The following table displays the ranks of the Community Cadet Forces (Army Cadet Force, the Sea Cadet Corps, and the Air Training Corps), the Combined Cadet Force, the Volunteer Cadet Corps (RMVCC and RNVCC), and the Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets. This table is based on equivalent Rank Structures within the Cadet Forces as detailed in regulations of the SCC, RMC, and the Air Cadets.
Cadet ranks
editCadet NCOs wear the issued cadet rank slides.[1] The titles of some ranks in the ACF and CCF Army may vary as cadet detachments are affiliated to British Army regiments and adopt their terminology. More senior cadet ranks may be restricted to a set number per area.
Although promotion is based on merit rather than progression through the training syllabuses, certain criteria must be met before a cadet is eligible for promotion:[2]
Whilst the CCF Regulations provide an equivalency table purely for the CCF, there is no official equivalency between the other cadet forces.
Cadet Service |
Officers | Cadet Senior NCOs | Cadet Junior NCOs | Cadets | Recruits | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CCF Navy Cadets |
||||||||||||
Under Officer | Warrant Officer Cadet |
Chief Petty Officer Cadet |
Petty Officer Cadet |
Leading Cadet |
Able 3* Cadet |
Able 2* Cadet | Able 1* Cadet | Naval Cadet |
New Naval Entry | |||
UO | WOCDT | CPOCDT | POCDT | LCDT | A3*CDT | A2*CDT | A1*CDT | NCDT | NNE
| |||
CCF Royal Marines Cadets (Part of the CCF RN) |
No insignia | |||||||||||
Under Officer | Cadet Warrant Officer First Class |
Cadet Warrant Officer Second Class |
Cadet Colour Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Cadet | Recruit | ||||
UO | CDTWO1 | CDTWO2 | CDTCSGT | CDTSGT | CDTCPL | CDTLCPL | CDT | RCT
| ||||
Sea Cadets Corps |
No insignia | |||||||||||
Petty Officer Cadet |
Leading Cadet |
Able Cadet | Ordinary Cadet | Cadet 1st Class |
Cadet | New Entry | ||||||
POC | LC | AC | OC | CFC | CDT | NE
| ||||||
Royal Marines Cadets (Part of the SCC) |
No insignia | No insignia | ||||||||||
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Marine Cadet | Recruit | ||||||||
CDT SGT | CDT CPL | CDT LCPL | MC | RCT
| ||||||||
Royal Navy Volunteer Cadet Corps |
No insignia | |||||||||||
Warrant Officer Cadet |
Chief Petty Officer Cadet |
Petty Officer Cadet |
Leading Cadet |
Able Cadet |
Naval Cadet |
New Naval Entry | ||||||
WOCDT | CPOCDT | POCDT | LCDT | ACDT | NCDT | NNE
| ||||||
Royal Marine Volunteer Cadet Corps |
No insignia | No insignia | ||||||||||
Cadet Warrant Officer First Class |
Cadet Warrant Officer Second Class |
Cadet Colour Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Cadet | Recruit | |||||
CDTWO1 | CDTWO2 | CDTCSGT | CDTSGT | CDTCPL | CDTLCPL | CDT | RCT
| |||||
CCF Army Cadets |
No insignia | |||||||||||
Under Officer | Cadet warrant officer |
Cadet Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant |
Cadet Company Sergeant Major |
Cadet Staff Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Cadet | Recruit | |||
UO | Cdt RSM | Cdt RQMS | Cdt CSM | Cdt SSgt | CDTSGT | Cdt Cpl | Cdt LCpl | Cdt | Rct
| |||
Army Cadet Force |
||||||||||||
Under Officer (CCF Only) | Cadet Regimental Sergeant Major |
Cadet Company Sergeant Major |
Cadet Staff Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Cadet | Recruit | ||||
UO | Cdt RSM | Cdt CSM | Cdt SSgt | Cdt Sgt | Cdt Cpl | Cdt LCpl | Cdt | Rct
| ||||
Cayman Islands Cadet Corps |
No insignia | |||||||||||
Cadet Under Officer | Cadet Company Sergeant Major | Cadet Staff Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Cadet | Recruit | |||||
CDTUO | CDTCSM | CDTSSGT | CDTSGT | CDTCPL | CDTLCPL | CDT | RCT
| |||||
CCF RAF Cadets |
No insignia | |||||||||||
Cadet Under Officer (Former rank no longer in use) |
Cadet Warrant Officer |
Cadet Flight Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Cadet | ||||||
CUO | CWO | Cdt FS | Cdt Sgt | Cdt Cpl | Cdt LCpl | Cdt
| ||||||
Air Training Corps |
No insignia | |||||||||||
Cadet Warrant Officer |
Cadet Flight Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet | ||||||||
CWO | Cdt FS | Cdt Sgt | Cdt Cpl | Cdt
| ||||||||
Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets |
No insignia | No insignia | ||||||||||
Officer Cadet | Cadet Unit Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Leading Cadet | Cadet | Recruit | |||||
OFFCDT | CDTUSGT | CDTSGT | CDTCPL | CDTLC | LCDT | CDT | RCT |
Junior cadets
edit Junior Sea Cadets Corps |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Leading Junior Cadet |
Able Junior Cadet |
Junior Cadet First Class |
Junior Cadet |
LJC | AJC | JCFC | JC |
Former cadet organisations
edit Air Defence Cadet Corps |
1939-1941 1941 |
No insignia | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cadet Warrant Officer |
Cadet Flight Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Cadet | |||||
CDTWO | CDTFSGT | CDTSGT | CDTCPL | CDTLCPL | CDT | |||||
Women's Junior Air Corps |
No insignia | |||||||||
Cadet Unit Sergeant |
Cadet Sergeant |
Cadet Corporal |
Cadet Lance Corporal |
Cadet | ||||||
CDTUSGT | CDTSGT | CDTCPL | CDTLCPL | CDT |
Welbeck DSFC
editEpaulettes were worn by students whilst in the college kit, G-Kit, MTP and service uniform. It denoted their academic year and the seniority/position of authority that they held within the college. The college closed in July 2021.
|
Cadet force adult volunteer ranks
editNCOs / Senior ratings
editFrom 2009 to 2019, if a person joined as a civilian instructor in the Sea Cadets or Royal Marine Cadets and wanted to be a uniformed member of staff, they would become an acting petty officer or sergeant, following a six-month probationary period.
In 2018 the role of sergeant instructor (SI) was introduced for CCF(Army) sections, this is the first occasion that adults other than SSIs have been appointed as an NCO rather than a commissioned rank in the CCF.[3]
Army | ACF | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CCF | |||||||||
Title | Regimental Sergeant Major Instructor | Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant Instructor | Sergeant Major Instructor | Staff Sergeant Instructor | Sergeant Instructor | Probationary Sergeant | Probationary Instructor | Civilian Assistant | |
Abbr. | RSMI | RQMSI | SMI | SSI | SI | SPI | PI | CA | |
ATC/CCF (RAF) | Groundcrew | [note 1] |
[note 2] | No insignia | |||||
Aircrew | [note 3] |
[note 4] | |||||||
Title | Warrant Officer/Master aircrew | Flight Sergeant | Sergeant | Sergeant (pre CIC) | Civilian Instructor/ Civilian Gliding Instructor | ||||
Abbr. | WO RAFAC/MAcr RAFAC | FS RAFAC | Sgt RAFAC | A/Sgt RAFAC | CI/CGI | ||||
SCC | |||||||||
Title | Warrant Officer Class 1 RNR[note 5] | Warrant Officer Class 2 | Chief Petty Officer | Petty Officer | Probationary Petty Officer | Civilian Instructor | Unit Assistant | ||
Abbr. | WO1 (SCC) RNR | WO2 (SCC) RNR | CPO (SCC) | PO (SCC) | P/PO (SCC) | CI | UA | ||
RMC/CCF (RM) | No insignia | ||||||||
Title | Warrant Officer Class 1 RMR[note 6] | Warrant Officer Class 2 RMR | Colour Sergeant | Sergeant | Probationary Sergeant | Civilian Instructor | |||
Abbr. | WO1 (SCC) RMR | WO2 (SCC) RMR | CSgt (SCC) | Sgt (SCC) | P/Sgt (SCC) | CI | |||
CCF (RN) | |||||||||
Title | Chief Petty Officer (School Staff Instructor) | ||||||||
Abbr. | CPO (SSI) | ||||||||
GVCAC | No insignia | ||||||||
Title | Civilian Instructor | ||||||||
Abbr. | CI |
Officers
editFormerly, officers in MOD-recognised cadet organisations (SCC, CCF, ACF, VCC) held a highest substantive rank of lieutenant, with more senior ranks being acting ranks.
Since 2017, all cadet officers are now commissioned under a bespoke Cadet Forces Commission (CFC), with all appointments now being substantive. All previous Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) (RAFVR(T)) officers of the ATC and CCF RAF had their commissions transferred to the new CFC in 2017.[4][5][6]
Army | ACF | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CCF | ||||||||||
Title | Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | 2nd Lieutenant | Adult Under Officer | |||
Abbr. | Col | Lt Col | Maj | Capt | Lt | 2Lt | AUO | |||
ATC/CCF (RAF) | / | |||||||||
Title | Air Commodore | Group Captain (R)/Group Captain (RAFAC)[note 7] | Wing Commander (RAFAC) | Squadron Leader (RAFAC) | Flight Lieutenant (RAFAC) | Flying Officer (RAFAC) | Pilot Officer (RAFAC) | Pilot Officer (RAFAC)
(Pre CIC) |
||
Abbr. | Air Cdre | Gp Capt | Wg Cdr | Sqn Ldr | Flt Lt | Fg Off | Plt Off | A/PO | ||
CCF (RN) and SCC | ||||||||||
SCC Title | Captain (SCC) RNR[note 8] | Commander (SCC) RNR | Lieutenant Commander (SCC) RNR | Lieutenant (SCC) RNR | Sub Lieutenant (SCC) RNR | Midshipman (SCC) RNR | ||||
CCF Title | Commander (CCF) RNR | Lieutenant Commander (CCF) RNR | Lieutenant (CCF) RNR | Sub Lieutenant (CCF) RNR | ||||||
Abbr. | Capt | Cdr | Lt Cdr | Lt | SLt | Mid | ||||
RMC/CCF (RM) | ||||||||||
RMC Title | Lieutenant Colonel (CCF) RMR | Major (CCF) RMR | Captain (CCF) RMR | Lieutenant (CCF) RMR | 2nd Lieutenant (CCF) RMR | |||||
Abbr. | Lt Col | Maj | Capt | Lt | 2Lt | |||||
GVCAC | ||||||||||
Title | Honorary Corps Commandant | Senior Officer | Unit Officer | Assistant Unit Officer | Section Officer | Acting Section Officer | Potential Section Officer | |||
Abbr. |
See also
editCadet forces
editInternational cadet ranks
edit- Ranks of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
- Cadet grades and insignia of the Civil Air Patrol
- Cadets Canada Elemental Ranks
- New Zealand Cadet Forces ranks
- Australian Defence Force Cadets ranks
- Royal Belgian Sea Cadet Corps ranks
Ranks of the British Armed Forces
editNotes
edit- ^ Until October 2020 only ex-RAF WOs, ex-Service WO1s, and warrant officers holding a position at region or corps level wore this rank.
- ^ No longer used - as of October 2020, all WO (RAFAC) use the Royal Arms badge.
- ^ Until October 2020 only ex-MAcr wore this rank.
- ^ No longer used - as of October 2020, all MAcr (RAFAC) use the Royal Arms badge.
- ^ One per Sea Cadet Corps Area.
- ^ Promoted to this rank upon taking up the role as Regimental Sergeant Major (One in the Sea Cadets).
- ^ Group Captain (RAFAC) is held only by the Air Cadets Honorary Ambassador (currently Carol Vorderman), and one Volunteer Senior Advisor at HQ Air Cadets.
- ^ Volunteer Rank does not exist with the Sea Cadet Corps.
References
edit- ^ Army Dress Regulations (All Ranks), Part 08 "Dress Regulations for Combined Cadet Force (Army Sections) and the Army Cadet Force", Ministry of Defence, April 2013
- ^ "AC 14233 Army Cadet Force (ACF) Regulations" (PDF). armycadets.com. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Roles & Ranks". 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Rank Structure". Air Cadets North. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "HM The Queen Approves New Commission For Cadet Force Volunteers". Air Cadet. Bourne: Warners Midlands plc. Winter 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Royal Warrant for Cadet Force commission" (PDF).