Country United Kingdom Headquarters RAF Cranwell Parent organization Royal Air Force | Branch Royal Air Force Patron Elizabeth II | |
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Type Volunteer Military Youth Organisation Honorary Air Commodore-in-Chief HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Commandant Air Cadets Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty Profiles | ||
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The Royal Air Force Air Cadets, previously known as the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO), is the youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Air Force that manages both the Air Training Corps and RAF contingents of the Combined Cadet Force. The organisation is headed by a serving RAF officer, the Commandant Air Cadets. The current commandant is Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty. As of 1 April 2014, the ACO has a strength of 53,360 cadets and cadet force adult volunteers.
Contents
Units
The ACO is made up of:
Parade nights
Cadets normally meet once or twice a week; these are called parade nights. Each squadron/detached flight/CCF unit parade on different nights. They have a building for meetings and some squadrons or detached flights are based on active RAF bases. Activities range widely, from shooting to drill.