They did it at the local posh boys school and we used to take the piss as none of them could fight their way out of a damp paper bag.

I was in the Air Cadets although it wasn't part of the school. It was an after school activity and was great. I got to shoot guns and fly planes and develop leadership skills and character. While some did use it as a springboard into RAF (direct or via sponsored university place) there was no push to do so.

I've never heard of this thing, but we had a similar programme where I grew up, where an older kid called "Scouse Jimmy" taught us to make play-explosives out of cap-gun caps, sellotape, 1p coins, matchstick-heads and tennis balls.

I don't think it was officially organised by the school - probably a lack of funding for that sort of thing, so it was more of a voluntary self-led after-school community activity.

I did the RAF cadets at school. I thoroughly enjoyed it at the time. Got to do a lot of fun activities and wracked up about 20 hours of flying time. Even got to land a grob tutor one time.

But yeah, it was also a tool of indoctrination, so fuck that

Yup, did army in one year but spent 90% of it in the Signals hut playing Halo local multiplayer. No regrets

Did air cadets when I was a teen, I milked it for every flight I could, and met some people I’m still great mates with decades later. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Very strange how your mystifying cadets of all things. "Ooh, what a strange place it was, they made me do things like wearing a uniform and marching" yeah genius it's one of the youth wings of our military forces.

Did you go to a grammar school? I thought these were a grammar school only thing. If I recall, people had a choice to do CCF or other things, like sports clubs?

I went to Air Cadets (ATC), which was basically CCF but nothing at all to do with school. Had a great time! Shooting and flying (not at the same time) was really fun. And I'll never forget the moment where I was walking to a hut at RAF Leeming near a runway when holding two cups of tea, and a Tornado gave it the full beans to start to take off nearby. Think I felt every molecule in my body vibrate at that moment!

I did thr RAAF cadets in Australia for 10 years.

Was awesome, showed me I didn't want to join the airforce haha.

Seriously though we had a great time, the structure and the instruction was great.

Most of my friends all went on to join the military and are only now getting out in our early 30s were as I got a trade and sorted my shit

Nah, a few of the people I knew did though.

There was a Cadet Office in Hexham, which we used to pass on the way up to the schools

I kinda wish I'd done cadets when I was younger, honestly.
Hearing other kids at school talking about weekends of ratpacks full of biscuits fruit made me quite envious.

I also discovered I'm not a bad shot, so who knows how much better I'd have been with training.

Nope but I had a good friend who did

Yes, RAF in early ‘90s. Taught me how to polish boots, shoot a gun (SA-80), march, stand around for hours, and flew a Chipmunk once.

It was a choice of either that or ‘Community Service’.