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Combined Cadet Force
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The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance, resourcefulness, endurance and perseverance". It is not a pre-service organisation, although it acknowledges that one of its objectives is "to encourage those who have an interest in the services to become Officers of the Regular or Reserve Forces", and a significant number of officers have indeed had experience in the CCF.
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The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance, resourcefulness, endurance and perseverance". It is not a pre-service organisation, although it acknowledges that one of its objectives is "to encourage those who have an interest in the services to become Officers of the Regular or Reserve Forces", and a significant number of officers have indeed had experience in the CCF. Prior to 1948 cadet forces in schools existed as part of the Officers' Training Corps framework, but in 1948 the Labour government founded the Combined Cadet Force as a separate entity on the grounds that the previous name was deemed elitist.
History
The CCF was created on 1 April 1948 by the amalgamation of the Junior Training Corps (formerly the Junior Division of the Officers Training Corps) and the school contingents of the Sea Cadet Corps and Air Training Corps. CCFs are still often referred to as the Corps".
Contingents
The first school cadet corps was established at Rossall School in February 1860, initially as an army contingent only. Other corps were formed at several other public schools within months including Eton College, Harrow School, Rugby School, Felsted School, Hurstpierpoint College, Winchester College, Hereford Cathedral School and Tonbridge School. In 1908, the units were re-titled the Officer Training Corps (OTC) Today, unit contingents exist in UK independent schools, many grammar schools and a handful of comprehensive schools.
The CCF is distinct from the Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force, and Air Training Corps.
- The Royal Navy Section wear a distinct CCF Cap Badge.
- Royal Marines sections wear the Royal Marines badge and blue beret.
- The Army Sections wear the cap badge of their associated regiment or corps, or their school cap badge.
- The RAF Sections of the CCF wear the RAF cap badge.
Pupils normally join around the age of 13 or 14, with both sexes taking part. A school contingent may have any combination of Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force sections, and rarely Royal Marines. The Army Section is almost invariably the largest. There is also a very small 'out-of-school' contingent of the Royal Marines, that meet together. These cadets are from different schools. The contingent was set up due to the lack of many Marine sections in schools, but there is a number limit of 70 and therefore places are highly contested.
It was reported in 2008 that some Public School CCF detachments would be opened to pupils of local state schools.
Cadets
In 2001, the then Minister of State for Defence replied to a question posed in Parliament about how many CCFs were currently affiliated to the MOD.
In October 2007 the under-secretary of state for defence gave details of the total number of CCF sections, and the number in state schools.
Cadet ranks
Most Cadet ranks are standard non-commissioned ranks, prefixed by "Cadet". The highest rank depends on the size of the contingent, but are usually Cadet Coxswain (Royal Navy Section), Cadet Regimental or Company Sergeant Major (Army and RM Sections) and Cadet Warrant Officer (RAF Section).
Senior cadets may also hold other appointments; for example the senior cadet in a CCF band or Corps of Drums may be appointed as a Cadet Drum Major.
Some contingents may have Under Officers in the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines sections, although the RAF generally do not recognise this rank. Cadet Under-Officers rank badges are white bands 12 mm wide across each shoulder slide, the same ranks insignia as Officer Cadets with the addition of the letters CCF underneath.
To give commonality of ranks among the different sections, the RAF section has the rank of Cadet Junior Corporal, (this does not exist in the RAF or in the Air Training Corps) equivalent to Cadet Lance Corporal in the Army section.
Officers
CCF officers are often teachers from the school, and are not normally eligible to be called up. They hold acting officer ranks up to and including lieutenant colonel (the highest substantive rank is that of lieutenant) or its equivalent in the other services, although there are a small number of officers above this rank (This can only occur where the Officer concerned formerly served in the regular forces and has been allowed to retain his/her rank on retiring.) (JSP313, CCF manual). Unlike in the external cadet organisations (ATC/SCC/ACF), all instructors permanently based at a contingent are commissioned, by tradition as instructors are generally teachers and so 'professionally qualified'. Other instructors often visit a contingent as a result of support from the local Cadet Training Team (CTT). These instructors are regular serving Non-Commissioned Officers.
CCF(Army) and CCF(RAF) Officers hold commissions in the reserves of their service. CCF(RN) Officers are 'appointed' and do not hold commissions, albeit their ranks are the same as for RN (and RNR) officers with the suffix RNR(CCF), their rank braid is 'wavy', the same form as used in the past by the RNR. CCF(Army) officers hold commissions in TA Group 'B' (the same group as UOTC Officer Cadets), and wear a CCF marking on their rank slides. CCF(RAF) officers' commissions are Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) (RAF VR(T)), and they wear a VRT pin on their rank braid to signify this.
The exception to the 'all instructors are officers' rule is the 'SSI' (school staff instructor), who is usually an ex-forces SNCO or warrant officer. They retain their rank as a courtesy and are employed by the school to instruct and assist in the running of the Contingent. Whilst the majority of the SSIs are SNCOs it is also possible for them to be a commissioned officer. There is usually one SSI per Contingent.
Officer ranks
Training
The different sections naturally have different syllabi, but have a certain amount in common. All cadets are trained initially to fire the .22 Number 8 Rifle or the L98A1 5.56 mm Cadet General Purpose rifle, similar to the regular SA80 but modified so that it is no longer semi or automatic loading. Later there are also opportunities to fire the L86 LSW, the L85A2 rifle, and the L81 Cadet Target Rifle. All the sections instruct field-craft, navigation, drill, leadership and first aid.
Cadets in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines sections receive instruction in boat-work and other naval subjects (including flying with the Fleet Air Arm). The Royal Navy also offers many CCF courses such as Royal Marines Amphibious Training and Range Firing which are open to any members of any CCF, regardless of section, though priority is given to those in the naval section.
Army section cadets are able to specialise in various subjects such as signalling and infantry tactics, and are trained accordingly. The Army section also has "special to arm" courses, such as advanced weapons theory, Royal Signals training, and REME courses. Royal Artillery Adventurous Training courses are often offered to cadets, usually through an Army Liaison Officer. These include parachuting and watersports training. However, 2006 Health and Safety/Child Protection legislation (and fallout from the Deepcut affair) mandated that cadets must be housed separately by both gender and age (under 18s and over 18s), and as most MOD accommodation cannot cope with this and many of these courses have thus been forced to limit applicants to over 18s only.
RAF section cadets are given the opportunity to fly in both power aircraft, most notable the Grob Tutor and Vigilant T.1 and in unpowered gliders usch as the Viking TX.1 and their training and flying courses are identical to those available to members of the Air Training Corps.
All sections can undertake leadership courses at Frimley Park, Nesscliff or RAF Cranwell (previously at Stafford), as well as adventurous training. There are also other courses available for cadets to enhance their skills, such as Junior and Senior Cadet Instructor Courses (JCIC, SCIC).
Alternative organisations
Some schools recognise that pupils may not wish to participate in CCF activities and so
alternative organisations exist, such as the Community Service Organisation, which allows pupils to
volunteer to help in hospitals, schools, and charity work. .
Other activities often on offer are:
- Life-saving
- Duke of Edinburgh's Award
- First Aid
A few other schools make CCF attendance voluntary - this tends to reduce numbers compared to compulsory contingents, but potentially results in a more uniformly dedicated membership that responds well to training.
Some of the voluntary CCF school also run the other options such as community service.
See also
External links
- Air Cadets Official Website
- - official website
- Ministry of Defence, history of the Cadet Forces.
- Gordon's School CCF(RAF)
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