Page 178 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

We are lucky to have Nesscliffe Training Area nearby and have taken advantage of its facilities by running two eldcraft weekends there this year. There was a good mixture of experienced cadets and enthusiastic youngsters, which made for great learning and leadership opportunities. The younger cadets found the night exercise particularly exciting, with ares adding to the drama and some enthusiastic staff playing the enemy. It was a good time to put into practice many of the skills learned throughout the term.
Other notable events this year were Cdt CSM Lucy Jones’ highly successful completion of Battle camp in October, where she greatly impressed the staff running the event. We entered teams into both the Regional Military Skills and STEM Competitions
in September and March respectively. Both were great learning experiences for the cadets involved, and we look forward to similar events next year. For Year 8, the long anticipated and popular Oakerwood trip, which comes at the end of their rst year of cadets and is always a fun and exhausting three days of activities and training. This year was no exception, with 22 tired, grubby and happy cadets leaving camp on Thursday afternoon.
Last, but by no means least, we travelled all the way up to Wathgill, in the beautiful Yorkshire Moors for this year’s Annual Camp. The package put together was excellent and the cadets enjoyed some fun and challenging team building activities including high ropes, Jacob’s ladder and a 1km assault course (as used in the Krypton Factor). Our cadets de nitely set the tone for the whole week on day 1, facing each dif culty with determination, enthusiasm and massive smiles. Catterick provided an outstanding TIBUA facility, allowing training and practice in patrol, crossing obstacles, entering and clearing buildings as well as how best to defend them, with staff ranging from regular soldiers, CTT staff and UOTC students, as well as those brought by each contingent. This allowed the cadets to ask lots of questions and gain an insight into life in many areas of the British Army.
The DCCT prepared cadets for the range day, which enabled cadets to take part in some live ring, while the advanced tactics day gave a refresher on the skills required for our overnight eld exercise. It is impossible to pick a single highlight from Camp, but we were all very proud of our cadets, with the permanent staff mentioning how much our cadets had impressed them, with their determination, enthusiasm and good manners!
Our nal parade followed a brilliant day out at Leeds Armoury and saw promotions for Cpl Sophie Wood eld, LCpl Mary Bicker-Caarten, LCpl Harriet McFarland, LCpl Kate Carpenter, LCpl Gina Yates and LCpl Joe Lund, who was celebrating his 16th birthday that day too! There were also awards for Most Improved for Cdt Ned Roberts, Best Effort for LCpl Ellie Nicholson, Best Junior for Cdt Georgia Brown and OC’S choice was awarded to LCpl Gina Yates. We also said an emotional goodbye to Cdt RSM Megan Grif ths and Cdt CSM Lucy Jones, who have both been outstanding senior cadets and offered support, instruction and inspiration to many of our cadets, they will be greatly missed!
Once again, the Contingent has received excellent support from the Brigade Cadet Training Team, the Board of Governors and particularly the Head Mistress, Mrs Thorne, to all of whom we would like to express our thanks. The cadets have worked immensely hard this year and their enthusiasm and drive to succeed is an inspiration to us all!
Major Craig Derrigan Contingent Commander
Cadet RSM Megan Grif ths gives quick Battle Orders
WE WERE ALL VERY PROUD OF OUR CADETS, WITH THE PERMANENT STAFF MENTIONING HOW MUCH OUR CADETS HAD IMPRESSED THEM, WITH THEIR DETERMINATION, ENTHUSIASM AND GOOD MANNERS!
176 CADET FORCES
THE RIFLES