Page 45 - Cadet Review Spring 2022

Cadet Force Medal Clasp Awarded
Squadron Leader David Walker was awarded
the Second Clasp to
the Cadet Force Medal recently. After leaving the RAF on completion of 12 years engagement and starting his next career with CANON UK, he found he had time to volunteer with the local authority Duke of Edinburgh's Award unit, who could use his mountain walking experience to train and supervise young people undertaking expeditions.
At the time he held a
Joint Services Mountain
Expedition Leaders Unit
Expedition Leader (UEL).
Working from Grove Road
School, in Harrogate, he
used to coach Bronze to
Gold standard expedition
skills. Somewhere along the way he was asked to help the surrounding ATC squadrons and was eventually cajoled, in 1994, into joining his former Squadron as a Civilian Instructor at Harrogate.
He was subsequently commissioned in October 1995 as a Pilot Officer and during his uniformed career he attended the Initial Officers Course and was then appointed as the Training Officer of 58 (Harrogate) Squadron.
Keeping up the mountain walking side of his activities he attended a Mountain Activities Assessment in November 1997, and had been promoted to Flying Officer in October 1997. Not one to stand still he took command of 2487 (Easingwold) Squadron in February 1998, attended the Senior Officers Course, and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in July 1998.
It was all change in September 1998 when he moved back to 58 Squadron as Officer Commanding. In amongst all this he received the RFCA Letter of Appreciation, Commandant Air Cadets Commendation of Meritorious Service and the Licentiateship Award - Youth Leadership and Training and the Cadet Force Medal in January 2009.
Squadron leader Walker was appointed as a Wing Staff Officer in February 2007 and promoted to Squadron Leader in December 2007 and received a Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate in March 2013. His current role is as Adult Staff Development for the Wing.
He said; “I've had plenty of enlightening outdoor experiences and so many smiles while a member of the Air Cadets. With that in mind, my latest VENTURE ADVENTURE was to complete the Lyke Wake Walk (41 miles) across the North York Moors from Osmotherley to Ravenscar, in just 18 hours (without support). The award of my second clasp to the CFM is yet another 'smile' along the route!”
Congratulations, very well deserved.
The cadets with Squadron Leader David Walker, Flight Lieutenant Carl
Alsop, Civilian Instructor Stephen Pearson and Pilot Officer Jake Reed
BRONZE
LEADERSHIP
TRAINING
By Sergeant Imali Perera
On Saturday 9th October Cadets William Kneeshaw, Daniel Robinson, Oliver Muir, Mieszko Lichtarowicz, together with Corporal Abigail Salt and Sergeant Imali Perera took part in Bronze Leadership at York Squadron, under the direction of Flight Lieutenant Carl Alsop. We went through four presentations consisting of Basics of Leadership, Approaches to Leadership, Implementing Leadership and Delivering Leadership.
Once we had completed the presentations we had to attempt the practical side of the leadership. Cadet Kneeshaw's task was to get the equipment which consisted of an oil drum, ammo crates, rope and planks of wood, across the lava heated ground without touching it by using the wooden planks and with touching the oil drum using only rope. Cadet Robinson's task was to get the equipment which were 2 planks of wood, a bundle of rope
and an ammo crate, but only the ammo crates were allowed to touch the floor, there were ammo crates dotted
across the lava to use to get across.
Cadet Lichtarowicz’s task was to get an orchid in an ammo crate across the lava but the orchid had to be kept at waist height to keep it away from the heat. We had
to use 3 tyres and planks
to get across the lava.
However, both teams
struggled with the task
because the tyres
would bend when
they were stood on.
At the end of the practical tasks
we all took a test on what we had learnt during the day, once they were marked we all found out that we had passed.
CADET REVIEW SPRING 2022 45