
- Order:
- Duration: 3:29
- Published: 21 Jun 2009
- Uploaded: 17 Jul 2011
- Author: eatoncg
In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Officer Training Corps and University Air Squadrons who are not actually training to become officers
Initial officer training can occur through either single-service institutions, such as the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Royal Australian Naval College, or the Officer Training School RAAF, or through the tri-service Australian Defence Force Academy. The ranks of Officer Cadet, Staff Cadet, or Midshipman are primarily found at these establishments. However, RAAF Officer trainees are often appointed at higher rank while undergoing their initial training course at OTS, if they have prior military experience, either as Officer Cadets prior to their initial officer course, or at Airman rank. Officer Cadets are also appointed in the Australian Army Reserve where training is conducted on a part-time basis at various University Regiments around the country.
Australian Army Reserve Officer Cadets must pass various training courses (conducted at different barracks around Australia) throughout their training with the final module completed at the Royal Military College, Duntroon before being commissioned.
At the Royal Military College, Duntroon and University Regiments, the title of 'Staff Cadet' is often used to address Officer Cadets, although this is not an official rank.
At ADFA, upon completion of all academic training through the "UNSW@ADFA", military training and subsequent training at other military establishments, Officer Cadets from the Australian Defence Force are promoted as commissioned officers.
Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers and Air Combat Officers joining the RAAF directly through the Officers' Training School (without going to ADFA) also start their career as an Officer Cadet. Once they have completed their employment training (2FTS, SATC and SAW respectively), they are promoted.
For Canadian Navy members of the same rank, Naval Cadet (NCdt) or Aspirant de marine (aspm) in French is used in lieu of Officer Cadet.
Officer/Naval Cadets are referred to and addressed as "Mr Smith" or "Miss Smith", or more formally as "Officer Cadet Smith" or "Naval Cadet Smith". There is also a tendency in less cordial environments to refer to an Officer Cadet as "OC Smith". Further, as pointed out above, they are generally addressed as "Mister" or "Miss" by non-commissioned members, but may just as appropriately be referred to as "Sir" or "Ma'am".
Officer/Naval Cadets in the CF are subordinate officers, but generally billet or mess with other officers. They do not carry the Queen's commission and are not entitled to receive salutes, however, an Officer Cadet can be saluted either as a mark of respect to the individual, or at the discretion of the Commanding Officer or Regimental Sargent Major.
The rank insignia is a narrow gold braid (1/4-inch; note difference with standard braid size) on the cuff of the DEU (Distinctive Environmental Uniform) jacket, and on the epaulettes of all other uniforms. The peak of the service cap (if worn) is plain. This gives rise to the somewhat derogatory term 'quarter-inch admiral' as a referent for OCdt/NCdts who try to insist that they be treated as commissioned officers (i.e. be accorded salutes, etc.)
Officer Cadets and Midshipmen wear one, two, or three white bars on their shoulderboards to denote their seniority. The graduating class of Officer Cadets wear peaked caps and berets depending on their vocations, and are accorded the privilege of being addressed "Sir" by junior Officer Cadets. At this point, they are given more privileges and responsibilities commensurate with their seniority.
Officer Cadets take turns to hold various administrative and exercise appointments. Administrative appointment-holders' shoulderboards have additional loops and whorls known as "fishes" in addition to their existing one, two or three bars. Exercise appointment-holders wear yellow rank insignia appropriate to the appointment of the Officer Cadet. For example, an exercise Platoon Commander will wear two bars of a Lieutenant, and his exercise Platoon Sergeant will wear a brassard with First Sergeant's chevrons.
After the Second World War, National Service officer cadets for Infantry regiments were trained at Eaton Hall, Cheshire.
Cadets in the University Officers' Training Corps Under Officer is an appointment, not a rank, and outside OTCs they only have the status of ordinary Officer Cadets.
On the service dress and mess dress uniforms, RAF cadets wear the braid of the rank they will hold on graduation. However, gorget patches (rectangular white tabs with one triangular end) are worn on both lapels. The only exception to this is the female mess dress, where they are worn on the sleeve. The only other distinctive identifiers are on headdress – a white patch on the beret behind the badge. The cap badge is the same as that worn by a commissioned officer (between the ranks of Pilot Officer and Group Captain), but with a white band around the cap. This band is removed on graduation.
A blue band on the white background is also used to denote Officer Cadets of the University Air Squadrons (UASs) who are receiving Bursaries from the Royal Air Force. UAS cadets who are not in receipt of Scholarships wear just the white band with no coloured band. UAS Officer Cadets wear airmen's headdress with a white band.
Officer Cadets of the RAFVR(T) wear the white band with the gilt VRT identifier positioned centrally. VR(T) Officer Cadets wear the standard Officer's peaked cap while serving at their units, a white hat band is issued for the week long Officers Initial Course to maintain uniformity with regular Officer Cadets under training.
==United States== The United States Army, Coast Guard and Air Force use the term "Cadet" for officer candidates in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and for students at the United States Military Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy and United States Air Force Academy. Members under the age of 17 in the Civil Air Patrol are also addressed as Cadet, but are civilians. The term "Officer Candidate" or "Officer Trainee" is generally used for officer candidates who are seeking their commission by means other than ROTC or a military academy, such as through Officer Candidate School (OCS) or Air Force Officer Training School (OTS). The United States Navy uses the rank of "Midshipman" for students in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, United States Merchant Marine Academy or United States Naval Academy, and the term "Officer Candidate" for others seeking a commission as an officer. The term "cadet" may also be used generally to refer to students at a private military academy, or members of a youth group associated with the military who are receiving preliminary training with the intention of joining the military, sometimes at a younger age than they would be able to do otherwise.
Officer Cadets are generally paid below the standard pay rates for junior officers, but receive some of the rights and responsibilities of a junior officer during their training. Officer cadets, trainees, and midshipmen are considered Geneva Conventions Category III personnel.
Cadet officer ranks in US Army ROTC are denoted by "pips" – one to three circular insignia denoting the company-grade equivalents, one to three diamond-shaped insignia denoting the field-grade equivalents. For Midshipman ranks, both junior and senior officer equivalents wear from one to six 1/4" gold stripes or bars.
US Air Force cadets wear rank shoulderboards or lapel insignia which carry miniature insignia.
Rank within the Corps of Cadets is denoted by collar insignia "railroad tracks," a number of black enamel bars with silver outline, or epaulet stripes from one (for CDT Corporal) to six (for CDT Captain in certain command and staff roles) on certain uniforms. On the traditional Dress-Grey-based uniforms and overcoats, chevrons denote rank in the Corps. A Cadet Corporal wears two chevrons on the lower sleeve. A cadet sergeant wears two chevrons on the upper sleeve, a cadet lieutenant three, and a cadet captain from four to six chevrons. For cadets in the rank of cadet sergeant and up, various combinations of stars, diamonds, rockers or arcs, and other devices, are used on the sleeves to denote specific positions/jobs. The title of Cadet Captain is used for all cadets wearing four or more stripes/bars. The Brigade Commander, also called the First Captain, wears six stripes/bars/sleeve chevrons with a gold star.
On the battle dress uniform or Airman Battle Uniform, Air Force Academy cadets wear bars or chevrons on their lapels to denote their rank. Fourth class cadets wear no insignia, but are awarded a Prop and Wings after recognition. Third class cadets wear one chevron on each lapel, signifying that they are cadet/staff sergeants. Second class cadets wear two to five chevrons, indicating ranks from cadet/technical sergeant to cadet/chief master sergeant. First class cadets function as cadet officers and wear one to six bars on their lapels, corresponding to ranks from cadet/second lieutenant to cadet/colonel.
The first is a metal pin-on device. It is a colored shield with a gold anchor with a silver star above it. The color of the background denotes the class. The colors are Green for 4/c, red for 3/c, white for 2/c and blue for 1/c. The colors all have historic meanings: red and green represent the running lights on a vessel; white signifies the white lights used as navigation lights, signifying the role as guides for the 4/c; blue signifies the officers that 1/c are about to become.
The second type of insignia is shoulder boards. All cadet shoulder boards have a slightly smaller version of the shield found on officer shoulderboards, and stripes denoting class or 1/c leadership positions. The 4/c have no stripes, 3/c 1 diagonal stripe, 2/c 2 diagonal stripes, and 1/c 1 horizontal stripe. First class leadership positions have increasing numbers of horizontal stripes, up to six for the regimental commander.
Category:Military ranks Category:Military ranks of Australia Category:Military ranks of Canada Category:Military ranks of the United Kingdom Category:Military ranks of the United States Army Category:Military ranks of the United States Air Force
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.