Editing Combined Cadet Force (section)

{{Short description|British military youth organisation, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Combined Cadet Force (CCF)
| image                         = Combined_Cadet_Force_Logo.svg
| image_size                    = x200px
| caption                       = Emblem of the CCF
| start_date                    = 1948
| current_form                  = 
| dates                         = 
| country                       = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| type                          = Youth Organisation
| role                          = Leadership and discipline education
| size                          = 42,720 Cadets<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/804484/MOD_Sponsored_Cadet_Forces_Statistics_April_2019.pdf |title=MOD Sponsored Cadet Forces Statistics: 1 April 2019 |date=30 May 2019}}</ref>
| command_structure             = 
| garrison                      = Regional Command Cadets Branch, Aldershot
| garrison_label                = 
| nickname                      = 'The Corps' (within school environment)
| patron                        = 
| allegiance                    = [[Charles III|King Charles III]]
| motto                         = 
| colours                       = 
| colours_label                 = 
| march                         = 
| mascot                        = 
| equipment                     = 
| equipment_label               = 
| website                       = {{Official URL}}
| battles                       = 
| anniversaries                 = 
| decorations                   = 
| battle_honours                = <!-- Commanders -->
| commander1                    = [[File:UK-Air-OF5-Flag.svg|20px]] [[Air Commodore]] Allen Lewis RAFR
| commander1_label              = [[Commandant Air Cadets]]
| commander2                    = 
| commander2_label              = 
| commander3                    = 
| commander3_label              = 
| notable_commanders            = <!-- Insignia -->
| identification_symbol         = [[File:Flag of the Combined Cadet Force.png|150px]]
| identification_symbol_label   = Standard of the CCF
| identification_symbol_2       = 
| identification_symbol_2_label = Ensign of the CCF
}}

{{UKCF}}

The '''Combined Cadet Force''' ('''CCF''') is a [[Youth organisations in the United Kingdom|youth organisation]] in the [[United Kingdom]], sponsored by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] (MOD), which operates in schools, sub divided into [[Royal Navy]], [[Royal Marines]], [[British Army|Army]] and [[Royal Air Force]] sections. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance, resourcefulness, endurance and perseverance".

One of its objectives is "to encourage those who have an interest in the services to become Officers of the Regular or Reserve Forces", and a significant number of British military officers have had experience in the CCF.

Before 1948, cadet forces in schools existed as the junior division of the [[Officers' Training Corps]] framework, but in 1948 Combined Cadet Force was formed covering cadets affiliated to all three services. As of 2019, there were 42,720 cadets and 3,370 Adult Volunteers.<ref name="auto"/> The MOD provides approximately £28M per year of funding to the CCF.<ref>Letter Assistant Head Youth and Cadets, Reserves Forces and Cadets, D/DRFC/4/1/5, 8 August 2014</ref> There are approximately 500 contingents (the name for each school or college's CCF) in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-cadet-forces-and-mods-youth-work#the-combined-cadet-force |title=The Ministry of Defence cadet forces |publisher=HM Government |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

Although sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, the CCF is not part of the [[British Armed Forces]] or Reserve Forces; as such, cadets are not military personnel and therefore not subject to [[Armed Forces Act 2006|military law]] or subject to military 'call up'. Some cadets do, however, go on to join the armed forces later in life, and many of the organisation's leaders have been cadets or have a military background.