Page 43 - Cadet review Summer 2022

Cadet Sgt Evie Nock, Barnsley Detachment
Going to Cyprus was without a doubt the best experience I have ever had with cadets. From a day at the beach to a helicopter ride every moment was filled with enjoyment, laughter and adventure. The things I enjoyed the most were visiting the military working dogs. The fact we got to interact with
them was a huge surprise to me and was very well received by cadets and adults. I also really enjoyed our visit to RAF Akrotiri where we had a talk from the RLC bomb disposal experts, visited a spy plane and the lucky ones amongst us were able to fly
in a helicopter. These were all once in a lifetime experiences which I will never forget. The thing that I enjoyed the most about my visit to Cyprus was the friendships I made, everyone worked as a team to make the trip run as smoothly as possible. I’m sure I have made friends for life and gained experiences I won’t forget in a hurry.
Staff Cadet Lily Roper
I decided to stay in the ACF as a staff cadet after losing 2 years of training during the pandemic, in hope of completing my gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and 4-star training. I was ecstatic when I heard about the HSY county Ares challenge and the opportunity to do ACF training in Cyprus.
There was a very friendly atmosphere in the community of Episkopi and high morale between adults and cadets, so I felt safe to be myself and enjoy the entirety of the trip.
For the informative visits, we were taught energetically with passion and a hands on or visual approach. For example, seeing demonstrations of the working dog’s section, and being able to try on gear such as bomb disposal suits or new technology from 2 Yorks. I found interest in subject areas I didn’t think I would such as the drone technologies.
For fieldcraft we did section battle drills involving flanking. The fieldcraft was taught strategically and to a high
standard to enable us to get the most out
of the experience. It was great to use the
Cyprian terrain and cover from the layout of the training area, which made the experience unique and unforgettable, especially when acting as a 2IC in making decisions for battle orders to lead the section.
My favourite part of the trip was the
many water sports on the Mediterranean beach, particularly the towed inflatable ride and speedboat ride where I saw a turtle! Meeting so many new people was great, and I’m extremely grateful to have shared this experience with them.
Cadet Sgt Mackay Barnsley Detachment
Ex Ares was a week in Cyprus and one of the most memorable moments of my time in the ACF. We all hear about trips abroad with cadets but for me I never bothered. Why? Because I thought that my chances to go were not worth applying. But I’m glad I put my name forward for this one since it was worth every moment of it.
The best part is hard to pick as every day
we had something new to do but if I had to narrow it down it was definitely trips to the units stationed out there like 84 squadron, 2 YORKS and the RLC EOD team. That wasn’t the only competitor though other moments up there had
to be the field exercise and the beach visit that was very much close the being the best moments.
The only downside to
the trip in my opinion was traveling. Traveling there and back was probably the most annoying part about it as it was a complete rush or sitting around for hours. But despite that I would highly recommend it and think it’s worth putting your name down for.
Cdt Cpl Robinson, Barnsley detachment
Being able to go to Cyprus was by far the best opportunity I have ever had and was where I made the best memories that will last with me forever from the people I was with to all the amazing activities we did. A best bit for me was when we visited the Ammunition technicians and was taught all about the kit they use and what they do from day to day, surprisingly
they let us try on their kit and showed us how to use their big robot. However, the part that was better than all of this was the friendships I made that will last a lifetime as I met people from other companies I never thought I would.
CADET REVIEW SPRING 2022 43