Corporal
Corporal is the first NCO rank that a cadet can obtain. The average time taken for a cadet to be promoted is after two years service in the ATC, but it can be much more or less. A Corporal is referred to as a Junior NCO (JNCO) and acts as a liaison between cadets and Senior NCOs (SNCO). The promotion to Corporal is made by the Commanding Officer (CO) of the cadet’s Squadron, in consultation with the Squadron Warrent Officer (SWO). Selection is purely on merit and not on classification. You should be at least a first class classification cadet with the maturity and the greatly needed leadership skills to carry out the post
Sergeant
A Sergeant is a SNCO (Senior NCO) and a cadet is promoted to this position after he or she has reached the rank of Corporal and has demonstrated the abilities of a JNCO. Appointment is made by the Squadron CO and Squadron Warrent Officer. In a large Squadron, a Sergeant would be second in command (2IC) of a flight, or in command (IC) of a flight if the Squadron is not very big. As a SNCO you will be expected to take greater responsibility in the running of your squadron. There is no average time between getting promoted from corporal to sergeant, as before it is based purely on merit.
Flight Sergeant
This is the highest rank a Squadron CO can promote a cadet too. If a squadron is split up into flights then a Flt/Sgt will be the Non-Commissioned Officer In Command (NCOIC) of a flight. Promotion to Flight Sergeant is made when you have demonstrated the abilities of a SNCO to a high level.
Cadet Warrent Officer
The highest rank a cadet can achieve is CWO. This appointment is made after a successfully completed interview at Wing HQ. You must be 18 years or over and in most circumstances be a Staff Cadet. You only hold this rank until the age of 20, where you then can become an Instructor Sergeant.
If you reach the age of 18 and do not make SNCO (Sgt or above) you can no longer serve as a cadet.
Those cadets that have reached SNCO at the age of 18 can continue to serve until their 20th birthday. However, they become Cadet Instructors (ie. Cadet Instructor Flight Sergeant), the only difference being they have to wear a white band with their rank slides indicating they are over 18. Cadet Instructors still do exactly what they did before their 18th.
