Page 9 - Cadet Review Autumn 2021

WING SHOOTING OFFICER SCOOTS SOUTH
Squadron Leader Steve Parkes, the Wing Shooting Officer has had to reluctantly depart from Wing duties as his work has moved him to Sussex. Before he left he said: “I've been a commissioned officer with the RAFAC for 8 years with my first role being Squadron Adjutant to 266 Stockton Squadron before talking command of the same squadron a year later. During my time at Stockton, we were nominated as the North Region Lees trophy representatives and came 4th overall in the country. I still have the letter sent from the then Commandant thanking my team, cadets and I for the considerable progress I had made at the squadron during my tenure.
At the same time as being OC Stockton Squadron, I was the Wing Deputy Shooting Officer, in addition to being an instructor with the North Region
Small Arms Training Team. In 2017 I transferred
my primary role to the North Region Small Arms Training Team. During this time, I helped develop the new course folder for the RAFAC Skill At Arms Instructor course. This involved working very closely with the ACF at CTC Frimley Park, the Training Standards Support Team at HQAC and ARTAT SASC. This new course was successfully rolled out Corps wide in 2019 with North SATT delivering one of the first courses in the country. For my work during this time, I was awarded a Commandant's Citation and the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire’s award.
In January 2020 I transferred back to the Wing into the role of Shooting Officer following the promotion of the former shooting officer.
I remained on the North Region SATT at
the same time in order to continue the development and delivery of the SAAI course. Unfortunately, during this time, we encountered the COVID pandemic, and I was unable to undertake any plans I had for my new role.
For the past 3 years and during lockdown
I have been training at Sunderland
University to be a Paramedic, graduating
in August this year. This has been a very
tough time attempting to study and undertake placements whilst in the grasp of a global pandemic. Now that I have finished my course,
I have been employed by the Southeast Coast Ambulance Service and am therefore relocating to the South Coast. This also means a new role for
me withing the RAFAC. I have a new posting with
the TSST team based at HQAC. This role supports the delivery of specialist training teams within the RAFAC helping develop the staff and course material that is used to train our Adult Volunteers in shooting qualifications.
I will always have fond memories of my time within North Region, and take the lessons I have
It was an unforgettable experience and I would highly recommend it to any cadets who given the same chance!
learned with me to my new role to hopefully better support our volunteers in delivering first class opportunities and training to our cadets."
Squadron Leader Parkes was presented with a small token of the appreciation of the Wing by
the Officer Commanding, and his predecessor as
Shooting Officer, Wing Commander Aaron Waters, at the last
event he attended in September.
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