There's More To Cadets
Gliding, shooting, first aid, Duke Of Edinburgh Award, hockey, rugby, canoeing, kayaking, skiing, parachuting, climbing, caving, hill walking, netball, annual camps, parades, football, confidence courses, BTECs, international exchanges, athletics, swimming, team building, adventure training, field craft, aviation qualifications, radio training, camping, fundraising, cycling, volunteering, air shows, competitions, archery, mountain biking, camping... and so much more!
Above are just a few of the things you can do with cadets from outdoor sports, to training and fundraising – if you can think of an activity, we probably already do it.
There’s a common misconception that air cadets are just a group of RAF wannabes who march around and wear a uniform, but in reality we’re a uniformed youth organisation who strive hard to live up to our motto - “Venture Adventure”.
The opportunities and possibilities are endless, as long as you’re willing to have a go.
It opens so many doors for young people, and don’t worry – you don’t have to join the RAF afterward. Its aim is to provide young people with experiences they’ll be lucky to get anywhere else. There’s something for everyone. For this reason, different people get different things out of the ATC (Air Training Corps).
Some cadets get a kick out of the adventure training – that is, anything challenging that makes you feel like you’ve tried something new and achieved personal goals.
It also normally means that you’re covered in mud by the end of it. This is acknowledged as a core aim of the ATC – 'To foster the spirit of adventure and develop the qualities of leadership and good citizenship'.
Activities And Training
Many cadets enjoy the sport aspect of the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO) – there’s always a competition happening somewhere, whether it be athletics, swimming or cross country, no matter what time of year it is.
An additional bonus of joining the ATC is that it provides ‘training which will be useful both in the Services and civilian life’ (that’s core aim #2).
Did you know that the ACO is the biggest organisation that participates in the Duke Of Edinburgh Award scheme? This is just one of the ways we develop skills that will be useful both now and in later life.
There are masses of courses available to cadets, including Leadership and First Aid courses, BTECs and ordinary classifications (where you can earn badges to put on your uniform).
If you play an instrument, your local squadron might have a band that you can play in, and you can practise for local public events, and take part in competitions.
The RAF
For those of you who might enjoy the aviation side – there's opportunity to learn to fly solo at 17, learn how planes work, experience air flights, meet RAF pilots and personnel, meeting foreign pilots at air shows, trips to RAF stations, even work experience for a career in the RAF in the future.
This ties in with the first core aim of the organisation, which is to promote and encourage among young women and men a practical interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force. According to www.raf.mod/aircadets,‘many cadets go on to great success in the RAF (and the other Services).
'Around 40% of officers and 50% of all aircrew (including pilots, navigators and engineers) in the RAF now are ex-cadets. Research shows that they do better in basic training and stay in the Service longer than their colleagues.’
So if you are interested in a career in any of the Armed Forces, being in Air Cadets can put you ahead of the game.
Squadrons And Socialising
There’s a real sense of community in each squadron (where you meet up on parade nights maybe twice a week),with each squadron housing different qualities or talents, a history and character that is unique to them.
Squadrons will work together as a team to overcome challenges, such as Duke Of Edinburgh expeditions, and will often link up with other squadrons for activities.
Many other squadrons might take particular pride in their drill [marching], band or sports - but no matter what squadron you go to, they will offer the same core opportunities, and you will easily gain a positive experience of being a part of the ATC family.
We also hold formal social evenings (white shirts and bow ties or ball gowns) and informal social events too, which cadets organise, such as Christmas and Halloween parties. This maintains our relationships with other squadrons and each other, as a reward for our hard work on squadron.
You might even see us at a local supermarket bag-packing so we can raise money for our activities, often with other squadrons. My squadron is lucky enough to partake in a lot of adventure training, and more often than not there are activities on weekends, and this has given me the chance to give new things a go.
Charities And The Community
Another thing I enjoy as an Air Cadet is the positive impact we have in our community – we do street collections at least twice a year for both the Wings Appeal and Poppy Appeal, two charities who help ex-servicemen.
Also, we raise money for local charities such as Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice, as well as Marie Curie Cancer Care, helping out at hospital fêtes.
We hold book stalls, car washes, sponsored walks and marches, bike rides, swimming, hill walking, 24-hour sponsored drill, and plenty more besides that. This helps us to become good citizens, which is the third and final core of the ATC.
Cadets And Me
I’m not a particularly sporty person, nor am I overly interested in the aviation aspect of cadets – one of the main reasons I joined was because of the vast opportunities to meet new people and the general camaraderie that the corps provides.
I like the uniformed aspect of the ACO, I believe it helps us to become disciplined and proud of what we represent and achieve, even though there can be a lot of stigma for wearing it. I take great pride in representing such an awesome organisation.
In addition to this, I find that the ATC always has something to teach me, and provides me with responsibilities that bring out the skills I have developed. The military-based rank structure of the organisation support cadets development and also help them to find their next challenge.
My personal experiences, in the three and a half years since I joined cadets, have all made me glad I joined.
So far, I’ve been on five summer and Easter camps, four courses including a radio operations course, achieved my Bronze Duke Of Edinburgh Award, gained two classifications, been promoted twice, been sailing three times, flown in a VC-10, and met Eurofighter Typhoon and Red Arrow aircrew.
I have also been to three annual competitions, attended five social formal social evenings, won an award for Poppy Appeal collecting, participated in six formal parades for the anniversaries Battle of Britain and Remembrance Day, and I currently represent my squadron on the Local Youth Council in Penarth.
I’ve had opportunities to teach other cadets, and I’ve recently applied for a gliding scholarship to learn to operate a glider solo. I am working towards my silver Duke Of Edinburgh Award expedition and I’m training taking part in a 50 mile march over two days.
So, for a group that meets twice a week for 50 weeks of the year, that allows young people aged 13-17 to join and be a member until they are 20, it provides qualifications, sports and skills that could aid a career in either as a civilian or in the military.
I think Air Cadets is a pretty good organisation to be a part of and nearly 41,000 young people agree with me.
Megan,1148 (Penarth) Squadron, ATC.
If you think you could take the challenge, click the link to find your nearest squadron in Wales: Squadron Finder
For more information on the Air Cadet Organisation, check out RAF - aircadets.
2 Comments – Post a comment
Snow..
Commented 17 months ago - 10th December 2010 - 19:00pm
I used to be a cadet at 372 Barry squadron, but I recently quit becuase of my GCSE's, and if I'm honest I miss it loads! It really does open up loads of new doors for young people and gives you some great experiences, I reckon every young person should be an air cadet it really is AMAZING!
the gamer
Commented 13 months ago - 12th April 2011 - 15:57pm
this sounds like something that i would do but there is a reason i wouldn't do this. I'm doing my yr 10 GCSEs if i weren't doing your GCSEs i would have done this it sounds cool