Army Cadet Volunteer autumn 2016

ARMY CADET VOLUNTEER G O I N G

Autumn 2016

F U R T H E R

armycadets.com

PARADE PRACTICE GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR CADETS

LIFE SKILLS 10 things CFAVs have learnt the hard way Page 26

WORK IN PROGRESS HELPING EMPLOYERS UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THE ACF

KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY There’s no place like home for recruiting new members

INSIDE: NEWS

HOW TO ENGAGE PARENTS INSURANCE TOP TIPS PRO DAY IN THE LIFE

ISSUE #5: AUTUMN 2016

W E LC O M E

I’ve spent most of this summer visiting cadet camps across the UK meeting commandants and their teams. It was great to see senior generals dropping in on camps too, showing how the regular Army appreciates the Army Cadet Force.

One senior officer reckoned he had met a future Army sergeant major!

This autumn we have a STEM camp between 24-28 October on SPTA with places for 70 cadets who are interested in science in action.

The syllabus has been supported by science teachers and is based on in-service equipment such as field artillery and the Apache helicopter.

We are looking at how we implement the Project LIBRA findings; the cadet attitude survey will go live shortly; we are starting a review of the ACF syllabus under Ian Holmes; and the tentative date for the new radio contract award is the 15 December.

Finally, I pay the ACF’s deepest respects to the family of Lt Col Chris Booth, who died unexpectedly at the age of 48. He did a huge amount for cadets and has left an enormous gap in both his family and London’s South East Sector. He was a commandant in the making and we will miss him greatly.

BRIGADIER MATTHEW LOWE MBE Deputy Commander Cadets, Regional Command

CONTENTS 12

18

21

EVERY ISSUE 04. THE BRIEFING Army Cadet news round-up

08. THE DRILL

It’s something we both love and can get involved with together Lt Diane Barmby, Relative Values p14

Ideas, advice and comment

26. NUMBER-OFF! 10 things CFAVs learnt the hard way

28. STEPPING UP Awards and promotions

30. ACF POLICY Update on ACF issues

32. IN THE FIELD Your photos from ACF events

34. DAY IN THE LIFE Podiatrist and PRO Clare Lomas

THIS ISSUE 12. COMMAND TASKS Team-building tasks to try with your detachment

14. RELATIVE VALUES CFAVs and cadets keeping it in the family

18. PROUD TO PARADE Striking the right balance on drill and parade

21. MAKE IT WORK Helping employers to understand the value of ACF

24. GOT IT COVERED Find out more about how insurance protects cadets and CFAVs on ACF activities

ON THE COVER Proud To Parade Make It Work Relative Values Cover image Middlesex and North West London ACF annual camp, Pembrokeshire

GO FURTHER Help shape the ACF’s new skills development programme with our online survey: bit.ly/2c4pi01

Army Cadet Volunteer is produced by the ACF Marketing and Communications team, based at the Army Cadet Force Association: Holderness House, 51-61 Clifton Street, London EC2A 4DW Get in touch: Tel: 020 7426 8377 Fax: 020 7426 8378 Website: www.armycadets.com Email: marketing@armycadets.com Facebook: facebook.com/ Armycadetforce Twitter: @ArmyCadetsUK Army Cadet Volunteer magazine is designed and edited by James Pembroke Publishing

Printed by PrecisionColour Printing This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or in part without prior written permission of the publishers. All contents and addresses correct at time of going to press. Every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, but neither James Pembroke Publishing or ACFA can be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequences arising from it. Views expressed by contributors might not reflect the views of the ACF or the Army.

Editor: Carly Chynoweth Art editor: Simon Goddard Project manager: Esther Newman

ARMYCADETS.COM 3

THE BRIEFING ARMY CADET NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK

BELOW: Jordan Beecher competes for Team GB at the Invictus Games TOP RIGHT: The probationary instructor is presented with his detachment t-shirt, as chosen by cadets BOTTOM RIGHT: Jordan with his team at the Invictus Games

ROLE MODEL

OXFORDSHIRE CFAV WINS GOLD

CONCERT

Cadet performance

SEE MORE Flash

Follow Jordan’s next challenge: rowing the Atlantic as part of Row2Recovery’s Team Trident @R2R321

Jordan Beecher wins his second gold medal at the Invictus Games in Orlando

O

xfordshire ACF’s Jordan Beecher won his second Invictus Games gold medal in Orlando earlier this year.

Jordan, who was injured by an IED while serving with The Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan in 2012, won his first gold medal at the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014 after undergoing a year of rehabilitation at DRMC Headley Court.

The former cadet, now a volunteer at Abingdon

4 ACF AUTUMN 2016

detachment, won the endurance indoor rowing event, and broke his own record by 15 metres.

Jordan, who has also rowed for Team GB, has become a role model for ACF cadets. 2Lt Deborah Major said: “Jordan is an amazing person. He has become an integral member of our team and the cadets love him.”

Jordan said: “Having been in the Army Cadet Force as a child I had a vague idea

of what it involved and I thought my experience in the Army would put me in really good stead.”

He credits the ACF with helping him gain a place on the Troops to Teachers scheme in September to become a secondary school teacher. “The ACF provided me with an insight into what it is like to train and teach young people and has reinforced the confidence I had when I was in the Army,” he added.

IN JUNE the Band and Bugles of Durham Army Cadet Force joined 350 fellow musicians as part of a special two-night performance by the Massed Bands and Bugles of the Rifles at Horse Guards Parade in London.

The event, which was last organised in 1993, celebrates riflemen past and present with a 90-minute performance combining an array of military music.

The Band and Bugles of Durham ACF was joined by Somerset ACF Silver Bugles Band for the performance. It was also invited to parade alongside the Band and Bugles of the Rifles and The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas, as well as military bands from Germany and Canada.

Over the course of the two nights the performance was seen by more than 10,000 spectators, including HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Duke of Kent.

The Band and Bugles of Durham ACF perform in the finale of the Rifles Sounding Retreat

GET IN TOUCH E: marketing@armycadets.com facebook.com/Armycadetforce @ArmyCadetsUK cadetsarmy

THE BRIEFING

ACF AWARDS

The following have been recognised for their commitment and dedication to the ACF CADET FORCE MEDAL

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Finalists abroad CVQO Duke of Westminster Award expedition to South Africa 2016 FOUR ACF cadets were among 10 national finalists in this year’s CVQO Duke of Westminster Award. The award, which recognises cadets who display community spirit, overcome adversity or help others, is now in its 13th year.

All finalists spent two weeks in South Africa learning about the country, including its history, nature and people.

The group learnt about the Anglo-Zulu War from up high on Isandlwana Hill, renovated a community centre in Kosi Bay near the Mozambican border, and studied the South African ecosystem while sharing a campsite with zebras and impalas.

The awards, which are open to cadets from all of the cadet forces,

open for nominations in November.

Any cadet meeting the age criteria who has enrolled on or completed a CVQO-led BTEC Level 2 in Teamwork and Personal Development in the Community or Music for Practical Performance is eligible for a nomination.

Successful nominees attend a four-day selection event where the national finalists are chosen and rewarded with a trip to South Africa and a lunch at the House of Lords, where the overall winner is announced.

The 2016 ACF finalists were Sophie Groves (Hampshire and IOW ACF), Melissa Tap (Dorset ACF), Liam Forbes (Durham ACF) and Dempsey Brown (2nd Northern Ireland Bn ACF).

B A C K I N T H E D AY : BANTAM BATTALIONS WHEN WORLD WAR I began recruits had to be at least 160cm tall (5 feet 3 inches).

The MP for Cheshire thought this was crazy and raised his own company – the 15th Battalion, 1st Birkenhead – of men between 140 and 160cm tall, named the Bantams. This led to many more such battalions being set up. Many developed a reputation for being fierce fighters – as well as for the high numbers of youngsters who lied about their ages to enlist in them.

LT CAPT LT COL LT LT 2LT CAPT LT LT 2LT MAJ LT CAPT SMI SSI SSI SSI SI SSI SMI SSI SMI SI SSI SSI SMI SSI SMI SI SSI SMI SMI SSI SI SMI SMI CAPT CAPT CAPT LT SMI SMI SMI SI SSI SI SI SMI SI SSI LT MAJ CAPT 2LT LT LT LT CAPT CAPT LT

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CAPT LT MAJ SMI SMI SSI SSI SSI SMI SMI CAPT LT REV CF3 LT MAJ MAJ CAPT RSMI SMI SMI SSI SSI LT COL CAPT LT COL MAJ CAPT

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LT COL SSI SMI SSI SMI LT CAPT SMI SMI SSI SMI SMI CAPT

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MAJ MAJ COL LT COL LT COL COL CAPT COL MAJ CAPT CAPT CAPT

MN M IR HN CL KJ CH RAP B RS SD GJ IR

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2ND CLASP KNIGHT MBE DANIELS DIDD MUIRHEAD PARKER DAVISON GODFREY PARKER PETRIE SMITH BRISBANE MURRAY MCALLISTER 3RD CLASP CHALFONT KNIGHT MBE MACDONALD STAMBOULIEH WILLIAMS KNUTTON SHARWOOD-SMITH WOOD HUME LOCKHART MATTHEWS RICHARDS THREADER

4TH CLASP

1ST CLASP BURKE GALLAGHER MCMORRAN ANGUS BARKAT BARNSHAW BINKS CURTIS JOHNSON MCLEAN

MUNRO REDRGRAVE WELCH COE COYSTON HARVEY HAYWARD HOLLOWAY JACKSON KIRKPATRICK BRADSHAW HEARTH JONES MASON MITCHELL PENNY WILLIAMS BROWN CANDLER NOBLE RATTLE STALKER POTTS YOUNG BOWLES BROWN HOBBS

MCCLEERY

5TH CLASP MAYBERRY JOHN

6TH CLASP GERRISH MBE

FOR A FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS VISIT ARMYCADETS.COM/ACFAWARDS

ARMYCADETS.COM 5

THE BRIEFING

Richard Edwards of Gloucestershire ACF has become a second lieutenant

IN THE MEDIA

ACF luminaries making headlines Cadet Force Commissioning Board to become an ACF officer with the rank of second lieutenant.

Some of the original menus and tabs have been moved and are now easier to navigate Cadets from Durham ACF raised £866 for a local charity

The new Westminster navigation bar

New features will make Westminster more intuitive to use

WESTMINSTER

NEW LOOK FOR WESTMINSTER Westminster gets a new user interface for use across computers and mobile devices

T

he ACF’s management information system, Westminster, has been updated to work on mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop computers for the first time.

This means it will now fit to the web browser on the device that you are using.

The old user interface was around a decade old and was looking very dated. The new user interface is quicker and lighter, making it much easier to use. Searches – in fact, the entire application – now run much faster.

The new user interface has a range of new features such as “freeze pane” headers on interactive reports and a new live support button, allowing users to “chat” to

6 ACF AUTUMN 2016

helpdesk staff from within the application. The menus will also now offer more intuitive features.

Westminster is now more accessible to visually impaired users who rely on screen readers, as well as being compliant with other contrast guidelines.

The new interface doesn’t change the functionality of the system. Access to Westminster hasn’t changed – it is still accessed through the Defence Gateway – but you can now use it with more devices.

For a short time users will be able to select the “classic view” option in order to return to the old interface, but this will be phased out soon.

Durham ACF: Cadets from Jarrow and Hebburn detachments helped customers in Morrisons to pack their shopping and collected donations for St Clare’s Hospice in South Tyneside.

The 15 cadets raised £866 for the local charity, reported The Shields Gazette.

Lincolnshire ACF: The Lincolnshire Echo featured the Lincolnshire ACF band, which played at a memorial service to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. The event, which remembered those who served in the former Lincolnshire Regiment, included a reading of a message from the Queen.

Cumbria ACF: SSI Lou Stalker featured in the West Morland Gazette when she retired from Kendal detachment after 18 years as an adult volunteer. Lou was presented with the Lord Lieutenant’s Certificate of Merit by the Mayor of Kendal, Councillor Stephen Coleman.

Gloucestershire ACF: South West Business reported on the success of Richard Edwards as he passed the

Yorkshire (North and West) ACF: Cadets and adult volunteers from A Company helped their team to defend their title as champions at the Yorkshire (North and West) ACF County Shooting Championships. Members of A Coy won 18 medals between them, reported the Scarborough News.

The Lincolnshire ACF band play to remember the Battle of the Somme

Northumbria ACF: Cadets from Amble and Broomhill detachments appeared in the Northumberland Gazette for their hard work tidying the grounds of a local care home. The cadets helped with weeding, digging and planting flowers at Dolphin View.

Cadets from Cheshire ACF help tidy up the grounds of a local care home

THE BRIEFING

M AK E IT WOR K Learn how to get employers to support CFAVS page 21

NATIONAL COMPETITION RESULTS Results for athletics, hockey and tug of war

N AT I O N A L AT H L E T I C S C H A M P I O N S H I P S Junior Boys 2nd 3rd

Intermediate Boys 2nd 3rd

Senior Boys

3rd

National Girls’ Hockey The ACF National Girls’ Hockey Championships 2016 took place at Imphal Barracks, York on Saturday 2 July. Seven teams competed at the event which saw a close final, with 38 Bde winning in sudden death.

2nd 3rd

HQ South West 11 Inf Bde 11 Sig Bde

1st 2nd 3rd

7 Inf Bde 4 Inf Bde 11 Inf Bde

Senior Girls

4 Inf Bde 7 Inf Bde LONDIST

2nd

1st

Intermediate Girls

7 Inf Bde 4 Inf Bde 11 Sig Bde

1st

1st

National Athletics Eight regional teams took part in the 2016 ACF National Athletics Championships, which were held at the Meres Sports Stadium in Grantham, Lincolnshire on Saturday 11 June. An amazing five new national records were achieved at the event.

Junior Girls

51 Inf Bde HQ South West 7 Inf Bde

1st

1st 2nd 3rd

4 Inf Bde 7 Inf Bde 51 Inf Bde

OVERALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

7 Inf Bde

N AT I O N A L G I R L S ’ H O C KE Y NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: 38 BDE FINAL

38 Bde

1

4 Inf Bde

0

versus

2nd 3rd 5th

4 Inf Bde 7 Inf Bde (A) & 51 Inf Bde HQ South West

6th 7th

7 Inf Bde (B) 11 Inf Bde

SEMI FINAL 1

4 Inf Bde

2

7 Inf Bde (A)

0

versus

SEMI FINAL 2

38 Bde

5

51 Inf Bde

0

versus

N AT I O N A L T U G O F W A R Eight boys’ teams and five girls’ teams competed against each other in this year’s ACF National Tug of War Championships, which were also held at Imphal Barracks in York on Saturday 2 July.

BOYS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS HQ South West (A) GIRLS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 7 Inf Bde (B) FINAL BOYS HQ South West (A) 3 versus 7 Inf Bde (A) 0

FINAL GIRLS 7 Inf Bde (B) versus 7 Inf Bde (A)

3 0

SEMI FINAL BOYS HQ South West (A) 3 versus 38 Bde (A) 0 7 Inf Bde (A) versus 7 Inf Bde (B)

COMPETITION

Cadets on film THE ACF IS launching a new video competition that offers cadets and detachments the chance to win equipment vouchers and a Wilkinson Sword award.

“We’re looking for short, punchy videos that capture cadet activities and illustrate the benefits of being part of the ACF,” said Valerie McBurney, Head of ACF Marketing and Communications.

“There are four categories: ‘How to…’ videos; ACF adventures; stories about detachment activities; and ACF ‘brand’ stories illustrating the themes of challenges, fun, friendship, action and adventure.”

An expert panel will judge the videos, with those judged excellent (Gold) or highly commended (Silver Gilt) being featured on the ACF’s website and/or YouTube pages, while the winners will receive certificates.

The top videos will then be judged by PROs at the annual PRO conference and the top videos from a cadet and a detachment given a Wilkinson Sword award and a prize of vouchers to be spent on equipment.

3 0

SEMI FINAL GIRLS 7 Inf Bde (B) 3 versus HQ South West (A) 0 7 Inf Bde (A) versus 7 Inf Bde (B)

3 0

Win vouchers in the ACF video competition

ARMYCADETS.COM 7

THE DRILL TIPS, ADVICE AND COMMENT

YOUR Flash STORIES

Write to us with your news and stories at editor@army cadets.com O N LY I N T H E M O V I E S

WAR HORSE MISSED MOUSTACHES AND MADE-UP CHARGES IN THIS MODERN CLASSIC

5

WAR HORSE gets the

MINUTE SPRUCE UP

A quick briefing before meeting the public will ensure cadets are excellent ambassadors, says Captain Charlotte Sawyer, 2IC, A Company, Hampshire and Isle of Wight ACF

uniforms right down to the last button; it even incorporates the appropriate changes as the war progresses. What it doesn’t do, however, is show battlefield tactics with any great accuracy, according to military historian William Philpott in History Today.

It shows a cavalry charge at Ypres, where there wasn’t one.

“Cavalrymen fought dismounted as infantrymen, with rifles.”

B E P RE PA RE D , B E AWA RE

Near the end of the movie it shows the Second Battle of the Somme being fought with outdated techniques, such as

M

ake sure that cadets have been given a proper briefing well before the event. Whenever cadets are going to be involved in an activity that includes interacting with the public they need to be told about it in advance.

This should cover all the usual information: safety, behavioural standards, proper uniform and so forth. When they are walking up and down the high street, they should stay in small groups, and at big events they should be with at least one other cadet.

Encourage them to answer questions about what they do, but they don’t have to answer

8 ACF AUTUMN 2016

questions that make them uncomfortable. For instance, if someone asks them about politics or about current conflicts, they should direct that person to a member of staff.

Just before the event give them a quick refresher course using these A-E pointers: Awareness. Be mindful of people and traffic.

Behaviour. If someone from outside my organisation saw this behaviour, would they consider it acceptable?

Champion. Talk about what you like about the ACF. Dress. Make sure you’re well turned out.

Engage. Enjoy yourself and the event.

a massed charge with rifle and bayonet. However, by that stage, it had been replaced by “modern infantry tactics in which small groups of men fought with specialised weapons”, he says.

Other errors, pointed out on moviemistakes.com, include cavalry charging infantry with swords at shoulder height, and officers with bare upper lips despite the fact that, until 1916, regulations required them to wear a moustache.

THE DRILL

R EL ATIV E VA LUES

Meet the volunteers who keep it in the family page 14

HOW TO : ENGAGE PARENT VOLUNTEERS

E

ngaging parents with the ACF is just the first step on a journey that ultimately could see them getting involved as civilian assistants – or even adult volunteers. Lt Vicky Robinson, the PRO at Kent ACF, shares her tips.

Hold an open evening. This is a chance for potential cadets, and their parents, to find out what the ACF involves. Make the event fun, perhaps by encouraging cadets to do a mock casualty evacuation (they love fake blood, plus it’s a chance to promote first aid) or getting the adults cammed up. Hand out flyers in shops and schools – get permission first – to promote the event.

Get CAs to speak up. Ask one of your civilian assistants to talk to parents about their role in the ACF. Parents of cadets are often eager to help out where they can, but find the time commitment of becoming a CFAV a hurdle.

Emphasise education. Explain to parents that the ACF teaches from a proper syllabus, and that cadets will learn everything from navigation and history to first aid and adventurous training – it’s not all about war games and shooting.

Make council connections. Many mayors are very supportive of cadets.

Parents like to know what their children are learning

DO YOU MEASURE UP?

BUILD A BASHA Lt Vicky Robinson, PRO at Kent ACF

They and their fellow councillors can be a significant source of support; for instance, they may allow you to put a notice about an upcoming cadet open evening or other event on the council’s website.

ONE OF THE first things cadets learn in fieldcraft lessons after joining the ACF is how to construct an improvised shelter, or basha, using a single piece of material. Depending on the weather and the terrain, there are a variety of ways to make your temporary shelter while out in the field, but how quickly do you think you – or your cadets – could do it?

Guardsman Adam Swan of 1st Battalion, Irish Guards shows new Army recruits how to build a basha in three minutes in this YouTube video: bit.ly/2afLM7F

Use social media. Parents love to find out more about what cadets are doing through our Facebook page. The social networking site, and others such as Twitter and Instagram, makes it easy for us to share updates about our latest activities. It’s particularly welcome during camp, as it reassures parents that their children are happy and well.

W H A T T O D O I F. . . …WINTER IS COMING A bit of preparation will help CFAVs and cadets make the most of winter, says SI Phil Swadling, Newmarket detachment commander, Cambridgeshire ACF. BOOK OUTSIDE EXPERTS Last year we visited the local fire brigade on a wet day.

This year we’ve arranged for someone from the ambulance service to come, give a talk and show us the AED (Automated External Defibrillator).

DO SOME DIY We use dry weather to get jobs done – things like painting, cleaning, repairing windows and tidying up outside.

TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS We’re lucky enough to have a large drill hall, so we can do quite a lot of PT indoors in bad weather. Another option would be to see if you can share or access facilities that will let you do that once or twice a month over winter – it will help cadets to prepare for camp.

HIT THE CLASSROOM No one wants to waste a sunny day inside. Use winter as a chance for cadets to learn theory.

PLAN FOR SPRING Make time over winter for cadets to help develop the coming year’s community plan. That gives you time to get started when the weather improves.

THE DRILL

GOT IT COV ER ED Find out about the insurance services provided by ACFA page 24

Gina Clarke right) and Sam Pidoux will be bringing new skills to the PR training team

PROFILE

Sandra Nicholson

NEW PROGRAMME

UPDATES TO THE ACF’S PR TRAINING TEAM

T

he American oil tycoon John Rockefeller once said “Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to tell people you are doing the right thing”. For more than 25 years the ACF’s PR training team has been helping county PROs to do just that.

This year sees another stage in the evolution of that team with its head, Lt Col Steve Taylor, announcing at the national PR conference in June that he would be stepping down after 21 years. During his time in office PR has shifted from the typewriter and film era into the digital age, meaning that the training programme has had to adjust and adapt.

The team’s incoming head, Maj Douglas Brown, who has been part of the PR training team for more than a decade and runs his own PR consultancy, said that there are exciting developments in the pipeline.

10 ACF AUTUMN 2016

He said: “With Steve’s departure we have lost a huge amount of expertise and our training has always been built on the knowledge and experience of industry professionals. My first task, therefore, is to bring in some new trainers. Sam Pidoux and Gina Clarke will be joining us to pass on the skills and knowledge they gained as PR lecturers at The University of Lincoln and in their careers as freelance consultants in digital PR and broadcast.

“We will also be expanding our digital media training with a revamped digital media course and a brand new digital content generation workshop, both of which will run twice next year.”

The final touches are being put to the revamped programme, in which every one of the seven courses is being refreshed and updated. New PR training course dates will be live on Westminster from September.

LT COL SANDRA NICHOLSON has plenty to keep her busy in her role as deputy commandant of Devon ACF – not to mention her day job at City of Bristol College – but she’s recently taken on even more thanks to her new role as the ACF’s Cadet and the Community advisor.

“I already look after adult training and development, so my new duties link together nicely,” she said.

Her job will be to develop the syllabus, to ensure that community engagement is embedded into the ACF, and to look at how the organisation can promote its values to the community more broadly.

“I have three priorities,” said Sandra, a former cadet with more than 20 years’ experience as an adult volunteer.

“The first is to revamp the Cadet and the Community syllabus, so that it is relevant and easy to understand.

“My second priority is to ensure maximum linkage between the syllabus and established national accredited awards. That way when cadets pass their Cadet and the Community one star module, for instance, their efforts would also be recognised with an Inspired Award in England, a Saltire Award in Scotland, or a Millennium Volunteers award in Wales or Northern Ireland.”

Sandra’s third priority is building a national understanding of the ACF’s standards and how they connect with its charter and its aim of helping to develop cadets as good citizens.

THE DRILL

GETCONNECTED

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CADETS HELP FORGE CAREER FOR NAOMI I wish to express my sincere gratitude to your officers for all the help and support they have given to my daughter Naomi.

I'm delighted to advise you Naomi passed her Army Selection at Palace Barracks with a grade A today and is absolutely delighted.

Naomi joined cadets four years ago, setting out to achieve her dream of joining the British Army, despite having to overcome a very serious illness, which saw her isolated from her friends for more than two years.

With the patience, guidance and never-ending support she has received from your officers during her time at cadets, today she is one step closer to achieving her dream.

Naomi has had, and continues to have, the most amazing experience at cadets, making lifelong friends, learning new skills, being taught real values and respect for others, which are important to her as she embarks on her chosen career.

Naomi has been privileged during her cadet career to represent 1NI BN ACF with pride in Connaught, Canada, last year and currently holds the position of Lord Lieutenant Cadet for Fermanagh – both of which are amazing and outstanding achievements. Seven years ago we never thought she would be able to do this, but she has done it with all of the guidance and support she has received while in Enniskillen Detachment.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to your officers, who have supported Naomi and helped her become the focused and determined young lady she is today, and who I am very proud to call my daughter.

We asked you: With #ACFAnnualCamp season in full swing, what is your best memory of an ACF camp?

Philip Kendrick Being promoted to CSM, Nescliff ’97 Francisco Mesias Playing enemy at Yardley for all the cadets; coach ride there and back. Riding in the back of the 7.5 tonners to 222 field ambulance weekender. And the list goes on… happy days.

Megan Fenwick Warcop camp 2015.

Loved being involved in everything!

Best part Warcop warrior! Also the Go Ape Lightwater Valley.

Naomi has overcome obstacles to pass her Army Selection

I’d like to pass on my sincerest appreciation and thanks to everyone who continues to support Naomi and us as a family; expressing particular thanks to Sergeant Keith Ogle and Major Bill Scott.

I'll never be able to thank everyone individually, but they are all amazing people.

WITH THANKS

Donnella Meade

Mother of Cdt Cpl Naomi Crawford of Enniskillen Detachment

Email received by Col David Kane, Cadet Commandant 1st Northern Ireland Battalion ACF.

GET IN TOUCH Send your letters, comments and ideas for future conversation starters to marketing@armycadets.com

Phil Stout Every Annual Camp during my 23 years service in the ACF were all as good as each other for several differing reasons.

TOP TWEETS ACF in the Twittersphere @1hldrsacf Some... unique? #Camouflage from #Ross Coy @ ArmyCadetsUK at the Cam & Concealment #Fieldcraft #ACFAnnualCamp @Angusdundeeacf The feeling of achievement when you get to the top on exped @ ArmyCadetsUK #acf #achieve #team @Bethan_F Tonight I taught military knowledge & tested first aid. All after a crazy day in work. #tired #loveit

ARMYCADETS.COM 11

Cadets from Wiltshire ACF work together to build a chair

DID YOU KNOW? 1,875 cadets took part in ACF national sports competitions in 2015-2016

1 An adult volunteer evaluates the cadets’ building skills

Cadets assess how they are going to rebuild The Beast

2

CFAVs from Wiltshire ACF give a debrief after the task has been completed

1

12 ACF AUTUMN 2016

2

TEAM BUILDING

1

Toy Company 2 The Beast

COMMAND TASKS THE EARL OF WESSEX RECENTLY OBSERVED CADETS FROM DOWNTON DETACHMENT, WILTSHIRE ACF, AT AN EVENT TO CELEBRATE THE DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD

1

TOY COMPANY Equipment: MTa kit, which includes plastic components, pencils and paper Time: Five minutes planning and designing, 10 minutes building, five minutes debrief Where: Indoors or outdoors Aim: The team must build a chair for a fouryear-old from the equipment provided Benefits: Promotes planning, leadership, decision-making, teamwork and consideration of health and safety issues Instructions and results: After laying the available equipment on the ground, brief the cadets that they work for a small toy company and have been tasked with designing and building a solid chair suitable for a four-year-old child to sit on unsupported. During the planning phase they can only use the pencil and paper.

After the build phase, instructors should compare the finished product to the original plan. Have they followed their plan? Have there been any changes? If so, why, and who made that decision?

Make it harder: The target age for the chair could be increased, requiring a larger, more complex construction

HAVE THEY FOLLOWED THEIR PLAN? HAVE THERE BEEN ANY CHANGES? IF SO, WHY?

2

THE BEAST Equipment: Plumbers’ pipes and joints; mine tape to mark off the area; bottomless bucket, tyres or similar suspended in the air Time: Five minutes for planning, 10 minutes to complete the task, five minutes debrief Where: Indoors or outdoors Aim: To rebuild the shape, known as The Beast, exactly how it was but on the other side of the centre point Benefits: Promotes planning, teamwork, observation, organisation and leadership Instructions and results: Cadets should be working in teams no more than section strength. They should be briefed away from the task so they cannot see the shape. The task is to study the shape and make a plan of how they are going to rebuild it after it has been passed through the centre point.

During the planning stage

they are not allowed to enter the marked-off area or touch the shape, and they cannot draw pictures, write notes or take photographs.

The Beast must be completely dismantled before any part can be moved.

Once dismantled, each part must be passed through the bucket/tyre one at a time before it is rebuilt.

Make it harder: Replace the bucket or tyre with a hanging sheet or wall so the task involves two teams, with one on either side. The first team studies the shape, takes it apart and then passes each part over the centre barrier to the team on the other side. The first team explains how to rebuild the shape without seeing what the second team is building.

Another option is to blindfold two of your team and give instructions that they are the only people who can touch The Beast.

ARMYCADETS.COM 13

ACF FAMILIES

I BEGGED MUM TO BE A CA SO THAT WE COULD GO TO A NATIONAL MEETING Lt Philippa Neale

14 ACF AUTUMN 2016

SSI Fiona Watson and her daughter Lt Philippa Neale

ACF FAMILIES

DID YOU KNOW?

180 DofE Gold Awards were achieved by cadets and CFAVs in 20152016, compared to 96 in the previous year

ACF FAMILY

RELATIVE VALUES THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE TO RECRUIT MEMBERS THAN UNDER YOUR OWN ROOF, BUT MANY CFAVS CHOOSE TO SEPARATE ACF LIFE FROM HOME LIFE

S

ome years ago SSI Fiona Watson was sitting in the detachment office – really just a hut – at Addlestone detachment in Surrey waiting for her teenage daughter to finish parade when a cadet called Philippa Sobey, standing in the front row of the parade, burped loud enough for her to hear.

“The detachment commander called out to me ‘Sergeant Watson, your daughter just burped in my face’,” says Fiona. “I said: ‘My daughter? What’s her name?’”

The 56-year-old, now detachment commander at Surrey ACF corps of drums, signed up using her maiden name in an effort to keep some distance between her and her

daughter although, as this case shows, it didn’t always work. However, not being immediately identifiable as related to her two children definitely had its advantages, she says. “When I started I tried to distance myself from Philippa, because we were in the same detachment and I didn’t want people to say I was favouring her. It worked – sometimes at camp people didn’t even realise that she was my daughter.”

But it was because of Philippa, now a 30-year-old better known as Lt Neale, that she joined up in the first place.

“When I was 13 a group of about seven of my school friends and I joined up and loved it,” says Philippa, the Surrey ACF PRO. “By the time I was 14, I had joined the corps of drums as well. When a big national meeting came up they said that half of us couldn’t go because we were girls and there was no female cover. So

ARMYCADETS.COM 15

“CADETS MADE US CLOSER” Lt Diane Barmby met her husband, Martin, through the ACF in Scotland before moving to Yorkshire. He has since joined the Sea Cadets, but a shared love of the ACF has brought Diane and her stepdaughter Libby, 17, closer together.

“When we are at home there are all the normal things – I tell her to tidy her room, she complains that I am making her eat vegetables – but having cadets brings a whole new dimension to our relationship. It’s something we both love and can get involved with together.”

Libby says it is not at all embarrassing to share a hobby with her step mum.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but it is nice to have her in the detachment,” says Libby.

“Everyone knows she is my step mum but it didn’t aff ect how she treated me.

“Everyone laughed when I said ‘happy Mother’s Day’ to her at camp [stepping out of marching order to do so], but it was funny, not embarrassing. Sharing cadets has defi nitely brought us closer.

“After cadets I’m looking to join the Navy because my dream has always been to join the Royal Marines, but I think Diane would rather I joined the Army.”

I would not have to do all the courses a green instructor does, so I started as an SI.”

Happy families

I begged mum to be a CA, just for the weekend, so that we could go.”

Fiona continues: “She nagged me for at least two months. Every night she would come home from ACF saying ‘we still don’t have any female instructors’.

“At Christmas I went and saw them perform and I thought they were brilliant, so after the holiday I walked into the detachment and said ‘I understand you are looking for a female instructor’. I was planning to be a CA but the then commandant explained that as a specialist

16 ACF AUTUMN 2016

This was great for Philippa, as it meant she could go on camp, but it gave Fiona a bit of a logistical challenge: what to do with her son, Robert, while she was at cadets.

Her husband worked weekends and, at 12, Robert was too young to be left at home.

“So she brought me along, and I’ve been involved ever since,” says Robert, 27. “My main focus in cadets is music – I’m an SI with the corps of drums. I really love being part of a team, part of a community that works together.”

Having his mother and sister nearby meant he had allies around when he needed them but, like the other two, he tended to keep his distance wherever possible. “My sister is older so we were

always in different groups anyway because of our ages and level of training. It’s nice to have them there – but also to make friends and do things on your own.”

That’s a message he shares with his cadets today when encouraging them to invite their siblings to give cadets or the ACF a try. “Often they will say things like ‘my little brother is interested but I don’t want him here’. I explain that they will be in different groups and they will be doing their own thing, and tell them that their sibling shouldn’t miss out on all these opportunities you had just because you don’t want them around.” This generally reassures cadets enough for them to be willing to suggest it, he says.

It can also be helpful to point out that different cadets – and volunteers – can take very different paths, adds Fiona.

“You can say ‘I do this, but there are all these other options available too. I’m not

ACF FAMILIES

FAR LEFT: SI Robert Sobey with the Surrey ACF corps of drums LEFT: County PRO Lesley Edgar and daughter 2Lt Sarah Edgar

SHE WAS EAGER TO JOIN AS SOON AS SHE TURNED 13… SHE’S NOW A DETACHMENT COMMANDER

PRO Lesley Edgar on her daughter, 2Lt Sarah Edgar

involved in them but you could be. You could take on the whole spectrum of what the cadet force can give you, so go for it’.”

Husband and wife team Lt Col Mick Edgar, the county training officer at Durham ACF, persuaded his wife to get involved by promising her paperwork. Not perhaps the most obvious tactic, but it worked. “I was spending a lot of time away at ACF events and she said she never got to see me, so I suggested that she join as a CA to help with the paperwork, because then she could come away on weekends too,” says Mick, 56, a former signaller in the RA who joined the ACF in 1994.

“I came in to an interview with the company commander and he said ‘you can’t be a CA, you have to go into the officers’ mess’,” says Lesley Edgar, 54. “I was a bit shocked, to be honest, and said I

was really just joining to do the paperwork.” The company commander explained that he was perfectly happy for her to do that too, so in 1997 Lesley went off on her first camp and, sure enough, did the paperwork.

“Then they needed someone to pick up some females and I was the only one available so I went off, got involved and at the end of the camp I was told ‘right, you are doing the Initial Training Course in October’ so I did and I passed.”

Today she is a captain and the county PRO – although she still occasionally finds herself doing Mick’s paperwork so that he can spend time observing training.

Being married has never affected their ACF relationship, she says. “Once I put the uniform on I am not married to him. Our civilian and cadet lives don’t cross.”

Much like Robert Sobey, the Edgars’ daughter, Sarah, became a cadet almost

by default. “When she was younger and we had no one to leave her with she would often come to the detachment,” says Lesley.

“We’d keep her out of the way but she was eager to join as soon as she turned 13. She’s nearly 31 now, and a detachment commander herself.”

The separation between civilian and cadets was just as strict for parents and child as between spouses, adds Lesley.

“Once when I was 2IC there was a discussion about promoting Sarah to sergeant. I explained I didn’t want to be part of the discussion and walked out of the office. She was promoted but I wanted to have no part and be seen to have no part.”

FIND OUT MORE

See page 9 for tips on recruiting parents as CFAVs

ARMYCADETS.COM 17

DRILL AND PARADE

DID YOU KNOW? There were 5,180 new enrolments into the DofE Award in 2015-16

18 ACF AUTUMN 2016

DRILL AND PARADE

DRILL AND PARADE

PROUD TO PARADE BOTH CFAVS AND CADETS ALIKE LOVE DRILL AND PARADING, BUT THE TRICK IS TO GET THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN FUN AND SERIOUS ACTIVITY

W

hen I was a cadet I enjoyed the structure of a parade, the way that all the different parts came together,” says RSMI Tricia Cameron of Black Watch Battalion ACF. “It’s about being part of being something bigger than yourself.”

And teaching it is just as rewarding. Tricia says: “You can see cadets develop. Often when they join they aren’t very coordinated and they struggle a bit, but as they learn, they improve and you can see they feel a real sense of achievement as they master more and more difficult movements. That sense of progression really builds their confidence.

This becomes even more visible as older cadets start to teach the juniors.”

RSMI Russell Power of Cambridgeshire ACF breaks cadets into small groups, with more experienced cadets working with the

younger, newer cadets. “It’s about using the rank structure and empowering cadets,” he says. The adult will watch and will step in if something isn’t quite right.

“Starting with smaller groups to begin with also gives cadets a chance to learn what they are doing before adding more people and, therefore, more complexity,” he adds.

Another way for cadets to learn from each other is to perform things such as rifle drill in a circle, so they can help correct each other. Russell says: “Recording drill or a parade on an iPad so the cadets and I can watch afterwards is helpful as well.”

And it’s possible to do some of the preparatory training in a relatively small area. Tricia says: “When we start to do marching, getting them to clap to a beat

ARMYCADETS.COM 19

DRILL AND PARADE

QUICK TASK

REMIND CADETS TO PAY ATTENTION WHEN FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS

Getting cadets to march to a beat is a good way to get started

or a song is a good way to get used to the rhythm. I like to use a chart song if there’s one with the correct beat. One of the detachments I’m involved in did a silent drill to a Kylie Minogue song, which worked really well. The kids remembered the beat of the song so they knew exactly when to move.”

Silent drill also has other advantages beyond training: “They look quite impressive, but they’re so quiet they don’t disturb any neighbours,” Tricia says.

“But whatever tune you march to, don’t overwork cadets,” she continues. “We make sure we give them plenty of breaks – say, a 15-20 minute break for every 30 or 40 minutes of practice. Drill practice will tire them mentally as well as physically because of the concentration.”

It can also be tiring for CFAVs. “Sometimes the best thing to do if cadets are struggling with a particular movement is to give them a break and take a break yourself,” she says. “Later when you come back to that movement you will find the cadets will pick it up more easily.”

One of the most common mistakes that CFAVs make, after trying to get cadets to do too much at once, is teaching movements incorrectly. “Always check the manual in advance rather than assuming that you know,” says Tricia.

20 ACF AUTUMN 2016

Russell backs this up: “Make sure CFAVs are consistent in how they teach drill, as this will minimise cadet confusion,” he says.

“Sometimes different cap badges bring in different approaches,” he says.

“When it comes to mistakes by cadets, one area they can struggle with is ticktocking – often their arms move a bit too quickly for their legs,” says Tricia. “One way to overcome it is to get them to put one hand in a pocket, so they only have one arm to worry about first, before gradually introducing the other,” she says.

“Another way is to get them walking naturally, which means their arms will be swinging naturally, before gradually starting to bring their arms up.”

Russell, a teacher and former soldier, makes sure he orders cadets by height. “You have some very tall cadets and some who are very short, so it is important to get them sized off. The smaller ones will struggle to stay in step with the taller ones who have a longer stride.”

When parading in a large group Tricia marks each company’s place on the square so that all the cadets know exactly where they are aiming for. “That cuts down on some of the shouting at them. And we have a big practice first, so they are familiar with where to go. If it’s a big parade that practice will be spread over months, so they have

EQUIPMENT: None TIME: Variable, making it ideal if you have an odd bit of time to fill WHERE: Anywhere with enough space for cadets to move AIM: Get cadets to focus on instructions; teach drill skills in a light-hearted way INSTRUCTIONS: Play ‘Simon Says’. Cadets will (or should) be so focused on paying attention to the instructions that they won’t get overly anxious about the move itself, which can help to build confidence. Also, the confusion created when some cadets stick to what Simon says (and others follow other orders) is a great way to illustrate the importance of focus.

time. This means they will be more relaxed and confident when it comes to the event.”

“Another way to help overcome nerves is to make sure you know the personalities of the different cadets,” says Russell.

“Some cadets become quite nervous, so think tactically about where you position them in the group. They might feel more comfortable in the middle (where if they do make a mistake it won’t show).

“Finally, make sure you always have an adult who is in a position where he or she has a good overview of what is happening and can give clear instructions,” he says. “That will help cadets understand what is coming. They might practice and practice but still forget on the day [due to nerves] so give clear orders. But try not to have too many adults involved, as this can create confusion.”

FIND OUT MORE See Section 4.7.1 of the ACF Manual for more information on standards, the syllabus and where to fi nd training resources.

EMPLOYERS

EMPLOYERS

MAKE IT WORK BALANCING THE EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYERS WITH THE NEEDS OF YOUR DETACHMENT CAN BE HARD. ADULT VOLUNTEERS EXPLAIN HOW THEY HELP THEIR EMPLOYERS UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THEIR ACF WORK

C

FAVs are volunteers but the time commitment can be demanding, particularly around annual camp. Sometimes this creates friction with family members – although one way around this can be to bring them on board as CAs or adult instructors themselves, as we see on p14 – but at other times it can lead to a clash between the demands of work and the needs of the detachment.

SOME PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO GO TO CAMPS SSI Jamie Bell

SSI Jamie Bell, who is Dalton detachment commander, Cumbria ACF, says that his employer is understanding of his commitments. “As long as I give my employer notice they give me time off, and when I had to travel further to get to my detachment they would let me finish an hour early so that I could get there,” the Mitie security officer says. “You do get some employers that don’t let people take leave, even though it is unpaid, so people can struggle with going on summer camps.”

Lt Col Glyn Potts, the deputy commandant of Greater Manchester ACF, suggests that CFAVs who are struggling to balance their work and ACF commitments start by making sure their employer understands what the ACF is all about.

“If you are open and up front about what you are doing employers are more likely to support it,” he says.

“Explain the difference between the ACF and the Army, and talk about the effect that we have on young people’s lives. Being able to articulate that you are involved with an organisation that supports young people and makes sure that there are opportunities for them in the local area can help to break down ignorance.”

Sometimes understanding this community element can mean that employers are more flexible about allowing time off, or allowing CFAVs to take the time as unpaid leave rather than holiday. “Many employers have a policy about supporting staff members’ involvement in charities and volunteering,” says Glyn.

ARMYCADETS.COM 21

EMPLOYERS

CADET INSTRUCTORS BRING LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND TEAMWORKING EXPERIENCE TO BUSINESS Nick Forwood of Aecom

their employer’s perspective. Generally this is as simple as giving them as much notice as possible of any time off needed – particularly if adult instructors work at an organisation that has to make sure a certain number of people are rostered on at any one time, or where a lot of people all want to take their holiday over the same period.

CFAVs who still run into difficulties despite this should talk to their detachment commander to see how he or she can help.

“On one or two occasions a phone call from the commandant has made things easier,” says Glyn, who is also the deputy head

He also recommends that units make an effort to build positive connections with employers. “On annual camp we have some of our larger employers come to an open day so that they can see what we do and why sometimes people need to leave early.

The perception of most employers [of the ACF] is that there is a soldier on the gate to let cadets in, not that an adult volunteer Over 100 has to get to the Scout hut engagements were with keys in plenty of time to carried out by the ACF make sure that young people Pipes and Drums in aren’t left waiting on the street.

2015-16 “And getting them to meet the cadets, try out some activities and see how we help young people can really help, too.”

The next step for individual CFAVs is to make sure that they think about things from

DID YOU KNOW?

22 ACF AUTUMN 2016

teacher at Blessed John Henry Newman RC College.

Engineering geologist 2Lt Ed Burrows says that his employer has gone out of its way to support him in his commitment to 136 detachment, Wimbledon College ACF. “My line managers are aware that I do this and are fine with it,” he says. “We have flexitime so that I can easily work my hours around ACF activities. If I have to leave at 4pm that’s fine – I can just work a couple of extra hours the next day.

“And my manager is a reservist, which makes things a lot easier.”

EMPLOYERS

DOES YOUR EMPLOYER KNOW ABOUT THE ARMED FORCES COVENANT? If not, encourage your manager to visit armedforcescovenant. gov.uk to find out more.

The site has a list of all employers who have signed the Covenant, and you can filter the list to find those who have pledged to support the Cadet Forces.

FACING PAGE, LEFT: SSI Jamie Bell is lucky to have understanding employers FACING PAGE, RIGHT: Lt Col Glyn Potts (right) advises detachments to build positive links with employers THIS PAGE: Aecom’s Nick Forwood is a champion of the Armed Forces Covenant

Aecom, the engineering consultancy, also gives him 15 days’ paid leave each year – on top of his usual allowance – to meet his cadet commitments. “It’s excellent,” says Ed, who served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for six years.

“The other thing is that I am moving to another company [which offers similar support] but Aecom still let me have the paid leave to go on camp. They genuinely honoured their commitment.”

That commitment covers cadet instructors, reservists and veterans thanks to the firm’s decision to sign the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC), says Nick Forwood, a former reservist who is now the director of government frameworks

and the AFC champion at Aecom.

“We offer the same support to cadet instructors as to reservists because they still have training needs and they still commit a lot of their personal time to serving others, so we felt that they had to be included,” he said.

As well as the extra paid leave, Aecom works with hiring managers to make sure that they know that cadet instructors are, like veterans and reservists, well-trained and well-motivated people. “They bring leadership training and experience of working with teams to the business, both of which are important to us,” says Nick.

“There is a lot of anecdotal evidence about how well they deal with people, with

stressful situations and challenges, and how well they can adapt. That is attractive to us.

“We know that our reservists and our cadet instructors are highly engaged with our organisation. I would recommend that all cadet instructors speak to their employers about the Armed Forces Covenant and, if they have not signed it, to advocate for it. It is a way for employers to demonstrate their support… it is an investment but there are also rewards.”

FIND OUT MORE CVQO offers a range of vocational qualifications that recognise the work by young people and adult volunteers within the ACF. Find out more at armycadets.com/partnerships/cvqo

ARMYCADETS.COM 23

INSURANCE

INSURANCE

GOT IT COVERED

CFAVS AND CADETS ARE COVERED BY INSURANCE THROUGH THE ACFA SHOULD INJURY OCCUR DURING ACF ACTIVITY

L

ast year, Lt Darron Moody had to take seven weeks off work after a serious back injury at annual camp saw him hospitalised for five days and, several months later, required him to have surgery.

24 ACF AUTUMN 2016

“The surgery was a complete success and, after a period of recovery, I was able to return to work on light duties,” says Darron, who is a training officer, A Company, Derbyshire ACF. He also received a £1,400 payment thanks to personal injury insurance provided by the ACFA, which is taken out on behalf THE BENEFIT WILL of adults and cadets CERTAINLY HELP. I CAN’T by every county or STRESS HOW IMPORTANT battalion in the ACF (except in Shetland IT IS TO BE COVERED as the battalion SI Robert Shaw doesn’t take out the

ACFA’s insurance policy). “My experience when claiming included receiving great advice, and being kept regularly informed at every step with good communication.

This all led to a swift and positive resolution,” he says.

SI Robert Shaw didn’t even know he had the cover until two weeks after having surgery to amputate his arm.

“I’d been a CFAV for about six months when I injured my thumb on a training course,” he says. “It was about seven months later when I was brought out of a coma. The injury got infected and it became septic, and so my left arm had to

LEFT: Only injury incurred during ACF activity can be covered by the insurance RIGHT: SI Robert Shaw with SSI Ashleigh Dunmore (middle) and SI Jack Scott

DID YOU KNOW? 5,729 CFAVs held a First Aid qualification in 2015-2016

be amputated at the elbow to stem the spread of the infection. I’d been home for around two weeks when the RSM and CEO paid me a visit. It was during their visit that the CEO mentioned he’d spoken to our insurance provider. “‘What insurance?’

I asked. The CEO explained the details of the cover the insurance provided…

My claim was successful and the benefit paid [£25,000] will certainly help. I can’t stress how important it is to be covered.”

All CFAVs and cadets (except those in Shetland) have personal injury insurance provided through the ACFA, purchased by their county or battalion on their behalf. This covers them in the event of being injured or killed as a result of an accident during an ACF activity. “At less than £5 per year, and the fact it will pay out regardless of whether or not anyone is at fault, it is excellent value,” says Lt Col (Ret’d) Richard Quicke, the ACFA’s insurance officer. This differs from the MOD’s insurance liability, which only applies if it can be proved someone in charge of the activity was negligent.

“On top of this, MY EXPERIENCE WHEN ACFA membership CLAIMING INCLUDED GREAT also carries legal help insurance,” ADVICE AND A SWIFT says Richard. “And POSITIVE RESOLUTION members can buy travel Lt Darron Moody insurance through us to cover groups of cadets damage”, after which no further advice travelling here will be offered. or overseas.”

Richard believes that the insurance Having legal help insurance offers cover provided by the ACFA is so good CFAVs peace of mind. Richard says, “For that more should be made of it when talking instance, if, for some reason, a cadet makes to new CFAVs and potential recruits. an allegation that is damaging and untrue, He explains: “I believe that if we told and the police investigate it, legal help candidates about what the role involves and would be available to you. It would go all how rewarding it is, but also about the fact the way through to representation in court, there is a membership body that is there if it got that far.” for them and which will support them, we The legal help insurance would also might persuade more people to volunteer.” provide advice in the event of, for example, an error by an instructor that resulted in FIND OUT MORE injury to a cadet. However, if the advisor’s For further information about the insurance conclusion is that the CFAV was at fault – services offered by ACFA, or for advice on for instance, their behaviour was recklessly a claim or other related matters, contact negligent – their advice might be “you need Richard Quicke by email: insurance@armycadets.com to plead guilty as soon as possible to limit

ARMYCADETS.COM 25

CADET EXPERIENCE

NUMBER-OFF! INDUCTION PROGRAMMES ARE ALL VERY WELL BUT SOME THINGS CAN ONLY REALLY BE LEARNT FROM EXPERIENCE

10 THINGS…

I LEARNT ABOUT THE ACF THE HARD WAY

F

ollowing the rules and regulations is an important part of being an adult volunteer, but they won’t see you through every situation. Here, experienced CFAVs add their unofficial advice to the official guidelines.

1

BREAK IN BOOTS

Always break in two pairs of boots.

You never know when your sole will disintegrate halfway through an expedition.

5

WAYS TO SUPPORT NEW CADETS 26 ACF AUTUMN 2016

HELP NEW CADETS SETTLE IN, MAKE FRIENDS AND GET THE MOST OUT OF THE EXPERIENCE WITH THESE TIPS FROM MAJOR JON BEAKE, CTO AT CITY AND COUNTY OF BRISTOL ACF

1

INTRODUCE EVERYONE Make sure that any new cadets – as well as their parents or carers – know who is who at the detachment and where they can turn to if they need any extra help.

2

SOME DON’T LIKE IT HOT

The tabasco in the operational ration packs is like bottled lava. I was on one of my first training exercises as an adult when someone suggested I liven up a fairly bland ORP pasta salad with a bottle of tabasco. I emptied the best part of a jerry can trying to put out the fire in my mouth.

2

ASSIGN A MENTOR Anyone new to the ACF can gain extra confi dence from a mentor. A junior cadet who has recently completed basic training himself or herself is an ideal choice.

GOOD ADVICE

3

THE KEY TO MORE

Never send a cadet to the RSM to ask for the indoor mortar range key.

You won’t get the key but you will get extra duties.

4

CLEANING WORK

Firing rifles means that you have to clean them as well.

GET IN TOUCH

6

WHAT’S COOKING?

8

Never ask the chef what the meat is.

7

KNOW WHERE YOU ARE

Check your destination.

Warcop camp is near Brough in Cumbria. It is quite a long way from Brough in Yorkshire.

5

9

Pace yourself on annual camp. Two decades ago I ended up in the camp med centre. Now as SMI I have the benefit of hindsight.

1 0

A pull through bigger than 45x45 is very difficult to actually pull through.

3

Don’t over-pack. The longer I’m in the ACF the more things I’ve been able to remove from my field kit because I don’t actually use them.

STEADY DOES IT

PULLING POWER

EXPLAIN THE TRAINING New cadets who understand what to expect will feel more confident about what’s ahead.

Find out which activities they’re interested in, and incorporate them.

KEEP IT LIGHT

@ArmyCadetsUK facebook.com/ Armycadetforce E: marketing@ armycadets.com

SAY SORRY

Anything can be fixed with a genuine apology and a bottle of port.

4

CELEBRATE SUCCESS When you see a new cadet do something well, even if it is something small, praise them for it. This could be one-onone or on a parade or detachment evening.

5

EMPHASISE FRIENDSHIP Encourage all cadets to invite their mates along – the more the merrier! But don’t forget to support the formation of new friendships as well.

ARMYCADETS.COM 27

OFFICERS

STEPPING UP RECENT PROMOTIONS AND AWARDS FOR OFFICERS, TRANSFERABLE SKILLS, AND GOING THE EXTRA MILE

DID YOU KNOW? Last year 182 CFAVs were selected for a commission by CFCB

OFFICER PROFILE

2LT JAMES WOOD Using his considerable experience as a cadet and a civilian assistant, as well as his musical talents, James Wood is learning how to make a real difference as a CFAV

2

nd Lieutenant James Wood’s first adult involvement with the ACF was not as a CFAV but as a civilian assistant during his gap year. “I had been a cadet for three years so when I went back as an adult being a CA was a way to mature and to distance myself from the cadets a bit before going back into uniform,” the Nottingham Trent University student says. “It was a chance for me, and the detachment, to get used to the idea of me being there in a different capacity.”

It also gave him a chance to relax a little between the intense studying of A levels and starting university, he adds.

But after a year he was ready for a bigger challenge. “Being a CA was great, because it gave me a lot of flexibility while still

remaining involved, but putting the uniform back on felt like the way to really make my mark,” he says. “For instance, I’m learning to conduct, and I’m now the assistant director of music, which means I can teach the cadets more and make more of a difference to their experience, rather than just being an extra player in the band.”

James qualified as a sergeant in February 2015; two of his cadre went straight in as under officers. “I started to think that being an officer would allow me to do a bit more to benefit the band, so I decided to apply for a commission.

“I’d noticed that when we went away to national camps with band units from all over the country we did not always have an officer to represent us,

I’M NOW THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MUSIC, WHICH MEANS I CAN TEACH THE CADETS MORE AND MAKE MORE OF A DIFFERENCE TO THEIR EXPERIENCE 2Lt James Wood

28 ACF AUTUMN 2016

JAMES WOOD 21 Rank: 2nd Lieutenant Joined: 2014 County: Lincolnshire Day job: University student

while some bands had captains or majors. I thought that if I could get a foot in the door as a second lieutenant that it would help me have a louder voice with which to speak for the band.”

Stepping up took a bit of getting used to but James has thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. “Since being commissioned I do a lot more correspondence with people outside ACF bands who want us to play at their events, and I do a lot more coordination with other bands. It has broadened my horizons – I no longer think

about just what the band plays, but what it does.”

James’s fellow volunteers have helped make the transition work, he adds. “I’ve got a lot of support from my detachment commander, Captain Phil Naylor, while some of the experienced CFAVs have given me a great ‘crash course’ in being an adult volunteer. I did struggle a bit around exams, but I’m getting better at balancing uni work and cadet work.”

Once he graduates next year, James hopes to join the Civil Service – and to keep on volunteering with the ACF.

STEPPING UP

OFFICER TRAINING UPDATE MORE THAN 100 ACF adult volunteers have enrolled in the online initial officer training (IOT) programme that was launched at the start of this year.

Reviews of the programme, which combines distance learning with practical units completed at county, have been “very good”, said Colonel Chris Wood, the programme director.

“All those who have engaged with it have reported that they are benefiting from it,” he said. “One of the big differences of being ex-regular or reserve and being an ACF officer is that they are dealing with young people. And they are not just working with them – when you are commissioned you have a different level of responsibility. In the course we look at what officers’ responsibilities are and how to apply them.”

The course is flexible, meaning that individuals can put more or less time in to particular units depending on their experience and needs. “If you are an exregular or reservist you may have done something on service writing before and be quite knowledgeable in the area. In that case, we would not expect you to do a lot of work on it, and you would probably get through the assignment very quickly. But in other areas you will need to take more time.”

Chris encouraged those on the course to make the most of the support available to them through the tutors – he is one of three full-time tutors on the programme – and their county mentor.

“The course is eminently doable. We have people with no academic background doing very well on the course. Anyone who has been selected as an officer by the CFCB can be confident that they can do it and that they will learn a lot that will support them in the coming years as an ACF officer; just remember to ask for support whenever you need it.”

FIND OUT MORE

Chris has created an information area on the Defence Learning Environment (DFE) platform on Defence Gateway that covers everything from the course to officer selection. From the Schools tab, click Army > Army’s Cadet Forces.

ACF OFFICERS

The following have been selected for a commission by CFCB PRV RNK

SURNAME

INITIAL

COUNTY/BATTALION/SECTOR

SMI

STEWART

MR

1ST NORTHERN IRELAND BN ACF

AUO

BUTLER

K

2ND NORTHERN IRELAND BN ACF

AUO

HARMER

SJ

BEDFORDSHIRE AND HERTFORDSHIRE ACF

AUO

STEELE

AGE

BRISTOL (CITY AND COUNTY OF) ACF

AUO

SCUTT

TA

CLWYD AND GWYNEDD ACF

SSI

COLLINGE

DJ

CLWYD AND GWYNEDD ACF

SSI

HOLMES

P

CLWYD AND GWYNEDD ACF

AUO

MCDONALD-WEBB

T

DERBYSHIRE ACF

AUO

CHIVAYO

J

DERBYSHIRE ACF

AUO

BULLOCH

IJ

DERBYSHIRE ACF

AUO

WAKELING

GM

DERBYSHIRE ACF

AUO

OSMASTON

PP

DEVON ACF

AUO

DENNIS

GTA

DORSET ACF

SI

WILLIAMS

NA

DORSET ACF

AUO

RICHARDS

AB

DURHAM ACF

AUO

SMITH-MARTIN

EJ

DURHAM ACF

AUO

MILLIS

SJ

DYFED AND GLAMORGAN ACF

AUO

GREENSTREET

DC

DYFED AND GLAMORGAN ACF

AUO

BELL

S

ESSEX ACF

AUO

EDWARDS

RJ

GLOUCESTERSHIRE ACF

SI

CAMERON

PA

GREATER LONDON SW SECTOR ACF

AUO

SPEVACK

TJ

GREATER LONDON SW SECTOR ACF

SSI

LILLICRAP

JP

HAMPSHIRE AND IOW ACF

SSI

COSTELLO

S

HUMBERSIDE AND SOUTH YORKSHIRE ACF

SI

WILLIAMS

GP

HUMBERSIDE AND SOUTH YORKSHIRE ACF

SI

LILLEY

AR

LANCASHIRE ACF

SI

INGRAM

P

LEICESTER, NORTHANTS AND RUTLAND ACF

SI

TAYLOR

JP

LEICESTER, NORTHANTS AND RUTLAND ACF

SSI

GLADWIN

PM

LEICESTER, NORTHANTS AND RUTLAND ACF

SI

TUNNEY

JD

LEICESTER, NORTHANTS AND RUTLAND ACF

AUO

EDWARDS

CJ

LOTHIAN AND BORDERS BN ACF

RSMI

ASHTON

C

NORFOLK ACF

SI

BROWN

H

NORTHUMBRIA ACF

AUO

CARR

DS

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE ACF

SSI

WOOD

PS

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE ACF

AOO

READLE

L

OXFORDSHIRE ACF

SSI

PRIEST

AJ

SHROPSHIRE ACF

AUO

DAVIES

K

STAFFORDSHIRE AND WEST MIDLAND ACF

UO

LAMBERT

JE

STAFFORDSHIRE AND WEST MIDLAND ACF

SSI

GARRAGHAN

JL

SURREY ACF

AUO

CHIVERS

DA

WARWICKSHIRE AND WEST MIDLAND

SI

RODGER

MHB

WEST LOWLAND BN ACF

AUO

WALSHAW

J

YORKSHIRE (NORTH AND WEST) ACF

(SOUTH SECTOR) ACF Colonel Chris Wood and the Initial Officer Training team

ARMYCADETS.COM 29

POLICY

ACF UPDATE

DR RICHARD CRAWFORD, SO1 CADETS POLICY AND PLANS AT REGIONAL COMMAND, GIVES AN UPDATE ON ISSUES AFFECTING YOU AND YOUR DETACHMENT

NEWS

To subscribe to our e-newsletter go to armycadets.com/ about-us/keep-intouch

THE IMPACT OF STEM

It’s not (just) rocket science

W

hen I started studying civil engineering at university, I remember one of my lecturers telling the class that it was impossible to go five minutes in a day without science or technology making its mark. And she was right; especially when it came to the electronics behind the dreaded alarm clock that woke me up every morning for lectures.

As I progressed through my degree and then went on to work as a civil engineer in Bristol, I became more aware of how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) affects all of our lives, and this led me to become a STEM ambassador, visiting schools and encouraging young people to get excited about science. When I became a CFAV my passion for science, and in particular encouraging young people to fi nd out more about it, never stopped.

Just ask my cadets!

So why is this walk down memory lane important? Because, it seems, I am not the only one excited about STEM. The Army

30 ACF AUTUMN 2016

is full of people working with technology and engineering, or exploiting science and mathematics to improve things.

And it’s not all about boring equations and stuffy classrooms.

That’s exactly what HQ Regional Command’s Science in Action cadet camp in October is about – letting cadets have a peek inside the scientific side of the Army.

The camp is being held at Rollestone Camp in Wiltshire between 24-28 October and is aimed at cadets between 15-18 years old who are studying STEM subjects at school or college at GCSE (or equivalent) or higher, although other cadets with an

UP DAT E

Cadets are given the opportunity to get hands on with a wide variety of STEM subjects in practice, from signals training to engineering skills

Soldiers will share their experiences of STEM in action

interest in science and technology can apply. Soldiers from the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Royal Signals, REME and Army Air Corps will be giving 70 army cadets hands-on experience of STEM in action.

Cadets will get to see close up how the Army uses artillery, the Apache attack helicopter, armoured recovery vehicles, communications, air despatch and bridging. And, importantly, they will have the chance to see the STEM theories that they have covered in school demonstrated in an exciting real world way. The camp is being run by the Royal Artillery with input from technical experts, CFAVs and teachers to

ensure it is relevant to the subjects our cadets learn at school.

More information on the camp has been sent to County HQs and you will receive information from them soon. You can also log onto Defence Gateway or WESTMINSTER (course reference 440553) to fi nd out more. Bids for cadet places need to be submitted through your County HQ by the end of September to make sure they are received by HQ Regional Command on 3 Oct. So there is still time to get talking to your cadets about this exciting opportunity to get some hands on experience, and maybe learn a thing or two about science and technology too.

THE ARMY IS FULL OF PEOPLE WORKING WITH TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING, OR EXPLOITING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS TO IMPROVE THINGS

HAVE YOUR SAY And don’t forget – the Cadet Attitude Survey 2016 is your chance to tell us what you think about the ACF. It’s been seven years since our last survey of cadets and CFAVs. We are also keen to fi nd out what our CFAVs think about Adventure Training, what we offer and how we deliver it. There is an AT section in the CFAV survey so please let us have your thoughts. The survey runs until 31 October so there is still time to log on and complete the survey. You’ll need a password to complete the survey, so please ask your County HQ for details if you haven’t already been sent one.

TO TAKE PART IN THE SURVEY VISIT:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/CAS16Cadets or www.surveymonkey. com/r/CAS16-CFAV

ARMYCADETS.COM 31

G A L L E RY

IN THE FIELD

KEEP IN TOUCH BY SENDING US YOUR PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD. WHETHER SELFIES OR ACTION SHOTS, DRILL OR FUNDRAISING, EMAIL THEM TO EDITOR@ARMYCADETS.COM

1

THE GALLERY

IN THE PHOTOS:

2

1: LNR ACF cadets on parade at Yardley Chase CTC to celebrate B Squadron being re-badged from 9th/12th Lancers to the Royal Lancers 2: Gloucestershire Fire Service visit Hardwicke Platoon to teach cadets about fire prevention 3: SMI Tony Morland, Wiltshire ACF, completes the 15-mile Fan Dance race across the Brecon Beacons to raise funds for SSAFA 4: During a battlefield tour of Belgium, cadets from 1st Bn The Highlanders ACF conduct a small memorial service at St. Symphorien Military Cemetery 5: Cadets from Angus and Dundee ACF on exercise while on annual camp at Wathgill Camp, North Yorkshire 6: Essex Army Cadet Force Corp of Drums performs with Stacey Solomon for Essex Armed Forces Day at Orsett Showground 7: Canadian and UK cadets getting to know each other at Whitehorse Cadet Training Centre during the Canadian Exchange trip 8: Cadets from Kent ACF take part in gorgewalking on their exchange trip to Italy 3

32 ACF AUTUMN 2016

We want to see your pictures of ACF life.

Send pictures of your detachment’s activities to us by the end of October 2016

4

5

6

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS 7

8

Whether you’re at camp, doing command tasks, or any other fun or adventurous activity, send your images to editor@armycadet.com

ARMYCADETS.COM 33

Clare Lomas in her daytime uniform as a podiatrist…

D AY I N T H E L I F E

Being a PRO means being flexible Busy podiatrist Clare Lomas on living a varied life and why she likes to catch up with people on social media as well as in real life 06.00 The first thing I do when I wake up

13.00 My appointments could

is reach for my phone to check Twitter and Facebook – being a PRO means keeping a close eye on social media. Then it’s time to answer emails then, at the last possible moment, to get out of bed and get ready for work.

be anything from an ingrown toenail to a severe ulcer. Most of my patients are lovely. Sometimes I’m the only person they have seen all day, so I make sure I chat for a few minutes.

07.45 I tend to skip breakfast but I like a cup

15.30 I try to be back at base by this time so I have time to sort my instruments, put everything away and finalise any notes or follow-up actions needed from my visits.

of coffee or two to set me up for the day.

08.30 My role is incredibly varied – for instance, I spend one day a week as a research podiatrist investigating how we can use thermal imaging to predict foot ulceration in diabetic patients. This morning I am at the Newcastle Diabetes Centre, where our team works with doctors, nurses and other specialists to treat patients who have foot problems as a result of diabetes. We can see up to 25 patients with conditions ranging from ulcers and poor blood supply through to amputation. My job includes debriding and dressing wounds and arranging x-rays and antibiotics.

12.15 Officially I have a 30-minute lunch break but the clinic session can run late, so I’ll eat whenever I can. Usually I bring leftovers or a sandwich, because there’s nowhere nearby to buy lunch.

12.45 Some afternoons I’ll work at a community clinic or in a GP’s surgery, but today it’s home visits. I get the patients’ notes from my computer, pack my instruments and get in my car. If I’m doing a full day of home visits I will drive up to 30 miles – all while listening to Radio 2.

34 ACF AUTUMN 2016

16.30 Time to go home – although often I end up running a bit late.

16.45 Laptop out and it’s time to go through ACF emails and check up on social media again. Being a PRO isn’t like being part of a detachment parading two hours two nights a week; I have to be a bit flexible.

18.30 Off to a local detachment to photograph an open evening, including a cadet being presented with a DofE certificate.

21.45 Home and a late meal of pasta or something simple while I edit the photos and put at least one or two up on Facebook.

There’s a real time pressure with social media to get things out there fast.

23.00 Bedtime. But, as you can probably guess, I check Twitter before I fall asleep.

MEET CLARE Clare Lomas, 48 Rank: Adult under officer Joined: 2012 County: PRO, Northumbria ACF Day job: NHS advanced podiatrist specialising in diabetes Why I love the ACF: It gives young people the chance to stretch themselves, try new things and test their limits within a safe environment.

Everything is so regulated these days that they possibly don’t really get this sort of opportunity elsewhere.

Follow Clare on Twitter: @nacfpro

Share your story

Write and tell us how you manage a day job and volunteering for the cadets. Email editor@ armycadets.com

…and in uniform as under officer

ARMY CADET VOLUNTEER

NEXT ISSUE COMING UP IN THE WINTER ISSUE

Cadet and the Community An update on how the strategy and syllabus will evolve Remembrance 2016 A look back at your commemoration events and activities ACF complaints procedure The process to follow if you receive a complaint