Cadet Groups

[Pogue]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Cadet_Force

These are basically groups run by the MOD and seperately the Police forces of the United Kingdom which aim to encourage the youth in learning the 'skills' and ways of these particular groups, i.e. in the Army cadets you learn about using the kit, wepaons, marching etc, in the police form you learn about arresting people, dealing with situations, etc. You get a uniform and stuff, they run camps and regular meetings where they march and shit.

I know alot of people in the army ones (Army, RAF and Navy), and funnily enough for a while I was in the police one. I know people in the MOD ones who would descirbe themselves as left-wing and anti-Iraq/Afghanistan wars, yet they're in this group. Some see it as a step up into the army/police - others see them as youth groups with an edge, where you learn more advanced skills.

These groups will also get the members to participate in the groups activities, such as parades on remebereance days, police leafletting, trooping of the colour, etc. I've been involved in such things as have some people I kniw.

I was in the Police one for a few months, back when I lacked reovolutionary conciousness. However when I joined I considered myself socialist, left wing, and was active. I used to think the police were good, out to protect. A short while in this group and general life experience (seeing police brutality videos and on demos, reading up on and debating the people about the pigs, etc) taught me that I was essentially Anarchist in thinking, and so I quit that group as soon as I could. This was ages ago now. It was around that time of quitting I discovered this site. I basically felt, after intially joining the police precisesly because I thought it was a job compatible with socialist ideals (which I saw as helping people, protecting ordinary people, being part of a community, etc) that being in such a group was incompatible with holding anarchist beliefs. Yeh so I quit.

I wonder what comrades think about such groups? Anyone ever been part of one, or know someone as part of one? Are the people in them reactionaries/enemies or just kids who don't really know?

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

I used to be a member of the sea scouts from a non-political standpoint it was alright. We got to use airifles and drive speedboats and jetskies. But we also had to do drill and shit like that and sometimes it felt like being at school so i quit after running out of paitance.

Politically id have to say they are fucked up. They use things such as boats and guns to lure kids in (the funding fo this shit was supplied by the navy) and the thing that it felt we were being taught was "shut the fuck up and do as i say".

You had the ablilty to tell somone to "shut the fuck up and do as i say" if you were a patroll leader or an explorer , when i was moved up to explorer i felt proper uncomfy being told to order about , people who i previously got on with.

Also most of the "adults" there were major nob eds some were great such as the lifeguards who did not give a toss about the discipline side of things and often got shouted out by other "adults". But alot were just people who were to fat to join the navy or police.

[Pogue]

LMAO on the last point. They were shit organisations, alot of shouting and discipline, which oddly seems to attract people.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I was in the Army Cadet Force (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Cadet_Force) (IE, the best) and I had loads of fun. It's the ultimate game of soldiers - you get a uniform, learn real drill techniques and fieldcraft, and you even get taught how to shoot rifles - I was good enough to get on the shooting team.

The real highlight of being in the ACF are the camps - a weekend camp about once a month and a two-week camp every summer. As well as the official activities there are plenty of opportunities to muck about, although God help you if you got caught by one of the commissioned officers - they love giving out punishment drill and litter-picking duties... for the whole battalion! :scared: But the adult instructors (NCOs by rank) mostly had a great sense of humour - they'd teach us dirty marching songs (out of earshot of the officers of course :D ) while taking us out on exercise, where we'd actually camp out in an empty barn somewhere in the country, warming our rations in mess tins over little hexamine cookers. Those things fucking stank, and a common prank was to daub the soot from the hexamine cookers on the faces of sleeping cadets. :lol: But not me, no, Muggins here got his eyebrows and ears covered in toothpaste while he was sleeping in the barracks. Do you know how hard it is to get toothpaste out of your sleeping bag? :cursing:

As you've probably gathered, I enjoyed every minute of it. Even the punishments were simply things to keep the hyperactive pre-teens and teenage pranksters distracted. Politics never came into it - everyone was too busy with the activities, or messing about during their precious free time.

[Pogue]

So you'd have no problems with a revolutionary leftist being in the MOD or Police cadets, judging by the fact you say politics didn't come into it?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

So you'd have no problems with a revolutionary leftist being in the MOD or Police cadets, judging by the fact you say politics didn't come into it?

I can only speak from my experience in the ACF - I wasn't even aware that there was a similar organisation, but aligned to the Police - which sounds quite disturbing to me.

Of course, we had a kind of rivalry with the local Air Cadets, who we considered a bunch of tossers. :D

At the end of the day, the ACF is simply a glorified (yet pretty cool, though I say so myself) youth club. I wouldn't think any worse of any leftist who wanted to get involved in that, whether as a cadet or as an adult instructor - in fact, it's a great way of learning/teaching responsibility, especially with regards to firearms training.

[Pogue]

I can only speak from my experience in the ACF - I wasn't even aware that there was a similar organisation, but aligned to the Police - which sounds quite disturbing to me.

Of course, we had a kind of rivalry with the local Air Cadets, who we considered a bunch of tossers. :D

At the end of the day, the ACF is simply a glorified (yet pretty cool, though I say so myself) youth club. I wouldn't think any worse of any leftist who wanted to get involved in that, whether as a cadet or as an adult instructor - in fact, it's a great way of learning/teaching responsibility, especially with regards to firearms training.

So you'd tihkn it bad if someone joined the police one but not the army one?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

So you'd tihkn it bad if someone joined the police one but not the army one?

Well, what do they actually do? We occasionally had indoor lessons teaching map-reading and about the various ranks and that sort of fluff.

Personally, I'd prefer it if people joined the ACF, but I'm biased because A) I was in the ACF and B) I don't like the police.

[Pogue]

Well, what do they actually do? We occasionally had indoor lessons teaching map-reading and about the various ranks and that sort of fluff.

Personally, I'd prefer it if people joined the ACF, but I'm biased because A) I was in the ACF and B) I don't like the police.

I share your bias, especially as I was in the police cadet group. They do the camps and marching which is pretty much identical to the Army cadets except instead of learning about military combat you learn about policing things, riot police, etc. How to deal with situations, the law, etc.

How would you consider the youth in these groups/ As bad as the pigs or just kids without a clue?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I share your bias, especially as I was in the police cadet group. They do the camps and marching which is pretty much identical to the Army cadets except instead of learning about military combat you learn about policing things, riot police, etc. How to deal with situations, the law, etc.

Blecch. Give me some Fieldcraft or Skill At Arms or an exercise in the countryside any day.


How would you consider the youth in these groups/ As bad as the pigs or just kids without a clue?In the case of the ACF, I reckon it's harmless fun at worst and at best an opportunity to learn genuinely useful skills.

As for the Police Cadets, I think that depends on whether the youngsters internalise that shit, if you know what I mean? The general attitude of the instructors I reckon is also a factor.

[Dr Mindbender]

i was in the ATC (RAF cadets) and i certainly don't regret it, i got a lot of experiences i wouldnt get in civvie street for someone of my social background - i got to fly a plane, for example.

[Pogue]

Blecch. Give me some Fieldcraft or Skill At Arms or an exercise in the countryside any day.

In the case of the ACF, I reckon it's harmless fun at worst and at best an opportunity to learn genuinely useful skills.

As for the Police Cadets, I think that depends on whether the youngsters internalise that shit, if you know what I mean? The general attitude of the instructors I reckon is also a factor.

Yeh. I'd say the attitudes of my instructors was not good. I'm glad I quit.

[Pogue]

i was in the ATC (RAF cadets) and i certainly don't regret it, i got a lot of experiences i wouldnt get in civvie street for someone of my social background - i got to fly a plane, for example.

But did you not have any misgivings from the perspective of being an republican socialist being in the youth core of the British Armed Forces? Like how I had a problem with being more and more revolutionary socialist and yet being in the youth group of (what I discovered to be) the armed thug wing of the state. Hence why I quit and now wonder how I could ever have wanted to join.

[Dr Mindbender]

But did you not have any misgivings from the perspective of being an republican socialist being in the youth core of the British Armed Forces? Like how I had a problem with being more and more revolutionary socialist and yet being in the youth group of (what I discovered to be) the armed thug wing of the state. Hence why I quit and now wonder how I could ever have wanted to join.

I wasnt either a socialist or a republican at the time. If anything i was a lukewarm tory unionist at the time thanks to my lack of class conciousness and the orange dogma i had drummed into me since i was knee high (I'm one of those people who did a political 180). I even applied for an RAF commission, which i failed on health grounds which is a blessing in retrospect because my marxist education didnt begin till after then and I would probably have stayed away from leftism.

That said, we had quite a few nationalist community members in our squadron for some reason. I suppose they were mostly political indifferent though, there was certainly no element of sectarianism between us.