My post of 4th April this year highlighted the dates available at the Cadet Forces Commissioning Board at Westbury for the remainder of 2012. Since then I have visited CFCB for a full day's briefing on the commissioning process, which is underlined by the fact that Kent ACF (along with most other ACF counties) is very short of commissioned officers, in particular young officers. Commissioning of suitable adults will now become my Main Effort with regard to adult development over the next 18-24 month period.
So what are CFCB looking for in potential officers? A simple question and one that actually has a simple answer, which is for AIs who have 3 basic qualities - "character, ability and leadership". In short the ability to
lead both adults and cadets. These are qualities no different from those sought in potential officers to the Regular and Territorial Armies.
What specific training or experience do you need to be considered by CFCB for a commission? Actually, when you look at the basic requirements they are surprisingly simple:
You must:
Be under 55 years of age
Have a reasonable general standard of education
Have passed ITC (or have an exemption due to previous service)
Have attended annual camp for a minimum of 5 days
These are the basic requirements and these are the qualities I am looking for!
My vision is to establish a Potential Officer Cadre with a working size of 10-15 adults who wish to train for a commission. If they meet the basic eligibility they will be interviewed by their OC and then either one of the Deputy Commandant or myself. If all parties are confident and happy to proceed the AIs will be appointed as Adult Under Officers (AUOs) and will begin a training package that will see all members of the cadre come together every 4 months for PO training, led by an experienced officer. AUOs will have up to 24 months to complete enough training before proceeding to Westbury. Nobody is saying that attendance at CFCB is anything but demanding. It has to be because of the value of the Queen's Commission and all that comes with being an officer. It is however a chance to lead and to shape the way that Kent Army Cadet Force will develop and evolve in the future.
My pledge to those who wish to put themselves forward for commissioning is to give enough pre CFCB training to enable AUOs to attend without facing the unknown or failure. I also pledge to continue the training process once candidates successfully complete the commissioning process.
Remember, CFCB is not looking to fail individuals, rather to give credit for the ability to lead. CFCB is currently commissioning in excess of 70% of all candidates who present themselves at the board.
For a brief look at the CFCB process spend a few minutes looking at the following link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj6b9JWbDPw
The timeframe: I would like to see the establishment of the AUO Cadre by September this year, with the first training period in October, leading to the first commissions in early 2013. AUOs will also be invited to attend the Officers' Study Weekend to Belgium over the 13/14 Oct 12. Full Details of the Study Weekend will appear shortly.
Finally, I am in the process of revising the County's policy on the appointment of officers, to streamline the process in order to make it easier to identify talent and encourage
those who have the desire to lead other adults and cadets. I will publish this through the CoC in the near future.
Your next steps?
1. Check your eligibility
2. Arrange an interview with your OC
3. Have an interview with myself or one of the Deputy Commandants
4. Start your training that will lead to the Queen's Commission!
Good Luck
