Page 111 - Mercian Eagle 2012

Queen Mary’s Grammar School ccF
My apologies for the cliché but the Contingent has enjoyed another successful year. Our numbers have risen to well over 300 and an impressive 80% of the current Year 9 cohort chose to join. It is doubtful if the Contingent has ever been more popular in its 100 plus years of existence.
This year saw the Contingent receive
its Biennial Review, held on Field day at Swynnerton Training Camp. The Inspecting Officer was Air Commodore Barbara Cooper, at the time Commandant Air Cadets. The early spring weather was glorious, the field catering excellent and the training, glitch free. If only it could always be so!
Annual Camps have provided the main focus for training for both Army and RAF sections with sizeable parties attending Camps at Wathgill and
The SNCO Cadre 2012
valuable resource for weekend training. The Contingent uses it for at least half a dozen visits during the year including Recruit Training, RAF weekends, Command and
Camp. There was clearly a need to improve the standard of the MOI of our senior cadets and an intensive course seemed to be the best approach. Sixteen Army and RAF NCOs were put through a demanding programme of skill at arms, fieldcraft, drill, and map reading. Each cadet taught at least three lessons and prepared plans
for several others. They also rotated as section commander and 2IC roles during the exercise phase. Year 9 and 10 cadets should feel the benefit over the next 12 months with some vastly more competent instructors.
Some significant staff changes have
also taken place with Lt Paul Andrews succumbing to the lure of a life down under and Wing Commander Dave Pomeroy OBE retiring and handing over to Maj Steve Law. We wish them both all the best for
the future. It should be noted that the Wing Commander has been at the School and
a CCF officer for well over 40 years. Some achievement!
Finally thanks to the two outgoing senior cadets, namely Cdt RSM Aaron Holmes and Cdt WO Matt Fielden for all their hard work. It is some time since we had such highly committed and reliable incumbents. Congratulations to the two new seniors, WO2 Jack Gorman and Flt Sgt Andrew Bennet who I am sure will be just as big an asset to the Contingent.
Cdt Sgt Gurvinder Sohal and his LSW
Cosford respectively. The Army Camp was especially enjoyable as we were able to attend a Central Camp, an unusual event normally, due to difficulties with term dates. It made
Annual camps have provided the main focus for training for both Army and rAF...
Control exercises (our own CAST!), as well as a five day Adventurous Training package.
To mention a few individuals, Cdt Sgt Alex King did particularly well at his Frimley Cadet Leadership Course,
a pleasant change,
especially the impressive Adventurous Training activities.
The School’s Welsh Centre at Farchynys near Barmouth continues to be a most
as did RAF NCOs Amandh Sehdev and Sukhpal Uppal at ACLC Cranwell.
A new venture this year was a SNCO Cadre run in August at Swynnerton Training
The Command and Control Trainer in action
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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