RAF Air Cadets
Royal Air Force Air Cadets | |
---|---|
Active | Since 5 February 1941[1] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Type | Volunteer Military Youth Organisation |
Headquarters | RAF Cranwell |
Patron | The Princess of Wales |
Website | www |
Commanders | |
Commandant Air Cadets | Air Cdre Tony Keeling[2] |
RAFAC WO | WO Donna Hall RAFAC |
Honorary Ambassadors |
|
The Royal Air Force Air Cadets (RAFAC) is a volunteer-military youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Air Force that manages both the Air Training Corps and RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force.[3] The organisation is headed by a former serving RAF officer, Commandant Air Cadets. The current commandant is Air Commodore Tony Keeling.[4]
Prior to 1 October 2017, the RAFAC was called the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO).[5] As of 1 April 2014, the ACO had a strength of 53,360 cadets and cadet force adult volunteers.[6] Cadets are aged between 12 and 17 on entry to the organisation, and can remain until they are 18, or with special permission, until they are 20.[7]
Organisation
The RAFAC's infrastructure consists of:
- Headquarters Air Cadets (HQAC) at RAF Cranwell
- 6 Regional Headquarters
- 34 Wing Headquarters
- Two National Air Cadet Adventure Training Centres
- Over 900 Air Training Corps Squadrons in the UK and overseas[8]
- Around 200 RAF contingents of the Combined Cadet Force[8]
Regions
The six regions consist of:
- London and South East Region (LaSER)
- South West Region (SW)
- Wales and West Region (W&W)
- Central and East Region (C&E)
- North Region
- Scotland and Northern Ireland Region (S&NI)
Each Region is commanded by a "Regional Commandant" (RC), who holds the rank of group captain, and is usually retired regular RAF. The Region is further staffed by a number of cadet forces adult volunteers (CFAV) who maintain the day-to-day operations of each of the regions.[9] Examples of these CFAV posts include Region Staff Officer, Region Training Officer, and Region STEM Officer.[10]
See also
- Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch)
- Air Experience Flight
- Volunteer Gliding Squadrons
- Air Defence Cadet Corps (1938–41)
- Royal Air Force boy entrants
References
- ^ "RAFAC timeline: 1941". RAFAC.
- ^ Myers, K. "New Commandant for Royal Air Force Air Cadets is announced". RAF Air Cadets.
- ^ "Who we are". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Myers, K. (5 June 2020). "NEW COMMANDANT FOR RAF AIR CADETS IS ANNOUNCED". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ "HM The Queen Approves New Commission For Cadet Force Volunteers". Air Cadet. Bourne: Warners Midlands plc. Winter 2017. p. 4. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ gov.uk MoD – reserves and cadet strengths, table 8a and 8b, page 17-18. April 2014.
- ^ "Join as a cadet". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ a b "ATC & CCF (RAF)". RAF Air Cadets. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ "About Us". Central & East Region Air Cadets. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ "Region Staff". Central & East Region Air Cadets. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.