Page 177 - The Rifles Bugle Autumn 2019

Gloucestershire ACF
Gloucestershire ACF (GACF) has had an inter- esting year, starting with Annual Camp 18 at Bally- kinler Northern Ireland. GACF is one of the first ACFs to visit Northern Ireland since it was added to the potential Annual Camps list for ACFs. The battalion was very well supported by 2 RIFLES and the cadets had a great opportunity for training and visits to some unique places such as the Giants Causeway.
This year has seen a number of arrivals and departures and we say farewell to Lt Col John Cave TD and welcome Lt Col Tony Ayres as our new Deputy Commandant. Numbers are slowly rising in the battalion, both cadets and adults. This will significantly enhance our capabilities and our ability to deliver the Cadet Experience to a wider cross section of Gloucestershire youth.
This year we continue to deliver already a wide cross section of training and opportunities to our cadets including all APC subjects. As ever field- craft and skill at arms are always popular. Although, as with all ACF units, we have faced constraints regarding the re-classification of our DP weapons, we have adapted and overcome so that we continue to deliver SAA training as required.
The county is also very focussed on working with our communities and supported Glouces- tershire and Racing Remembers at Cheltenham Racecourse as part of the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice where we marched up the racecourse as part of a 300+ parade where the Princess Royal took the Salute. This was a unique occasion that our adults and cadet will always remember.
We also supported the Annual Back Badge day parade and Armed Forces Day in Gloucester. Alongside these larger events there is a perpetual set of smaller, but equally important community events that keep us in the public eye, including bag packing and collecting for charities.
One of the highlights this year was a sponsored walk organised by one of our cadets with the aim of walking 65 miles through the night from Gloucester to Weston-super-Mare in aid of SSAFA. We’re pleased to announce the cadets succeeded in this incredible endeavour, completing the whole route in around 18 hours! We can also report that thanks to all the support they received, the cadets have surpassed their original fundraising goal of £900, raising nearly £1100.
At the time of writing a group of cadets are on a GACF expedition TIGER VENTURER SPIRIT 2019, an alpine climb to ascend Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria. This event was supported by The Ulysses Trust as well as the cadets themselves.
Preparations are now running full speed for this year’s annual camp which will be at St Martins Plain, Folkstone where we are all looking forward to a full programme of military and adventurous training as well as local visits to places of interest.
THE COUNTY IS ALSO VERY FOCUSSED ON WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES
AS EVER FIELDCRAFT AND SKILL AT ARMS ARE ALWAYS POPULAR
Section of GACF break Contact in a Gloucestershire wood
Cadets fully engaging with the locals
SAA training for Annual Camp No matter the difficulties – we overcome them!
THE RIFLES
CADET FORCES 175
A young Gloucestershire cadet living the dream!