Author: Staff

Apply now on CadetNet for our first camp of the year!

The warning order for Exercise Recruit can be found on our website, under ‘Activity Forms’. https://www.17squadronatc.com/forms/

This camp is for all levels of Cadets, although it is particularly important for our new recruits to attend. There is no space limit for this camp, so you do not need to wait for confirmation that your application is accepted. Please make payment for this camp via our shop. https://www.17squadronatc.com/shop

New Recruits: this is an opportunity to get to know your fellow Cadets, the Unit and to learn some valuable skills which you will use throughout your time in Cadets. You will be participating in leadership, sport, shooting, drill and more.

Basic 2, Prof and Adv: Come along to Recruit camp to put your classroom-learnt skills into action. Practice your shooting, leadership, first aid skills and potentially have an opportunity to fly.

More information for new recruits:

• You can only make CadetNet applications once you have a photo upoaded to your profile. If your application is declined by the system, simply wait until we have uploaded your photo and your application will automatically go through.
• A ‘warning order’ gives basic information about the camp, e.g. where/when/costs. Before the camp, those attending will be sent a ‘joining instruction’ or ‘JI’ which gives more detail (e.g. what to bring).

Do you want the chance to compete against other Cadet Units in Christchurch at multiple sports? Sign up for the Interunit Sports Day which will be held at Burnham Military Camp on Saturday 16th March, 9am-3:30pm.
Compete in a team of 8 in the following sports; Football, Touch, Netball, Basketball, Dodgeball, Leadership and Top Team.

Apply on Cadetnet by Thursday 14th March. Places are limited, you will receive a confirmation email if you are in a team.

Please note; you need to arrange your own transportation to and from Burnham, lunch is not provided.

To all our new cadets enrolling this year – thank you for your patience! You have joined right on the cusp of our national body changing our enrolment processes from paper to digital. This has resulted in a variety of challenges which have meant some of you have needed to fill in enrolment forms twice, and received various emails with enrolment links. We apologise for the teething issues! The correct enrolment link is from “do.not.reply@cadetforces.org.nz” and only needs to be filled out once. If you have received multiple links for this, please ignore it. Thank you for bearing with us while we adapt to these new processes.

The correct process is as follows;

1) Fill out and sign the NZCF2A and the USC additional info form, return to the adjutants office with a copy of a photo ID.
2)Once received you will be emailed the enrolment link.
3) Go to the 17 SQN website shop and pay the annual fees.
4) Once these have been received and your enrolment processed your cadet will be sized up and given their uniform. Please be aware our stores team will be working down the list in order of enrolment and so your cadet may not receive their uniform the week the process is completed, but I can assure you we will get to them.

If you have any questions or concerns about enrolment, please get in touch via adj@17squadronatc.com

Here’s the link to the video of the recent Warrant Officer of Cadet Forces demonstrating super duper CWD sleeve prep.

For those of you who are new recruits, more information on uniform prep and presentation can be found in the ‘Cadet Handbook’ section on our website https://www.17squadronatc.com/cadet-handbook/ and you will be having practical lessons in this in the coming weeks.

For those of you who may be interested in this event, check out this link https://www.facebook.com/events/234409019704384 for more info.

Tickets are $5 for children (up to 14 years old), $10 for students and for adults if you use the code AFOT24 tickets will be $15 which is a substantial discount!

This is not an activity organised by the Unit, but interested Cadets are welcome and encouraged to go along with friends and family in their own time.

Parades commence again this Thursday, 1 Feb. As this is the first Thursday of the month, we will be in our 3B uniform (the more formal one).

There will also be PT this week so bring PT gear along.

Our new recruits who attended an open evening last year will be joining us the following week on the 8th of February, with more open evenings running in the remainder of February for any other friends and family who may be looking to join.

Annual subscriptions will be available for payment in our shop once the term has commenced.

A reminder that if you are going to be absent for a parade night, please use the ‘Leave Request’ function on the website to let us know.

Any queries about the new year, please direct to adj@17squadronatc.com.

We look forward to seeing you all back this week!

A nice end to the year – our Unit has won the National Efficiency competition! Results were released yesterday and we received the Air League Trophy for the most efficient ATC Unit in the country 🙂

Below are the dates (or approximate dates) of our camps for 2024. There will be plenty more activities throughout the year that will be advertised as they are confirmed.

If you are not returning in 2024, please let us know and arrange to return your uniform as soon as possible, for issue to new recruits.

We hope you have a safe and enjoyable summer and look forward to seeing you back in the new year.

Dates for your 2024 calendar:

1 Feb – First parade night back

Feb/Mar – New Recruit open evenings (for those that missed out on our November evening)

29 Mar – 1 Apr Warbirds Over Wanaka trip (places filled)

12 – 14 Apr – Recruit camp

25 Apr – Anzac day parade

24 – 26 May – Exercise Top Squad (places limited)

Jun – Exercise Ardua (inter-flight competition)

Aug – Interunit drones weekend

Sept – Exercise Kakapo (aviation camp)

25 – 28 Oct – Exercise Taiaha (bushcraft camp)

12 Nov – Cup day (parent help required)

5 Dec – End of year parade & prizegiving

With the exciting news (that our previous Unit Commander, SQNLDR Shane Cole is taking on the Assistant Commandant role) going far and wide on Facebook this week, scammers have jumped on the popularity of the posts and created fake 17 SQN and NZCF profiles and groups!

Please don’t search it up, but if you do happen to come across one of these pages, don’t interact through likes or comments, or accepting requests. Please block and report the page by selecting “Report page/profile”, then “Pretending to be someone”, then ‘”business” and select the real NZCF etc.