The Librarian said:
Cadpat is a universal item of issue for both Army and Air CF members of which cadets are not; and there's an awful big difference there. This is applic to both RegF and ResF (which includes those CIC Officers, although CIC Officers are not considered part of the Primary Reserve Force), but it sure doesn't include cadets.
Entirely aware of that... the point of my post was the assertion that CADPAT is in some way
special, as compared to OG - restricted item and all that.
If there's enough OG floating about, by all means issue it to cadets, and do so at the home unit; they, especially Army Cadets, need field kit, and none of the gear currently available at the home unit cuts it for field wear. Cadets are thus faced with either using entirely unsuitable civvy clothes, or buying something especially, which usually means surplus OG or, worse, CADPAT or FakePAT of some sort, or, at the absolute bottom of the barrel, foreign combat clothing.
The Librarian said:
Why yes we have bypassed that, but cadets still don't qualify as CF members, nor do I suspect they will any time in the near or distant future. No offense, but cadets simply do not fall into the operational priority of the CF. The legitimate reason is exactly that they are...a cadet and are not a CF member.
Made that point in your first para - and entirely beside the point, especially given how cadets have been wearing CADPAT's precursor for years - and I would suspect that OG was held to be just as state-of-the-art, initially.
Besides, the theory is that the CF/DND provides the uniforms (as well as an immense amount of other support) for cadets, and the way that has worked in the past is that cadets are issued current or near-current working/field/combat uniforms for non-ceremonial/classroom training. This practise has, of late, been regrettably limited to summer training.
Curious as to what happened during the transition between OG and whatever came before - was there this great to-do about cadet entitlement?
As far as the operational priorities of the CF, Cadets as an organization have to fall in there
somewhere - at the absolute bottom, most likely, and rightly so, but with some call on resources, after all other possible users have seen to their needs. CF/DND program, customarily making use of service facilities and other resources, and all that...
The Librarian said:
It'll be many many years away, long after today's cadets have aged out. There's still tonnes of OG107 combats out there in the system (and BTW stocked at CSTS's) anxiously awaiting it's issue to cadets for their summer courses. Me thinks you need to brush up on the fact that cadets are not CF members. A cadet, can not compare themself with with RegF or ResF CF members regardless of their rank or enviornment.
Did I suggest anything of the sort? All I see is a point regarding supply availability, aimed at certain bogus arguments floated in this and other threads.
By the way, stepping aside from the debate, what would naval members be doing in that gear, anyway, barring duty in some clearly "land" environment? Glad to hear about both the quantities of OG, and that it will likely be replaced, when it runs out, with CADPAT...
The Librarian said:
Op Nijmegan, different situation all together. It's not a summer cadet camp or course. It's a high-profile event, exceptions are made.
So explain this... you don't agree with cadets being issued CADPAT except when it'll look bright and shiny in an international setting? I seem to recall one of the initial posts related to exchanges - not exactly Nijmegan, but close, on the look-good-for-the-neighbours scale.