

[2/51]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...rce-who-will-be-the-soldiers-of-tomorrow.html

I thought it was quiet a good article, some interesting stuff about the monetry cuts etc, but had to laugh at the following paragraph

"Each cadet carries a rifle (similar to Army-issue SA80s, though incapable of automatic fire) and 30 rounds of blank ammunition. 'Do not be fooled by the word “blank”,’ Staff Sergeant Instructor Ian Reddy warns. Blanks spit tongues of fire and make the echoing crack of a live bullet. Anyone within 50 yards could be injured."

 

[BuggerAll]

A good article. I think the journo captured the duplicity of the current government's policy.

 

[Mr_C_Hinecap]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/6543573/The-young-guns-of-the-Army-Cadet-Force-who-will-be-the-soldiers-of-tomorrow.html

 

[girth]

Good article, made valid points regarding the money spent by the government should be seen as youth services/community project money, although we need the MOD to give us the cash to stay inside the army loop!
Unfortunately I think the point about adults leaving in droves is correct if the MOD takes away PTDs for good in April.
SSI Ian Reddy gets a little excited doesnt he!!
Oh and standby for the w*nkers on this site!!!

 

[BuztyBabe]

BB Jr1 is about to join the ACF. A positive article. The Police Cadets are the only organisation we are aware of that advertise for older kids in Jr's high school. Making kids and parents more aware of the ACF through schools and that they can join in their 13th year would be great.

 

[clanker]

Fantastic article, promotes the ACF very well.

 

[clanker]

They are probably starting up there walt and wannabe comment dispensing programs as we type.

 

[Idrach]

I hope they just took the BFAs and yellow-tape mags off for the photo ...

Otherwise cadet H&S is more lenient than army H&S and that's just wrong.

Good article, though.

 

[HS12]

Idrach,

Those are L98A1 rifles, and as such were never issued with BFAs (have no way of attaching them) or the yellow striped magazines. Hants and IOW won't be getting the L98A2, with the new BFA and associated magazines, until sometime the New Year.

Brilliant article.

 

[emptyeye]

I hope they just took the BFAs and yellow-tape mags off for the photo ...

Otherwise cadet H&S is more lenient than army H&S and that's just wrong.

Good article, though.

If you notice they are using cadet L98 rifles in the pic, so no BFA can be fitted anyway, and the cadets dont use yellow magazines on those rifles when firing blank.

 

[2/51]

So why do folk think there are so many girls in the ACF/CCF? I went to my old schools CCF reunion and around half the cadets where girlies...and whats more, they picked up the prizes for BEst Cadet, Best Shot, Best Turnout and Best Backside

 

[Rincewind]

Very good writing, balanced and objective.

Shame the MoD is cutting funding, the Cadet Forces do help local Community Safety Partnerships to meet their targets in reducing petty crime and gets young people away from the influence and causes of crime (alcohol, drugs and substance abuse)

 

[BuggerAll]

So why do folk think there are so many girls in the ACF/CCF?

I think girls are more natural joiners. They find it easier to be enthusiastic about things - 'Girly swot'. I'm told by a teacher friend that almost all school clubs/activities will have more girls than boys with exception of rugby.

On the downside they are more questioning. Boys may be rebellious but they don't really question why they should polish their boots - girls question everything.

 

[walt_of_the_walts]

That's the best, and probably the only, decent article I've ever read about the ACF or indeed any of the cadet forces. It's accurate, informative and honest. No surprise it's in the Telegraph, about the only readable and accurate paper left in Britain.

So why do folk think there are so many girls in the ACF/CCF?

I think girls are more natural joiners. They find it easier to be enthusiastic about things - 'Girly swot'. I'm told by a teacher friend that almost all school clubs/activities will have more girls than boys with exception of rugby.

On the downside they are more questioning. Boys may be rebellious but they don't really question why they should polish their boots - girls question everything.

I find the girls are generally a lot less bolshie than the boys. Sometimes they need a greater push to get them started, but once they overcome their doubts, they have considerably fewer admin dramas than the boys.

Apart from my current det (35 boys, 3 girls) unit, all the others I have been in are pretty much 55/45% in favour of the girls. One det I was in had only one boy for a time, and he loved it, because all the older girls 'mothered' him, as he put it.

Jammy Git

 

[WO2.Ghandi]

The question should be why are there so few girls since they make up slightly less than 1/2 of the teenage population. That's a different discussion though.

Looks like someone in Hants & IoW has some pull to get so much time out of one of the Nationals. I'm not sure if I read too much between the lines but it sounds like some red book rules were stretched a little over blank & daylight. Perhaps something like first aid should also have been pushed for balance?

Who would keep a tally of kids in care on their unit strength, unless it was one platoon next door to the local care home? Sounds like a bit of poetic licence.

I'm not aware of any disabilities policy, over and above the medical restrictions for asthma etc - perhaps this highlights a "duty of care" failing at the top rather than a positive attitude?

Some of the other reader comments are entertaining too.

Is manoeuvre too hard for journo to spell?

 

[BuggerAll]

Who would keep a tally of kids in care on their unit strength, unless it was one platoon next door to the local care home? Sounds like a bit of poetic licence.

They may not be keeping a formal tally but its something a Det Comd and the CoC would be aware of. Instead of parents giving consent it would be social workers - there may also be funding issues and there may be other issues.

I'm not aware of any disabilities policy, over and above the medical restrictions for asthma etc - perhaps this highlights a "duty of care" failing at the top rather than a positive attitude?

If you are a CFAV you should be aware of the policy. Its in the manual and whilst I can't be bothered to go and look it up and quote it verbatim it is basically that young people with disabilities are welcome in the Cadet Forces with certain provisos.

CFAV are not able to act as carers - the cadet must be able to admin their own medical needs (limited assistance can be given.)

The cadet must be able to carry out and benefit from most of the training in the syllabus and should not inpact too much on the training of other cadets.

The Medical Officer must be consulted.

 

[WO2.Ghandi]

Sounds more like an exercise in buck passing than a policy. I do recall seeing an "all welcome" bit in there before they got their act together over asthma.

It soon develops in to a catch 22 - the doc won't sign a chit because he can't give a qualified opinion on cadet activities and the ACF won't set standards because "all kids and their disabilities are different". No prizes for who will be left to carry the can if it all goes Pete Tong 'n some poor kid gets dinted.

It's hard enough getting physically fit adults signed off medically.

 

[Trotsky]

Who would keep a tally of kids in care on their unit strength, unless it was one platoon next door to the local care home? Sounds like a bit of poetic licence.

They may not be keeping a formal tally but its something a Det Comd and the CoC would be aware of. Instead of parents giving consent it would be social workers - there may also be funding issues and there may be other issues.

I'm not aware of any disabilities policy, over and above the medical restrictions for asthma etc - perhaps this highlights a "duty of care" failing at the top rather than a positive attitude?

If you are a CFAV you should be aware of the policy. Its in the manual and whilst I can't be bothered to go and look it up and quote it verbatim it is basically that young people with disabilities are welcome in the Cadet Forces with certain provisos.

CFAV are not able to act as carers - the cadet must be able to admin their own medical needs (limited assistance can be given.)

The cadet must be able to carry out and benefit from most of the training in the syllabus and should not inpact too much on the training of other cadets.

The Medical Officer must be consulted.

I knew a cadet who was partially sighted.......... and subsequently bilnded by an IED... but he stayed contributing until he had to leave due to age.


Trotsky

 

[Faustic]

The company featured in this article is actually my company; the reporters were with us back around a month ago on October camp. The particular scene described and pictured is of the 3 stars.

 

[walt_of_the_walts]

It's hard enough getting physically fit adults signed off medically.

Not in my experience. My 'Medical' was a form with a lot of YES/NO questions. All but two were answered NO, so I got in.

Never saw a doctor, and neither did anyone in my intake.