History
The Air Training Corps was formed in September 1941, at a time when New Zealand was considered to be at risk from Japanese invasion and the British were not in a position to help. Its purpose was to train potential airmen in basic aircraftsmanship and provide an insight into Air Force work to prepare young men for the RNZAF when they became of age.
Compulsory Military Training (CMT) was reintroduced for all males of 18 years of age in 1951. The rate of growth in the cadet movement from 1948 to 1960 eventually proved counter-productive in the 1960s, as the Army could not effectively support the numbers while meeting their own commitments.
Compulsory Military Training was abolished again in 1958 and replaced by the ballot system of conscripted service for randomly selected 20-year-old males, which operated between 1960 and 1970. By 1964 the Cadet Forces reached a peak strength of 198 units, with 1000 officers and about 54,000 cadets.
Reorganisation saw many schools cease cadet support and by 1970 Sea Cadet and Air Training Corps (ATC) units had decreased to 55 units with 3,200 cadets.
In 1970 the government announced the decision to cease funding Cadets from the Defence budget. After community representation, the 1971 Defence Act established the New Zealand Cadet Force as a volunteer organisation, for which the Minister of Defence was responsible. Open units were required to be initiated and funded by the community and the Chief of Defence Forces was authorised to “direct and supervise” the Cadet Forces and provide military support which was initially confirmed as uniforms, training and some equipment at a cost of no greater than $400,000.
Centralised supervision was established by the Chief of Defence Forces of all three Corps and a Commandant appointed with Regular Force Defence personnel, under the control of the Commandant, provided at 5 locations around New Zealand to support units. Cadet Force officers were appointed by the Minister of Defence with Cadet Force commissions, on a voluntary, unpaid basis with authority to wear military uniform and rank.
Female cadets have been accepted since 1978.
By 1985 the ATC had increased to 50 units. A resurgence of interest since 1989, attributed to the movies Top Gun and Iron Eagle and the like, saw unit numbers expand to around 100 units; many in areas which did not previously have Cadet units.
At the beginning of the second decade of the 21st Century, there were 103 Cadet Force units In New Zealand, and cadet numbers approximately 4500 with 360 cadet officers.
Read more about this topic: New Zealand Air Training Corps
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