Page 182 - The Rifles Bugle Autumn 2019

Col Peter Bates OBE
Ten Tors 2018
Cadets from the Somerset Cadet Battalion (The Rifles) competing in the national Athletics – Grantham
DESPITE BEING DOGGED BY INCLEMENT WEATHER AND OTHER SETBACKS, THE TEAMS PURSUED THEIR GOALS
180 CADET FORCES
Col Peter Bates OBE our new Commandant arrived like a whirlwind, in April 2018, determined to set the world on fire and almost succeeded. He found his new ‘day job’ as Director SW, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity required 100% of his time and after a year reluctantly stood down. Col Rupert Elliott, who we know well, is his successor. Annual Camp 2018 was at Castlemartin Camp, where skills and abilities were stretched to limits in a variety of ways from kayaking to exercising on the Castlemartin Training Area and shooting on Penally ranges.
Salamanca Company again ran the team for The Rifles National Cadet Competition consisting of a 50:50 mix of male and female cadets. Half were from last year’s team half newcomers. It worked well; some stands were demonstrations of techniques, rather than tests, adding to the training benefit of the weekend. The team shot on the 25m Air Rifle Range, took part in minefield clearance Tests, conducted an OP stand, and a section attack where all were thoroughly tested. The Saturday night exercise was halted as torrential rain hit the
training area. Beforehand teams exercised in the Urban Training Complex. Sadly the bad weather finished proceedings. We disappointed not to finish in the first three teams. Successful Fieldcraft training takes place throughout the county, all following the APC Syllabus. In June 2019 Normandy Coy using their Coy FTX as a route for prospective Rifles Cup competitors planned ‘outside the box’. Cadets had access to Night Vision Aids, PRC-710 Radios and PRC-343 Personal Role Radios (PRR) as well as vast quantities of blank ammunition, thanks to 5 RIFLES, in and around Imber.
After the success of the 2017 canoe expedition to Scotland a new team, again led by SI Rob Evered, one of Somerset’s qualified canoeists, undertook a 54km unsupported canoe expedition up Lough Erne in Northern Ireland in late May. Despite being dogged by inclement weather and other setbacks, the teams pursued their goals. Cadets gained huge self-confidence added practical skills and worked really well as a team.
Exercise Science in Action. STEM - Science, THE RIFLES
Somerset Army Cadet Force