ARMY CADET VOLUNTEER G O I N G
Winter 2017/18
F U R T H E R
armycadets.com
RAISE FUNDS
10 ways to show your support for a military charity Page 28
BEST PRACTICE
TIME TO REFLECT
COUNTIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT
HOW CADETS REMEMBER THE FALLEN
ON A NEW HEADING
Why navigation training is moving away from the old map and compass INSIDE: NEWS
INCLUSIVITY IN THE ACF COMMAND TASKS IN THE FIELD PHOTOS
I S S U E # 9 : W I N T E R 2 0 1 7/ 1 8
W E LC O M E
Happy new year to all in the ACF! CFAV numbers are up on 2016 levels, we have a new grass roots recruiting model to increase local recruitment, a number of counties are testing a ‘new joiner tracker’ to manage applications more effectively and we have just launched a faster pathway for 18-year-olds to become CFAVs and gain a commission. The MERCURY radio is now available for use in RPOCs so counties need to bid for time windows. We have placed an order for the balance of the Cadet Small Bore Target Rifles, which we should see in the summer. There are some modifications required – more in due course. We had to restrict clothing issues in the autumn, but can now issue freely again. VA is being spent in the same volumes as last year. The ACF Challenge is progressing well and the 2017 awards will be made in late spring.
BRIGADIER MATTHEW LOWE MBE Deputy Commander Cadets, Regional Command
CONTENTS 14
20
32
EVERY ISSUE 04. THE BRIEFING Army Cadet news round-up Cadets should have adventures and push themselves Col Neil Jurd, Lancashire ACF, County Focus, p12
08. THE DRILL Ideas, advice and comment
12. COUNTY FOCUS Updates from Lancashire and 1st Battalion The Highlanders
28. NUMBER-OFF! 10 ways to support charities
30. ACF POLICY Update on ACF issues
32. IN THE FIELD Your photos from ACF events
34. DAY IN THE LIFE ON THE COVER Reflect and Remember County Focus Number-Off Cover image: Taken at Music Camp in Crowborough, October 2017. Photo: Matthew Childs for Action Images
GET INVOLVED 10 ways that you and your detachment can give time and raise funds to support military charities, p28
Punk rocker Tim Scargill 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 Media
THIS ISSUE 14. COMMAND TASKS Team-building tasks to hone cadets’ problem-solving skills
16. INCLUSIVITY The ongoing work to make the ACF even more welcoming
20. REFLECT AND REMEMBER How cadets can be involved in the WW1 centenary events
22. NAVIGATION AND ORIENTEERING Build your confidence in this essential skills area
26. TRAINING PROGRAMMES Tips for making a training plan for your cadets 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 Media 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: Sarah Campbell Head of design: Simon Goddard Senior project manager: Elizabeth Hufton
ARMYCADETS.COM 3
THE BRIEFING ARMY CADET NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK
FUNDRAISING
Surrey ACF and their Australian counterparts camping in the bush in Western Australia
In memory of Matthew
TWO MEMBERS of ACFA are planning to cycle 1,000 miles in 10 days to raise funds for the Matthew Bacon Bursary, and they’re inviting ACF counties on the route to join them on the relevant regional leg of their journey. Lt Col Terry Hayter and Maj Richard Walton will visit the Army’s 10 regional HQs – one each day – during the ride in May 2018 in order to raise money for the Bursary. EXCHANGE VISIT Maj Matthew Bacon was a former Surrey ACF cadet To take part in this who was killed while major fundraising effort serving in Iraq in 2005. to help cadets, visit: Matthew’s father, Roger www.justgiving.com/ Bacon, set up the Bursary fundraising/mattin 2007 to enable cadets to bacon1 Surrey ACF travelled to Perth in Western Australia take part in outward-bound courses or expeditions. for exchange programme Exercise Southern Cross For information about taking part, which provided spectacular Surrey ACF, and are due visit the Just Giving page. For more group of 20 Surrey views and hands-on exhibits to visit again in 2018. ACF cadets and information about the Bursary visit telling the stories of First The UK cadets all six adult volunteers armycadets.com/about-us/mbb
CADETS TAKE A TRIP DOWN UNDER
A
have completed Exercise Southern Cross, an exchange programme with Western Australia Army Cadets. Surrey ACF cadets have visited Australia, landing in Perth and spending at least nine days in Bindoon, every other year for the past 12 years. The Australian cadets visited Chickerell Camp in 2016, hosted by
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passed their 2 Star as a prerequisite, and flew to Perth on 14 September before attending annual camp in the bush, from 22 September to 1 October. In Perth, the cadets visited Campbell Barracks, Fremantle Prison, with its network of tunnels, and enjoyed a tour of the Special Air Service Historical Collection. They also stopped in Albany, where they visited Greens Pool, Elephant Rocks at William Bay National Park, and the Valley of the Giants. While in Albany, the cadets also visited the National Anzac Centre,
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World War soldiers. Among the skills the cadets learned at camp were fire lighting; how to find water in the bush and how to construct a shelter, but many of the cadets agreed that the highlight of the trip was seeing baby kangaroos. “The most rewarding part of the trip has got to be the nine days in the bush on AFX,” said Maj Chris Mansfield. “It was hard work, in a harsh and unfamiliar environment, but it was where we built new friendships with our Australian hosts and strengthened our friendships with our peers.”
ABOVE: Matthew Bacon
GET IN TOUCH E: marketing@armycadets.com facebook.com/Armycadetforce @ArmyCadetsUK cadetsarmy
THE BRIEFING
ACF AWARDS
Competition for a place on the camp was fierce
The following have been recognised for their commitment and dedication to the ACF CADET FORCE MEDAL
6TH CLASP MAJ
RE
EVANS
MAJ MAJ
P GR
COL LT
EG JA
SMI COL SMI CAPT LT LT COL COL CAPT
AJ A G A PJ H E A
SSI MAJ MAJ LT COL 2LT MAJ MAJ CAPT MAJ
A TA NW H S J IC MP RJ
MAJ CAPT MAJ MAJ CAPT SSI SMI 2LT CAPT MAJ LT LT COL SSI LT SMI LT MAJ SSI SSI MAJ SMI CAPT
H SM JL K SC F D SM JA NW FC H A S S JA DA AC T S JS RB
5TH CLASP JOHNSON MASTERS
4TH CLASP
EDUC ATION
Ex Science in Action More than 150 cadets discovered how STEM subjects are used in the Army THE SECOND Exercise Science in Action camp, which teaches cadets about how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are used in the Army, took place on 22-27 October at Westdown Camp in Wiltshire. Thanks to the success of the first Science in Action camp in 2016, the number of places available was doubled in 2017, but with over 300 applications the competition for places was fierce. In total 157 cadets from across the ACF and CCF (Army) took part. The camp consisted of a series of activities and short lessons, showing how the Army uses a wide array of technology. Tuition was provided by Army experts and by CFAVs with STEM subject expertise.
During the week the cadets visited Royal Signals, Royal Artillery, Royal Logistics Corps, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), Army Air Corps and Royal Engineers. The cadets took part in a range of hands-on activities, including: learning about how a drone works then flying one; designing and constructing a bridge to span a 14-inch gap using limited resources; designing a water filtration system; and building a Yagi antenna. Cadet Kaitlyn Heywood, from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire ACF, said she learned about careers she’d never thought of before: “We took part in many activities from landing a helicopter to pulling a truck out of a swamp. It has shown me the STEM jobs in the Army.”
BROWN MCINTYRE 3RD CLASP BUCKLE BURT BYRNE EDWARDS FARMER GELL MARSHALL STIRLING
2ND CLASP COWLAND DAVIES FOSTER GELL HUDSON LOMAS MUMBY NEWMAN WOOLEY
1ST CLASP BLACKWOOD BROOKE BUNNEY CARRINGTON CHAMPION CHARTERS CHEESEMAN CRUICKSHANK DUTTON FOSTER GALBRAITH GELL GREENWOOD HATHAWAY HINE JOHNSON LODGE MALLOY MCCLUSKEY MEYERS MOORE SMITH
SSI 2LT CAPT SI SSI 2LT LT 2LT MAJ SSI LT SI SMI SMI SI CAPT SMI COL SSI LT COL LT SI CAPT SSI SI LT RSMI SI SMI CAPT LT SMI SMI SMI SMI SSI SSI SSI LT SSI SMI SSI SSI SSI SSI SMI SSI RSMI SSI SSI SI SSI LT SSI SI CAPT LT SMI
MJ NS L TAD J S A LP GG RC HC M A D M B A K N H P S EF RA ACN MAN A JB P HA LK A J EM S G P L SJ D N MA EM RJ P C AM J RS TS E RM D SL JC G L TS
ADAMS ALDEN ARCHIBALD BAKER BATEMAN BELL BEX BRADY BURNS BYNG CARTER COBB CRANNEY CULLEN DAVIES DAVISON DONAL DOWELL FRANCIS GELL GOLDING GOODRICH GRADY GRANT HAMES HAMES HARRISON HARRISON HARRISON HATCH HAY HERBERT HODGES HUNT JONES KELLY KIRKWOOD MAURAN MCCLAY PARNHAM PENNINGTON PRICE RICHARDSON ROWLEY RUSSELL SONI STEVEN TERRY THORNTON TREADAWAY TSE UPTON WALDRON WHITE WING WOOD WOOD YATES
FOR A MORE DETAILED LIST OF AWARD WINNERS VISIT ARMYCADETS.COM/ACFAWARDS
ARMYCADETS.COM 5
THE BRIEFING
I N T H E M E D I A : ACF LUMINARIES MAKING HEADLINES
TOP AND BOTTOM: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Battalion ACF cadets having fun at annual camp MIDDLE: Cdt Sgt Madison Martinez of Nottinghamshire ACF
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Nottinghamshire ACF The Nottingham Post ran a story on a Nottingham cadet who used her first aid skills when a man was injured by the tram on which she was travelling. Cadet Sergeant Madison Martinez, 16, jumped off the tram and applied pressure to his head to stop the bleeding, while getting relevant information from him before an ambulance arrived.
Essex ACF Maldon ACF was showcased in an article in the Maldon Standard. Journalist Ellis Whitehouse visited the detachment and learned about the Duke of Edinburgh’s awards and the APC. She interviewed cadets Fran Hay, Owen Griffiths, Connor Hill and Harry Turner, who all talked proudly about what they do and learn in the ACF.
Scarborough ACF The Telegraph reported on the annual Army Photographic Competition. A cadet and a CFAV each won a category this year. ‘Cadet Life’ is a new category to show life in the cadet forces from a cadet’s point of view, won by Cadet Sergeant Jess TappendenRowell. ‘Best Online Image’ went to SI Paul Clark for his photo, ‘The Rifles’.
Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland ACF LNR’s new HQ was highlighted in The Hinckley Times. The new building, which replaces a 1920s structure, took nearly a year to complete and boasts modern classrooms, a kitchen, radio room, training hall, overhead projectors and a new firing range.
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Battalion ACF The Falkirk Herald ran a feature on the Battalion’s annual camp last summer. The article highlighted an inflatable obstacle course, overnight fieldcraft exercises, the high ropes at Aerial Extreme and a moving visit to the National Memorial Arboretum.
Essex ACF Cadet Trey Shellum got a mention in the Essex County Standard for being one of 96 ACF cadets and CFAVs (aged 16-25) chosen to undertake the Lord Dannatt’s Round Britain Challenge. Next summer Trey, fellow cadets, CFAVs and 48 injured soldiers will work together to sail around the UK to mark the First World War centenary.
THE BRIEFING
NEW COMM ANDANT FOR NCTC Lt Col Al Lackey talks about his new role at the National Cadet Training Centre and the changes taking place
page 10
NATIONAL COMPETITION RESULTS Results for swimming, first aid and skill at arms
NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 1st 2nd 3rd
New radio system coming to ACF
Eastern Scotland West Midlands NATIONAL FIRST AID COMPETITION 2017
OVERALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Dollar Academy CCF
Inter-Services Competition Youth
National Swimming Championship Ten regional teams took part in the ACF National Swimming Championship on 7 October. Nine records were broken at the event, held at Aldershot Garrison Swimming Pool. National First Aid Competition The ACF, CCF and other cadet forces competed in the National First Aid Competition at CTC Yardley Chase, Northamptonshire. There were two main categories: Youth (under 18) and Young Adult (under 25). Overall the standard was excellent, but Durham ACF CFAVs did particularly well, winning the Young Adult award. Cadet Inter-Services Skill at Arms Meeting The annual Cadet InterServices Skill at Arms Meeting took place on 27-29 October, with 51 teams of cadets from the tri-services taking part. The final scores were tight, with the ACF just 45 points behind the ATC.
1st 2nd 3rd
TECHNOLOGY
Dollar Academy CCF Milton Keynes SCC 3rd Royal School Armagh CCF
Young Adult 1st Durham ACF 2nd London District Police Cadets 3rd 2nd Northern Ireland Battalion ACF
CADET INTER-SERVICES SKILL AT ARMS MEETING
Cadet Inter-Services Skill at Arms Meeting Top teams: 1st 31 (Tower Hamlets) Sqn A Team, ATC 2nd 241 (Wanstead & Woodford) Sqn A Team, ATC 3rd 31 (Tower Hamlets) Sqn B Team, ATC Top individuals in each service: AC V Williams, Kettering SCC Sgt A Rutter, Lima Coy London Area SCC RM Sgt T Fulbrook, Cheshire Somme Coy ACF Cdt A Vieria, 31 (Tower Hamlets) Sqn A Team, ATC
SCC RM ACF ATC
MERCURY VHF SETS, handheld radios worn and operated on the body, are being distributed to counties and cadet training teams. They replace the nearly 40-year-old Clansman PRC 349 radios that were decommissioned in 2016. MERCURY is a complete system consisting of LP and HP VHF radios and an HP HF radio. Counties and training teams will also receive Bowman 5.4m masts and specialist VHF antennas. All are available for use by suitably-trained CFAVs and cadets, as the Cadet CIS Syllabus now has radio training from 1 to 4 Star. “The new radios are a safe and reliable communications system,” said Jason Kitching, SO1 Cadets Delivery. “The VHF base station has an effective operating radius of up to 25km.” Guides and manuals can be found on The Resource Library on Defence Gateway or contact the Army Cadets National CIS Advisor for further information.
Top individuals: Cdt A Vieria, 31 (Tower Hamlets) Sqn A Team, ATC Sgt D Acton, 241 (Wanstead & Woodford) Sqn A Team, ATC 3rd Cpl R John, 241 (Wanstead & Woodford) Sqn A Team, ATC 1st 2nd
Final scores: Air Training Corps: 1,575 Army Cadet Force: 1,530 Sea Cadet Corps: 1,000
The MERCURY VHF sets replace the old Clansman PRC 349 radios
ARMYCADETS.COM 7
THE DRILL TIPS, ADVICE AND COMMENT
5
MINUTE CADET KIT CHECK
The Bergens are packed, boots are on and your cadets are ready to brave the elements. If you’ve got five minutes before setting off, this handy checklist from Lt Jade Haron, from City of London and NE Sector ACF, will make sure everyone is comfortable and prepared
P A C K E D U P, T I C K E D O F F
AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
THE COUNTY TRAINING OFFICER THE JOB INVOLVES… planning and delivering all training for senior cadets, CFAV inductions and CFAV course preparation. CTOs work closely with the Training Safety Advisor to ensure all training in the county is safe. They may also command a county training team and be asked to organise detachment commanders’ events. NORMALLY BASED AT… county headquarters. Likely to work at home too. REPORTS TO… the Commandant and Deputy Commandant. GENERALLY HOLDS RANK OF… Major. However, it’s not unheard of for Captains to take on the job. SKILLS NEEDED: good organisational skills and the ability to lead. Good interpersonal skills help as a Country Training Officer deals with CFAVs up and down the chain of command. QUALIFICATIONS AND/OR TRAINING NEEDED: Area Commanders course. Some County Training Officers find leadership and management qualifications useful for the role. Maj Jon Barkat (below), County Training Officer of Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire ACF, says: “I really enjoy seeing the senior cadets and CFAVs progress in the ACF. It’s great to be able to interact with all members of the county ACF and watch them develop. I love to get feedback from both CFAVs and cadets to try and improve what we do.”
1. Simple but effective. Get cadets to check everything off their kit list. That will make sure they have what they need for this specific exercise.
be done quickly and for free by using the ziplock bags from the ration pack. Or, if they have a bit more money to spend, canoe-style dry bags are excellent.
2. Check sleeping bags are out of their stuff sacks and inside their bivvy bags. The waterproof bivvy bags will keep sleeping bags dry.
5. Check they’ve got their boot cleaning kit in their Bergen. If there’s time, make sure they put a layer of polish on their boots to waterproof them.
3. Make sure waterproof jackets are easily accessible. Normally they’re at the top of one of the Bergen’s side pouches. This means that if it starts to rain, cadets can quickly put them on and stay dry.
6. Check the fit of the Bergen. Watch Jade’s video on the Cadets should pick up their Bergen, Army Cadets UK YouTube adjust the straps and make sure the channel: www.youtube. weight is evenly distributed. The com/user/cadets equipment must be tightened close to army/videos the body. If it’s loose it will cause friction burns and discomfort. But it mustn’t be too tight either, as this could cause injury.
4. Ensure that warm kit, spare kit and underwear are waterproofed. This can
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SET UP Flash A BASHA
THE DRILL
BEST PR ACTICE
Find out what other counties do well in our new feature pages 12-13
HOW TO : KEEP CADETS FULLY OCCUPIED AT PARADE NIGHTS
ACRONYM AID
K N OW YO U R A B C
O
Acronyms are part of the fabric of cadet life, but some still have the capacity to flummox us. So here’s a quick guide to decode a few of them.
f course, you have your evening all planned out with lessons. But what about the in-between times: the snack breaks and the 10 minutes while everyone’s arriving before parade starts? SMI Georgina Crosby, from Prince William School ACF in Oundle, Northamptonshire, has a few tips for managing downtime – and preventing any messing around. As everyone arrives, make it the senior cadets’ responsibility to get everyone ready for parade. This gives the seniors a duty and means that the evening’s schedule is more likely to get started on time. Give the seniors responsibility for new cadets. During breaks, the seniors can show them around. This keeps everyone occupied and helps the new basics to settle in as well. Of course the cadets need breaks; they’ve been at school all day beforehand, and during a lengthy parade night they will need time to recharge and stay hydrated. However, I try not to give them too much downtime and I like to arrange their breaks for different times, so you haven’t got everyone trying to get through the NAAFI at the same moment (I have about 50 cadets). We usually have a duty NCO in charge of the NAAFI all evening.
This issue: focusing on the Ds…
Have a cleaning rota for the end of the evening. The 1 Stars have to do three domestic cleaning tasks, but I like to put everyone on the rota. And if they finish their tasks, get them to look for areas that need a deep clean. Get the cadets to make lists of tasks to help keep the hut tidy. We’ve got a mobile unit and it could easily get quite grubby if we left stuff lying about. Get the cadets to work out how to ensure everything is clean and stored correctly.
DACG
Deputy Assistant Chaplain General
DAIB
Defence Accident Investigation Branch
DBS
Disclosure and Barring Service
DDC
Directorate of Defence Communications
DDH
Delivery Duty Holder
DIN
Defence Internal Notice
DLE
Defence Learning Environment
DRSA
Daily Rate of Subsistence Allowance
DSCO
Designated Safeguarding of Children Officer
W H A T T O D O I F… … A CADET GETS TOO COLD Even the best planned expeditions can get caught out by bad weather. Melanie Prangnell, First Aid Development Manager at the ACFA, explains how to prevent hypothermia. KNOW THE SIGNS: pale, shivering, disorientated, irrational behaviour, lethargic, slow and shallow breathing, slow weak pulse. TAKE THEM TO SHELTER. Shield them from the cold and wet as much as you can.
REMOVE AND REPLACE WET CLOTHES and make sure their head is covered. KEEP THEM OFF THE GROUND to stop them losing body heat. Use a roll mat or dry sleeping bag. CALL 999 OR 112 if they can’t walk or – importantly – if you are unsure what to do. START REWARMING THE CASUALTY SLOWLY with warm drinks and highenergy foods. Don’t place them directly next to a fire. KEEP RECORDING VITAL SIGNS. Check their pulse,
breathing, temperature and how they are responding while waiting for help. DON’T MAKE YOURSELF A CASUALTY by giving up your own clothes.
ARMYCADETS.COM 9
THE DRILL
JOUR NEYS OF R EMEMBR A NCE Find out about plans to take 5,000 cadets to visit Thiepval Memorial this year
pages 20-21
Create your own presentation using the template presentation for schools
PROFILE
Lt Col Al Lackey New Commandant of the National Cadet Training Centre (NCTC), Frimley Park
PRACTICAL TIPS
PRESENTING TO SCHOOLS “We need to be aware that the world around the ACF is changing and the way we communicate with kids needs to reflect that,” says PI Andy Fenner from Gwent and Powys ACF. Andy is new to the ACF and is working towards officer selection, although he has been given an additional task by his County HQ, who spotted that his marketing background could be of use in the recruitment team. “The Colonel has instilled an ethos within our recruitment team of no ranks. It means people aren’t intimidated about putting across ideas to the group,” he says. “In recruitment we’re reaching out to people outside the ACF, so we’ve got to use whatever skills we have, regardless of rank.” Andy has been working on a presentation for schools to be used by detachments all over the county. He has had experience of doing something similar when he used to work for a conservation charity giving presentations to schools, and he’s learnt a few important lessons. “We have to keep it
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real,” he says. “Don’t show kids pictures of helicopters, tanks, smoke grenades and tell them they’ll all go to Canada. We should be proud of what we do, but we have to explain it properly: tell them that on a normal cadet night, this is what they’ll do, and they get to go on annual camp and weekends. And, of course, that there are opportunities to do some really exciting things.” Andy’s presentation is 12 minutes long, with a short video at the start and end, a scripted talk in the middle and time for questions. He encourages presenters to use their names rather than ranks and to avoid jargon when speaking with prospective cadets and parents. “At this point, they don’t know what it all means,” he says. “At recruitment stage we need to be approachable.” Stuck for ideas on how to create a presentation for schools? Email marketing@armycadets.com to ask for a template presentation you can adapt for your local needs.
LT COL AL LACKEY’s Army career started in the Reserves in 1981. He then joined 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery, in 1984, working his way up to RSM before being commissioned in 2004. Before, he was welfare officer at 19 Regiment, Royal Artillery, in Tidworth. One of Al’s priorities in his new job is to continue to make CFAVs’ training experience as memorable and accessible as possible. “I’m lucky to be taking over a well organised training centre. My predecessor Lt Col Gavin Jones has given me a great basis to work on,” he says. “My plan is to further develop it by making courses more readily available and to offer more start dates. We run one course per week at the moment – our plan for the next training year is two courses a week.” Al says: “I’m really impressed by the commitment adult volunteers make, fitting in ACF on evenings and at weekends.” He is also overseeing the overhaul, currently underway, of the student accommodation, including new bedrooms, armoury and lecture theatre. “That will improve the site, students’ experience and allow us to double our training environment from 40 to 80.” Another of Al’s goals is to increase engagement with the local community, charities, and with the cadet forces as a whole. “We’re going to get out and about next summer,” he says. “We want to know what CFAVs really think of the NCTC.”
THE DRILL
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PLEASE TELL US YOUR VIEWS It’s just over two years since we last surveyed readers about Army Cadet magazine, so we’re launching a new survey in February 2018 to give you an opportunity to tell us what you like and don’t like about this publication. In producing the magazine, we aim to inform, educate and entertain – and to help fill in any gaps where Chain of Command communications haven’t filtered down to ground level. The survey will help us to find out whether we’re getting things right and give you an opportunity to tell us what kind of new content you would like to see. Filling in the survey should take no longer than 10 minutes, but it will be invaluable in helping us to deliver the content you value in the format you want – print or online. We will feed back on the results in the next issue of the magazine and let you know what subsequent changes you can expect to see. Many thanks for taking part! Valerie McBurney (ACF Marketing and Communications), Sarah Campbell (editor, Army Cadet Volunteer)
NEW LOOK CHAMPION CADET COMPETITION 2018 The CCC 2018 will be held at the National Cadet Training Centre, Frimley Park, on 4-6 April 2018. Cadets are no longer required to have completed the Master Cadet Course to attend and the gauntlet
Simon Sayers Remember why you’re doing it. Politics and failure will be frustrating at times. Be prepared for emotions: anger, upset, drama… and in return be proud as you watch these young adults progress thanks to you!
An early design for the Champion Cadet badge
has been thrown down to County Commandants to send their best cadet. The course content is a closely guarded secret, but competitors will take part in a number of great events designed to test cadets in subjects selected from across the 3 Star APC syllabus ranging from shooting to first aid. In addition, the possibility of a Champion Cadet Competition badge, to be worn on the cadets’ uniforms, is being considered. We want every county to send us their best cadet. If you know someone you think should take part please let your Commandant know as soon as possible. Maj Ade Clayton Chief Instructor Cadet Training Centre, Frimley Park
GET IN TOUCH Send your letters, comments and ideas for future conversation starters to marketing@ armycadets.com
Alex Vargas Never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. The training team are there to help you, so don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t know’, because you can always find out. Above all, I’d say, never give up. Mark Barton Be an inspiration. Allow cadets to have fun, and teach and learn leadership by running lessons. Don’t try to do it all – say no sometimes, and give others a chance to shine.
TOP TWEETS ACF in the Twittersphere @Rose_at_O Proud mum that @blazin_sam has now started exciting and challenging new era in his life by joining the @ArmyCadetsUK last night woo hoo! @2NIACF Huge well done to Cadet CSM McAlpine – winner of the best cadet trophy at the 2017 @irish_guards Mini Micks comp @ArmyCadetsUK @RFCA_NI @StortfordACF Bishop’s Stortford cadets helped out at the Herts ABF @Soldierscharity curry lunch. Over £800 taken in raffle ticket sales. The curry was nice too! #charity #fundraising #armycadets @ArmyCadetsUK @BedsHertsACF
ARMYCADETS.COM 11
AT TITUDE SURVEY
BEST PRACTICE
COUNTY FOCUS IN A NEW REGULAR FEATURE WE’RE HEADING AROUND THE COUNTRY TO FIND OUT WHAT INDIVIDUAL COUNTIES ARE GREAT AT DELIVERING
Lancashire ACF “A high tempo of activity”: that’s how Col Neil Jurd, Commandant of Lancashire ACF, describes the county’s schedule of activities. “I’m very keen that cadets get the opportunity to do as much as possible,” he says. The most challenging and high-profile event Lancashire cadets take part in is the 100-mile Nijmegen Marches in Holland. “We sent our first team three years ago and were the best cadet team on the March in 2014 and are always one of the strongest ACF teams at the event,” says Neil. “We also send up to 80 cadets and staff overseas every year on a battle studies tour to somewhere like the Somme, as well as a hill-walking trip in Bavaria. It is about adventure, broadening horizons and giving our cadets life-changing experiences that shift their aspirations upwards and broaden their understanding of the world.” The volume of activities is important, Neil says. “There are lots of opportunities, not only for older cadets to go overseas but also for younger cadets to start having these kind of experiences in the UK. This year we’re doing
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kayaking around the Cornish coast, canoeing the Great Glen Way and walking Hadrian’s Wall, and we’ve done indoor skiing, gorge walking and parachuting.” In all, Neil reckons the county offers more than 1,000 cadet days of adventure activities a year. A cadet’s application to go on an expedition will be refused only if they are unsuitable for the event – for example, if they aren’t quite ready physically. For the more challenging events, such as the Nijmegen Marches, there are selection events and a lower age limit. Neil has set up a charity, Friends of Lancashire ACF, to provide money for cadets who are less able to pay their way. “No cadet should be denied the chance because of their financial situation,” Neil says. “The ones who can’t afford to go overseas are often those who get most from activities. It comes down to the detachment staff knowing who might be holding back and having a quiet word to say, ‘Don’t worry about the money.’ ” The key to being able to provide these opportunities is Neil’s team. “I’ve really focused on getting dynamic, capable people into the senior team and I now have some
LANCASHIRE: THE STATS Commandant: Col Neil Jurd HQ: Fullwood Barracks, Preston Cadets: 900 Volunteers: 190 Detachments: 34 Areas: 4
outstanding company commanders,” he says. “We all have the same vision: cadets should have adventures, push themselves physically and do activities that are challenging in a developmental way. The people I’ve got with me now are really making that happen.”
LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER
1ST BATTALION THE HIGHLANDERS: THE STATS Commandant: Col Iain Cassidy HQ: Gordonville Road, Inverness Cadets: 500 Volunteers: 110 Detachments: 29 The NHCTC tests cadets on skills such as navigation
1st Battalion The Highlanders When you’ve got cadets based in locations as remote as the Outer Hebrides and over a territory covering about half of Scotland, the goal of getting every single one to compete in an annual tactical competition seems ambitious to say the least. The North Highlands Cadet Tactical Competition (NHCTC) is a huge battalionwide event that takes place over one day at annual camp. It encompasses navigation, command tasks, observation, fieldcraft, patrolling, paintballing and even a general knowledge quiz. It is in effect two competitions in one – for junior and
THERE ARE ALWAYS CADETS BRAGGING THAT THEY’RE GOING TO WIN THE COMPANY TROPHY SSI Graeme Wells
for senior cadets – with stands set up all over camp, which the company teams of eight to 10 cadets must visit. “It’s the highlight of camp,” says SSI Graeme Wells, who manned the paintball stand at this year’s competition and is the battalion’s Public Relations Officer. “At camp, we’re there primarily to help the cadets to progress through their APC training, but this adds a fun, competitive element. The atmosphere on camp is great: there are always cadets bragging that they’re going to win the champion company trophy.” Paintballing was part of the junior competition and during the event Graeme had 10 teams come through his stand – it should have been 17 but bad weather curtailed the day’s activities this year. “It was a target competition: they fired at plates and gained points when the targets fell down. I’d split the teams up into three details, they’d shoot for the maximum number of points and then move on to their next stand,” Graeme says,
Areas: 5
adding, “The cadets were on the go all day.” The NHCTC isn’t the only big competition at annual camp, however. Cadets also take part in swimming, athletics, drill, football and march and shoot competitions. However, the NHCTC is the most inclusive event, providing opportunities for cadets who might not be as keen to compete in the more traditional sports. Having all the cadets displaying their skills in this way also acts as a kind of showcase for adult volunteers from the various companies, Graeme says. “Because of the geography of 1st Battalion The Highlanders, adults don’t often get to see cadets who aren’t in their company,” he adds. “So this is a useful way of identifying talent for national events.”
FIND OUT MORE Would you like to see your county featured here? Email marketing@ armycadets.com and tell us about some of the great work you do.
ARMYCADETS.COM 13
1
Cadets have to work out how to remove a bottle from inside the pipe
2
GET INVOLVED We’re always looking for detachments to feature on these pages. Get in touch: marketing@ armycadets.com
This task helps cadets learn about aerodynamics
14 ACF AUTUMN 2017
2
TEAM BUILDING
1
FLOATING TREASURE
2
ROCKET CARS
COMMAND TASKS CADETS FROM THE ROYAL COUNTY OF BERKSHIRE ACF TOOK ON THE ‘FLOATING TREASURE’ CHALLENGE ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS BATTALION ACF SET CADETS THE ‘ROCKET CARS’ TASK
1
FLOATING TREASURE
Equipment: Two jerry cans filled with water, a piece of plastic piping (around 2m long) with holes punched at random (apart from the first 25cm), small plastic bottle to fit easily inside the pipe, tape to cordon off an area, chest or ammo box to contain a prize, assorted ‘aids’ such as planks, rope, a crate and stones. Time: 15 minutes. Where: Outdoors in good weather. Aim: To complete the task within the time limit and claim the prize. Benefits: Improves cadets’ planning, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Instructions: Put the key to the ammo box in the bottle, seal the bottle and place it in the pipe. Place pipe firmly in the ground, inside a small taped off area. The cadets have to work out how to get the bottle out of the pipe without taking the pipe out of the ground. They have to take all the equipment they need across the training area to the taped-off area without returning for more, and then work within the taped-off area. They must fill the pipe with water, seal up the holes and act quickly so the bottle floats to the top of the pipe before they run out of water. Make it harder: Reduce the time allowed, introduce extra challenges or obstacles to make transporting the items more difficult.
2
ROCKET CARS Equipment: A4 paper, sticky tape, scissors, rulers, pencils, half-inch PVC tubes, low-pressure launcher (stomp rockets can be purchased as an alternative), K’nex rocket toy building sets (to use for wheels and axles). Time: 10-15 minutes preparation and 20-30 minutes to complete. Where: Outside or large room. Aim: To build a paper rocket car that can be propelled through a launcher, illustrating aerodynamics. Benefits: Improves cadets’ skills in investigating, estimating, measuring, designing, making, recording and analysing. Instructions: Make sure you carry out a risk assessment of the site before the start as cadets will be sending projectiles into the air. Get the cadets to roll paper around PVC tubes. The tubes serve as forms for constructing the rockets.
The paper should be snug on the form but able to slide easily. Make sure the cadets firmly attach the fins and nose cone to their rockets. Attach wheels and axle from the kit to turn it into a paper rocket car. Load the rocket on the launch rod. Clear bystanders from the landing site. Perform a countdown. Launch all the rockets before you allow the cadets to retrieve them. Make it harder: Reduce time to create the rocket cars, make smaller groups or give them fewer materials to work with.
THE AIM IS TO BUILD A PAPER ROCKET CAR THAT CAN BE PROPELLED THROUGH A LAUNCHER Thanks to Maj Kim Scott from Royal County of Berkshire ACF and 2Lt Christina Deans from Argyll and & Sutherland Highlanders Battalion ACF for sharing these tasks.
ARMYCADETS.COM 15
INCLUSIVITY
DID YOU KNOW? Female CFAVs make up around 29 per cent of the volunteer total
ACF FOR ALL
OPENING UP WE TALK TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE LEADING THE WAY IN HELPING THE ACF TO REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES
T
he profile of the Army is changing. There are more women and people from ethnic minorities, which the Army attributes to an increase in engagement and improved marketing campaigns. The percentage of ethnic minority recruits rose from 6.7 per cent to 9 per cent between March 2016 and March 2017 and the percentage of female recruits now stands at 10.1 per cent, with targets for 2020 set at 10 per cent for ethnic minority recruits and 15 per cent for women. In the ACF the picture is a little different: female cadets now make up 31.6 per cent of the total cadet body. Those declaring as coming from ethnic minorities are around 10 per cent, although the ACF does not require anyone to declare this so the figure
I’D LIKE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE’S SEXUALITY OR GENDER ISN’T AN ISSUE
Col Pat O’Meara
22 ACF WINTER 16 SUMMER2017/18 2016
could be higher. Unlike the Army, the ACF doesn’t have targets or quotas. However, what it does have is a unique place in the heart of communities across the country, so here we’ve highlighted a few individual projects and viewpoints that are helping the ACF to become as reflective of the communities it serves as it can.
Helping to maximise potential There’s a difference between a champion and a role model, explains Col Pat O’Meara, Colonel Cadets of 51 Infantry Brigade, Scotland, and an LGBT champion. A role model is from the community they are seeking to support; a champion is an active supporter, he says. Pat became an LGBT champion following a chain of events that started on Twitter. “I realised I was being followed by someone in 51 Brigade who was a serving warrant officer and an LGBT role model, so I got in touch to see if there was any scope for bringing some diversity training into the cadet force,” Pat says. The warrant officer, WO2 Douglas Graham, put Pat in touch with the chair of the Army’s LGBT forum, Maj Robert Ridley. Robert developed a presentation that the LGBT forum had been using to address
INCLUSIVITY
The ACF wants its cadets and adult volunteers to reflect the communities that they serve
INCLUSIVITY
BEING INTERESTED IN PEOPLE CAN HELP GET ROUND ANY UNCONSCIOUS PREJUDICES Lt Col Catherine Harrison
Army groups and adapted it for ACF personnel. “It’s a powerful presentation told from a personal perspective. Dougie has now shown it to commandants in Scotland and Rob has presented it at a training officers’ conference: as I understand it 15 champions came out of that particular conference,” Pat says. The presentation covers definitions, history, the business case and the moral obligation to help everyone maximise their potential. “I’d like to see it delivered far more widely throughout the ACF,” Pat says. “It’s gaining traction. It’s designed to be delivered by adult volunteers but it’s more powerful coming from someone in the LGBT community. As time goes on we will get cadets who are far more open around sexuality and identifying as transgender. There’s a moral and legal duty to support those young people.” Eventually, Pat would like to get to a stage where the presentation isn’t needed. “I’d like it to be that people’s sexuality or gender isn’t an issue,” he says. “I remember conversations in the 1980s about girls joining the ACF and people threatening to leave. That seems archaic now.”
FIND OUT MORE If you’d like to find out more or are interested in giving the presentation, contact Pat at 504omear@armymail.mod.uk
Room for reflection In the early 2000s, Padre Martyn Coe was chaplain in SE London ACF. “It’s a very diverse county covering six boroughs with a huge range of adults and cadets in terms of religion,” he says. “It’s my job to support
18 ACF WINTER 2017/18
everyone, and at annual camp just saying there will be a church parade, communion or evening prayer is not going to meet the needs of other faiths or of people who are aware of some level of spirituality but wouldn’t identify as Christian. We needed to find a different way of doing it.” So at annual camp in 2004 at Longmoor, he carved out a World Faith Area: a room divided into areas for prayer and reflection. “We might have a bowl of water, so if you’ve done something that’s hurt your relationship with someone, you wash your hands of it while thinking about how to fix it; or a small pile of stones that represent burdens you’re carrying, so you pick one up and think about how to get rid of what’s weighing you down,” he says. Individual religions are also catered for. “I was conscious that we had a number of Muslim young people and adult instructors. The space was set up in a way that doesn’t conflict with Islamic prayer – so the prayer area faces the right direction, and there’s nothing that could be construed as an image or idol in front of it.”
Martyn also got in touch with the local mosque and asked them to provide copies of the Quran and prayer mats. “If the Imam knows the chaplain is watching out for the cadets, that can help provide reassurance among the community,” he says. Martyn now works with Cumbria ACF. The area might be less diverse but that doesn’t mean it’s any less necessary to have a World Faith Area at annual camp. “We don’t have a huge number of people from differing religions but we are diverse in terms of people who would not identify with an organised faith,” Martyn says. “Besides, we all need reflection time. The World Faith Area provides people the opportunity to sit quietly for a few minutes: just to step into a place of peace and quiet that enables the spirit and soul to catch up with where your body’s got to.”
INCLUSIVITY
HELPING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
No such thing as normal Lt Col Catherine Harrison, Deputy Commandant (Training) of Greater Manchester ACF, has had a distinguished cadet career. She achieved the rank of Cadet CSM and was appointed a Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet. As an adult volunteer, she commissioned on her 21st birthday. She has been a detachment commander, a company second-in-command and a county training officer, and is a member of the directing staff for the area commanders’ and senior officers’ courses at the National Cadet Training Centre at Frimley Park. Catherine is cautious of being labelled a role model. “I understand that it’s important for girls and women to see other women in senior roles, but for me it’s more important that I’m being authentic – that if I take on a new role it’s the right time for me and in the best interests of my county.”
When talking about inclusion, Catherine believes strongly in viewing every person she comes across as an individual. “Greater Manchester ACF is a very diverse organisation. There’s no such thing as normal or standard: everybody is different. I learn from everybody every day: the great thing about the ACF is that we’re mixing with people we wouldn’t normally mix with in our daily life,” she says. Respect for others is her mantra. “Being interested in people and asking them questions can help get round any unconscious prejudices or assumptions we have, she says. “Even if I come across people with outdated views, out of respect for them I need to understand why they hold that view, and would ask them to talk it through,” she says. “That way you’re holding them to account, but in a constructive and respectful way.”
Given the pressures on the armed forces, cadets and CFAVs play an important role in representing the armed forces in their local community, so it’s important that they reflect the make up of their community. Maj Donna Lodge, SO2A BAME at Civil Engagement Branch, says her team “seeks to enhance the Army’s reputation and wider support for the Army and broaden the recruiting base”. Donna says much of her work at the moment is youth outreach, which inevitably involves cadets. “With a smaller Army today and fewer veterans than there used to be, many young people have little exposure to anyone who is serving or has served in the Army,” Donna says. “As a result, their understanding of the Army is limited to what they see in the media. Regions are doing outreach activity to try and break down any barriers and improve understanding.” One example of such work is a ‘super-camp’ recently held by 4 Infantry Brigade for 250 14 to 18-year-olds in the North East of England. It was a twoand-a-half day residential course including survival skills, team challenges and virtual reality experiences. “Participants left the course with a much greater understanding of the Army, but also improved confidence in their own abilities,” says Donna. “So everyone benefits.”
ARMYCADETS.COM 19
REMEMBRANCE
FIRST WORLD WAR
JOURNEYS OF REMEMBRANCE THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO INVOLVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY COMMEMORATIONS, BUT TO STAND ON THE BATTLEGROUNDS WHERE SO MANY FELL HAS A PARTICULARLY EMOTIONAL IMPACT
DID YOU KNOW?
For the period of the First World War centenary commemorations (2014-18), each county has had £5,000 put aside to support battlefield studies. This can be taken as a single large sum or divided over multiple activities. Seventeen counties have taken up the offer so far
20 ACF WINTER 2017/18
Army Cadets are being encouraged to visit First World War sites
R
emembrance has always been an important activity for the ACF, but we are in the middle of a particularly poignant time. Cadets across the UK have been participating in First World War commemorative events since 2014, as part of the Army’s Op Reflect programme or local initiatives, but these will conclude this year with the victory commemorations on 11 November 2018. Counties have their own way of remembering the sacrifices of the past, but one common way of doing so is to visit the battlefields of northern Europe. Many detachments see this as an important part of the cadet syllabus. Dyfed and Glamorgan ACF included in its 2017 annual camp a battlefield tour to Belgium, to coincide with the centenary commemoration events for the Battle of Passchendaele. That meant arranging for 350 cadets, plus staff, to spend a night overseas. In charge of this task was Maj Ian McAuliffe. “The biggest issue was group passports,” he says. “When you’re trying to get a whole county of cadets involved, the paperwork is very time consuming – but completely worthwhile. It meant 32 cadets whose families could not afford a passport attended the trip.” The cadets explored what happened to wounded soldiers on the front line, and traced them either back home or back into active service. “We asked cadets to look into a bit about their families,” Ian says. “Cadets had relatives who were wounded in battle, so we were able to look them up.” Ian has run countless tours over the years, but isn’t tired of them. “It never ceases to amaze
CHILDREN THEIR AGE HAD GONE TO WAR Maj Ian McAuliffe
Remembrance is a big part of the ACF ethos
There are lots of ways young people can get involved in commemoration
me how the reality comes home to people of all ages, not just children. This trip was particularly emotional for me. I was able to stand on the site where my grandfather won a military medal 100 years ago to the day. I told the cadets about that so they realised all this happened not that long ago,” he says. “The trip brought home to them what previous generations had done, including children their age who had lied about their age to go to war.”
A cadet force-wide event As the 100th anniversary of the First World War armistice approaches, the Army Cadet Armistice Centenary Committee is planning a battlefield experience in France for 5,000 cadets from across the UK. Col Mark Nash, Commandant of Wiltshire ACF, is working with HQ Regional Command and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to make it happen. “This will be a wonderful experience for each cadet,” he says. “Organising it centrally reduces the overall effort and means cadets will be able to take part who wouldn’t normally do so, because we’re making the cost as small as possible – up to £30.” On the trip, cadets will visit stands with guides covering various themes: the causes of the war, the course of the war, technology, media, medicine and commemoration. Each day will culminate in a commemorative parade at the Thiepval Memorial. “Each parade will involve about 1,000 cadets – the approximate number of soldiers in an infantry battalion on the Somme in 1914,” says Mark. Mark hopes the trip will introduce the cadets to battlefield studies and develop their interest in them. “Being part of a huge commemorative event should give the cadets a lasting memory and positive attitude towards commemoration,” he says.
FIND OUT HOW TO TAKE PART The Army Cadet Armistice Centenary Committee has written to every ACF county to invite them to the event, with a high response rate so far. For more information, contact Mark at comdt-wilts@armymail.mod.uk
GET INVOLVED Many ACFs will have their own way of remembering the sacrifices of the past, but there are other national schemes and resources that may be worth exploring for parade-night activity ideas: The Royal British Legion has remembrance learning packs, lesson plans and other resources available to download free: www.britishlegion. org.uk/remembrance/ schools-learning/learningresources Never Such Innocence is an annual arts competition open to anyone aged 9-16: www.neversuch innocence.com The First World War Centenary Partnership, a network of organisations led by the Imperial War Museum, lists a wide range of local events: www.1914.org Aimed at 13- to 18-yearolds, WW1 Soldier’s Tale follows a fictional soldier and how he and his family might have experienced WW1 had Facebook been around: www. ww1soldierstale.co.uk and Facebook: Walter Carter: WW1 Soldiers Tale. The Soldier’s Charity campaign 2018: Every Soldier, Past, Present and Future has a number of events cadets and CFAVs can get involved in, including the Revision Challenge and The Cateran Yomp: www. soldierscharity.org/events
ARMYCADETS.COM 21
PEOPLE TELL ME THE TRAINING HAS CHANGED THEIR PERCEPTION – THEY CAN GO BACK TO THEIR DETACHMENTS AND DELIVER THIS Col Richard Ayres
KEY SKILLS
DID YOU KNOW? Map and compass, the precursor to modern navigation, dates back to the First World War
NAVIGATION
FINDING A NEW WAY
A FRESH APPROACH IS MAKING IT EASIER FOR CFAVS TO GET TO GRIPS WITH NAVIGATION SKILLS
T
he ACF’s navigation teaching is undergoing a transformation. Gone is the often unloved ‘map and compass’ approach with its emphasis on map reading. In its place is a modern navigation syllabus modelled closely on the National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS). Almost every county is now delivering the APC 2 Star Navigation element, but more training for CFAVs is still needed for the higher levels. In charge of that training is Col Richard Ayres, Commandant of Cheshire ACF, himself an International Mountain Leader, Mountain Instructor and Winter Mountain Leader. He explains why navigation teaching needed to be upgraded. “We needed to move away from old methodology to the more practical application of navigation skills,” he says. “The old military map reading style is based on grid references and how to use a compass and was designed to train people to
spot artillery. In reality we don’t need that for practical navigation. We need to know where north is and to spot features on a map. The old ‘map and compass’ was more academic, whereas modern navigation is very practical.” Richard has been delivering the Navigation Tutor Course (see box, page 25) around the country since 2013, and he feels that the bad reputation that navigation had in the past is gradually being erased. “I’ve found that people arrive on the course assuming it’s going to be traditional boring map and compass stuff. But through the practical activities they get lightbulb moments, and they tell me that the training has changed their perception because they understand it and realise they can go back to their detachments and deliver this. Plus, the classroom side of the course is small: I introduce a few concept ideas then get them outdoors,” he says. Understanding modern navigation is also a safety and confidence issue, Richard adds.
A new navigation syllabus moves away from the ‘map and compass’ approach
ARMYCADETS.COM 23
KEY SKILLS
HISTORY OF NAVIGATION 1914-18 ‘Map and compass’ taught to help officers locate artillery targets
1930s Map and compass syllabus revised to include current grid reference system
1939-45 Big expansion of ACF: map and compass syllabus is designed to prepare cadets to join the Army
1958 ACF syllabus updated: still use map and compass
1960 onwards Orienteering becomes increasingly popular. Scandinavians introduce idea of ‘navigation’ to British enthusiasts
1970s British orienteerers identify problems of conventional map and compass (e.g. little practical time to develop efficient land navigation). Vow to promote navigation as an alternative
1980
Training includes learning to recognise features on a map
The National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) is formed
1990s The British Orienteering Federation introduces a navigation methodology that is promoted by the NNAS
2011 Training and development committee approves prep work on new syllabus
I LIKE THE GREAT OUTDOORS AND WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO GET THE CADETS INTERESTED IN NAVIGATION SGT ANN BEVAN
2012 Navigation is mapped to the demands of the APC syllabus. Implementation plan approved
2013 Navigation introduced by APC Star level; ‘train the trainer’ courses run
2015 NNAS gains Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 4 status for its bronze award
2017 APC 3 Star and NNAS tutor courses are delivered in the ACF
24 ACF WINTER 2017/18
“We found that people going out on to the hills have a fear of paper maps and are relying on satnavs and phones – and inevitably batteries run out. But with the new navigation approach we find that groups aren’t getting lost and because of that their confidence and enjoyment increase,” he says. “And of course there’s that safety boost.” Sgt Ann Bevan from Alsager Detachment in Cheshire did the Navigation Tutor Course in March and May 2016 in Llandegna in the Clwydian mountains in Wales. “I like the great outdoors and wanted to find a way to get the cadets interested in navigation
because I’d found that the cadets thought it was quite boring and you get moans and groans when you tell them you’re doing it,” she says. “So when the Colonel [Richard] offered the training I thought I’d try it out.” She had her own lightbulb moments on the course, she says. “The best one was suddenly understanding how to use contour lines to find out where you are and to navigate,” she says. “When I started out on the course I wasn’t very sure on stuff like this but my confidence has soared. The weekend was like a jigsaw where all these different elements of navigation came together.”
KEY SKILLS
NAVIGATION IN A NUTSHELL What you need to know about the new-look training and syllabus
• Navigation in its new form was introduced to the ACF syllabus in 2013.
• Nearly every county is now delivering APC 2 Star Navigation, which equips the cadets to navigate successfully on the APC 2 Star and DofE Bronze expeditions. CFAVs are enthused by a more practical approach
• The standard navigation course for volunteers is now the Navigation Tutor Course. It is highly practical and ensures CFAVs have the complete set of teaching strategies to deliver navigation training up to APC 4 Star depending on the CFAV’s experience. At the very least all attendees will be able to deliver APC 2 Star at the end of the course.
• Train the Trainer sessions are available to help CFAVs to step up to delivering APC 3 Star and 4 Star navigation.
• To become a NNAS Course
The new syllabus is more exciting for cadets too
Most importantly, the knowledge Ann gained on the course has given her the confidence to take cadets out on expeditions. “It’s also been great to pass on that knowledge and confidence to the cadets as well, to get them enthused and give them the opportunity to go beyond what they already know,” she says.
Tutor, adults need a minimum of Silver NNAS, BEL, Lowland Leader, Hill & Moorland Leader or higher, Mountain Bike Leader, Orienteering Coach L2, JSMLT or higher. These courses are advertised at regional level.
• The Navigation syllabus is closely modelled on the National Navigation Award Scheme. The ACF is a corporate member of the NNAS and is a major player nationally within the scheme. Richard represents the ACF on the NNAS management board.
• The main priority of counties is to deliver the APC Navigation syllabus, but if they have appropriately qualified and experienced CFAVs they can also deliver the NNAS awards at the same time.
FIND OUT MORE
Contact Richard for more information on navigation training: email 614ayres@ armymail.mod.uk
ARMYCADETS.COM 25
No Ric Ric jus AP
AT TITUDE SURVEY TRAINING PROGRAMMES
TRAINING
PROPER PLANNING PLANNING A GOOD TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR YOUR CADETS WILL HELP THEM PROGRESS AND KEEP THEM COMING BACK. HERE’S HOW TO DO IT
W
hen it comes to training programmes, the only thing most detachment commanders and county training officers seem to agree on is that there’s no ‘correct’ way of doing things; it’s up to the CFAVs in each detachment to create a programme that serves its cadets’ needs.
Creating a programme can be a time-consuming task for a detachment commander who has to juggle different training needs and limited resources. But detachments will reap benefits from the time and effort put in. “If you prepare your training programme well, make it varied and enjoyable, and make sure instructors have time to prepare lessons, the detachment will flourish,” says SSI Jack Dench, who leads the Adult Leadership and IF YOU PREPARE YOUR Management (ALM) course for detachment commanders at the TRAINING WELL, THE National Cadet Training Centre, DETACHMENT WILL FLOURISH Frimley Park. “I tell ALM SSI Jack Dench students: ‘Get this right, and you’ll have no problem keeping
26 ACF WINTER 2017/18
hold of cadets. Get it wrong and they’ll get bored and leave.’ The training programme is the bit of admin that affects cadets the most.” Jack says that there are two sides to each programme. First, there are the practicalities of fitting in all the right lessons by the right deadlines, factoring in company commanders’ and commandants’ directives, resource limitations, room availability, instructors’ qualifications, detachment visits and the like. “Then there’s the variety and interest side,” says Jack. “Is it fun and enjoyable? We tell students to ask themselves whether they would find their training programme boring.” Learning about training is one thing, but how do detachments put what they learn into practice? We asked an experienced detachment commander and a county training officer.
TRAINING PROGRAMMES
TOP TIPS FOR TRAINING PLANS SSI Jack Dench’s top tips for writing an effective training programme
DID YOU KNOW?
Section 4-4 of the ACF Regulations provides general advice on training cadets
Variety is key to keeping cadets engaged
01
ACTUALLY HAVE ONE. Any programme is better
than none at all. It allows your instructors to prepare their lessons in advance and, by extension, deliver better training.
02
CHECK IT’S CORRECT. It needs to be effective
and comply with policy, regulations, subject-specific pamphlets and
2LT DANNY VARLEY Experienced former detachment commander Danny has found a successful formula for working out his training programmes in the form of a templated spreadsheet. “As far as I’m aware, it’s in use in hundreds of detachments,” he says. “I’ve given it out to other detachment commanders and over Facebook. “The template they show you on the ALM course is a page for each star level. So to work out what you’re doing on one night you’d need to refer to four pages. Mine is designed to get everything on one sheet with all the cadets listed down the left-hand side and all the lessons listed across the top,” he adds. This works for Danny because he likes to plan his programme one session at a time. “If you try to plan a star level at a time you’re more likely to get clashes with resources and instructors,” he says. He combines the refined template with a couple of other simple admin tricks. Each completed lesson is marked with the instructor’s initials so that it is easy to follow up queries. And each instructor documents whether a cadet has fully understood a lesson so it is simple to identify which subjects need revisiting. “I don’t imagine that my template is unique,” says Danny. “It just helps us to get to the point where we know what lessons the cadets have completed and understood.”
MAJ JEFF PROTHEROE County Training Officer for Dyfed and Glamorgan ACF Jeff doesn’t think that a training programme needs to be too clever or complex. “It’s about doing the basics well and not trying to achieve too much at once,” he says. “Cadets potentially have five years to progress through the APC syllabus and there are no prizes for finishing first.” Jeff has been in post for less than a year and one of his objectives is to standardise the county’s approach to training. “Currently, it’s down to detachment commanders to design their own monthly training programmes, with some direction from area headquarters. But area HQs decide on their own training objectives, so cadets from across the county progress at different speeds and we miss the opportunity for shared training.” In terms of training at detachment level, Jeff says a robust programme has to be focused on progression and include a variety of tasks. “Most cadets are at a school desk all day. Our offer should be different: open spaces, visits to local organisations, training with other detachments – as long as you’re operating in the Cadet Safe System of Training, it’s all permissible in the APC syllabus.”
syllabuses, training directives and the needs of your cadets.
03
MAKE IT VARIED. Would you enjoy two periods of
first aid a night for three weeks? Probably not. What about drill, skill at arms or PT?
04
MIX IT UP. Sometimes it is beneficial to plan a single
activity that the whole detachment can take part in. PT, for example, benefits from bigger numbers. However, overuse of ‘blanket’ training like this is lazy and inefficient.
05
MAKE IT FUN. This is the easiest but most
important part to get right. Ask yourself whether you would find your programme fun. Take the time to plan trips and activities that don’t just focus on passing star levels.
FIND OUT MORE The Cadet SST is set out in the ACF Regulations (Nov 2017) paragraph 4.2.1.4
ARMYCADETS.COM 27
CADET EXPERIENCE
NUMBER-OFF! FORCES CHARITIES NEED YOUR SUPPORT AND THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN RAISE FUNDS WHILE HAVING FUN
10 WAYS…
TO SUPPORT A MILITARY CHARITY
E
very year cadets and CFAVs do great work to fundraise for forces charities, as well as encouraging others to contribute by raising awareness of the need to support our troops. With the final year of the First World War commemoration under way, here are a few ideas to up your fundraising efforts in 2018, from skydiving to hosting a BBQ.
1
RAISE AWARENESS
The ACF is taking 5,000 cadets to The Somme. Find out more on pages 20-21.
5
WAYS TO CARE FOR ‘RESUSCI ANNE’ 28 ACF WINTER 2017/18
THE CPR TRAINING MANIKIN IS A FAMILIAR FACE IN FIRST AID CLASSES BUT SHE NEEDS TAKING CARE OF OR SHE’LL SPREAD GERMS
1
2
HOST A BIG CURRY
to support ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. Free fundraising pack at www.soldierscharity.org/events/ the-big-curry
3
SUPPORT A LOCAL CHARITY
Find out what’s happening in your area at www.1914.org
GIVE ANNE STERILE FACES AND NEW LUNGS BEFORE EACH COURSE Make this part of your course preparation. And if you’re struggling to remember to do this, try tip number two…
2
REMOVE THE FACES AND LUNGS AFTER EACH COURSE This means the next time Anne is brought out, the new trainer has no choice but to bring out clean faces and new lungs.
GOOD ADVICE
GET IN TOUCH @ArmyCadetsUK facebook.com/ Armycadetforce E: marketing@ armycadets.com
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CLIMB BEN NEVIS
Could you host an ACF friends and family BBQ event? Great recipe ideas at www.helpforheroes.org.uk
Don your head torch and tackle Ben Nevis at night: just one of the fundraising challenges at www.helpforheroes.org.uk
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HOST A BAKE SALE
Ask cadets to bake a treat and sell them to raise funds for your favourite forces charity.
HOST A BBQ
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HELP TIDY MEMORIALS
Support Remembrance events by volunteering to tidy up local memorials.
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GREAT SHOT?
Sign up for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity’s Rifle Run at www. soldierscharity.org/events
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HEAD FOR HEIGHTS?
Skydive to fundraise for the RBL: details at britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved
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USE INDIVIDUAL FACE SHIELDS FOR EACH STUDENT Or wipe Anne’s face with sterilising solution between students. Either way, each student needs a clean face to practise on.
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UPDATE THE MAINTENANCE LOG Each Anne should have one. As with any piece of kit, if you carry out regular maintenance checks she’ll serve you for a long time.
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NEED A GIFT?
Or a treat for yourself? See soldierscharityshop.org for ideas like this camo pod.
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KEEP ANNE CLEAN …not just her face and lungs, but give her skin and clothes a wash every now and then to keep her looking fresh.
ARMYCADETS.COM 29
It is now easier for senior cadets to join the ACF as adult volunteers
POLICY
ACF UPDATE
DR RICHARD CRAWFORD, SO1 CADETS POLICY AND PLANS AT REGIONAL COMMAND, PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE KEY PROJECTS AFFECTING CFAVs AND LOOKS AHEAD TO WHAT’S NEW IN 2018
NEWS
To subscribe to our e-newsletter go to armycadets.com/ about-us/keepin-touch
30 ACF WINTER 2017/18
NEW STARTS
Learning about leadership
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anuary is when many of us make new plans and resolutions for the year ahead. For some it is to improve their fitness or to eat healthier. For others it might be to learn a new language or skill. And others still will look to travel the world or get a new job. One good skill for everyone to look at developing in the coming year is leadership. At the start of 2017, we published the Army Cadet Leadership Code (see Army Cadet Volunteer, Autumn 2017). This has proved popular with volunteers and Cadets Branch continues to receive requests for more copies. Unlike the rest of the APC syllabus, leadership is not a standalone subject and is entwined in everything we do and teach our cadets. As the project to update the APC syllabus continues, we are threading leadership into all of our subjects. To support this task we have appointed a new National Leadership Adviser, Drew Cassidy. Drew brings to this new role a wealth of experience, both in the ACF and wider, and will take on the challenge of bringing leadership in to all of the subjects we teach our cadets, and build on the work already started by Cadets Branch in mentoring and coaching in the ACF. This new role will lead in developing training aids and media to support the Army Cadet Leadership Code, and to continue to develop the Code, drawing on expertise from within
the organisation, the Army and industry professionals so that it remains relevant to the ACF as a national youth organisation. In December, the new Cadet Forces Commission recognised the unique status of our volunteers as youth leaders in the MOD’s
UP DAT E
Meeting new ACF officers, Lt Gen James Bashall CBE, Commander Home Command, praised ACF
sponsored Cadet Forces. At the fourth Initial Officer Training residential weekend held at RMA Sandhurst shortly after the new commission was introduced, we were visited by Lt Gen James Bashall CBE, Commander Home Command, who met the most recent cohort of new ACF officers completing their course. In his address at the presentation ceremony, in front of students, their families and friends, he praised the commitment of our ACF officers as leaders and a key focal point for developing our young people now and in the future. Introducing the first new commission in decades has been a very complex task that has involved teams from across the MOD and the single Service Cadet HQs. One of the key tasks in delivering the
Lt Gen Bashall (left) met ACF officers who had just completed Initial Officer Training
new commission to the ACF has been to review the administration processes for our volunteers at all stages and these were published in draft at the start of 2017, leading to a new version of the ACF Regulations being published to coincide with the introduction of the new commission. We also published a series of frequently asked questions on the Cadet Forces Resource Centre and we continue to add to these as we get new questions.
Positive changes The new commission has given us the flexibility to make changes to improve routes into the ACF. One of these changes has been to allow commandants to recognise the experience of senior cadets looking to join the ACF as adult volunteers.
UNLIKE THE REST OF THE APC SYLLABUS, LEADERSHIP IS NOT A STANDALONE SUBJECT AND IS ENTWINED IN EVERYTHING WE DO The new ‘cadet to adult volunteer pathway’ will make it easier and quicker for cadets who were young leaders to become adult volunteers. We were also able to consult on and lower the age at which officers can commission in the ACF, from 21 years to 18 years. In addition, further work will be completed this year to update the commission application process, creating a single application form for all those seeking a commission in the ACF. Throughout the work to introduce the new commission we have tried to apply the Project LIBRA philosophy: to simplify where possible and remove those elements that are no longer relevant to a contemporary youth organisation. But this isn’t an easy task to complete in one step, and the regulations will continue to evolve as we test and adjust our procedures. The focus on delivering the Cadet Forces Commission has also meant that a few of the projects we had hoped to start in 2017, such as the establishment review, will now move to this year – that is one of my new year’s resolutions.
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
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IN THE PHOTOS: 1: Cadets from E Company, Yorkshire (North & West) ACF, competed in the National Rifles Cadet Cup Competition at Longmoor Camp, Hampshire 2: Beds & Herts cadets setting off on their two-day, 24km Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award qualifying expedition in Cambridgeshire 3: Cdt Sgt Elizabeth Train-Brown learnt fire breathing as her new skill to help gain her DofE Bronze Award
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4: Cdt Lauren Kemp on the range at Colchester during her 2 Star shoot 5: CSM Sophie Graham and Cdt Sophie Logan of Airdrie detachment, winners of the BFBS Cadet Takeover National Video Competition, being interviewed at BFBS Scotland by DJ Mark McKenzie 6: Cdt Sgt Alfie Dawson from Walton Detachment, Surrey ACF, bobbing for apples during a Halloween-themed orienteering exercise at Longmoor Camp 7: Bridge of sighs – B Coy, Bristol ACF, on October weekend camp with Cdt L/Cpl Mogg, Patchway Detachment and SI Nick Broderick 8: Members of Northumbria ACF and ATC 1248 Squadron, Prudhoe, on a fieldcraft and teambuilding weekend at RAF Spadeadam 9: Cdt Rebecca Carr participating in the annual Swanbourne Endeavour, a gruelling off-road mud race for cadets and adults that supports three armed services charities local to Buckinghamshire plus two local medical charities 4
32 ACF WINTER 2017
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SHARE YOUR PHOTOS 8
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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
D AY I N T H E L I F E
When I’m on the road touring I do miss detachment nights Not even a 12-hour round trip to parade can dampen punk rocker Tim Scargill’s passion for the ACF 07.30 I’m a fairly early riser but I do have the curse of an active mind during the night. I often wake up with song lyrics going round my head – I have a notepad at the side of the bed to write them down. If I wait until morning they’re gone. After I’m up I’ll check emails, music-related and ACF. 10.00 Poach an egg for breakfast. Spend some time with my lovely wife.
10.30 I do some work: writing songs, music for films, a bit of my biography, lesson plans for ACF. This of course is if I’m not on tour with my band Sham 69, and we tour a lot. A week tomorrow we’re playing Iceland, for example. It’s a constant in my life, a part of me. Singing has always been a massive form of release. And my music is growing with me: I’m still writing about angst, Tim Scargill joined the ACF aged 11
MEET TIM
teen pregnancy and drugs but from the perspective of a moaning 55-year-old man.
13.30 If it’s a Monday or Thursday (ACF nights) I’ll set off to catch the train to my detachment in Redhill in Surrey. I live in Hastings so it’s a three-and-a-half hour journey. I know it sounds mad, but I used to live near the detachment and when I moved I couldn’t leave those cadets. They’re my family and now I’m theirs. Cadets were crying when I talked about leaving, so how could I? On the train I’ll read, doodle, finish lesson plans, order popcorn (I do the NAAFI). I’m always thinking of things to entertain the cadets, to give them opportunities.
19.30 Parade starts. All day the cadets have had their teachers and their problems at school and we have to make up for that – go that extra nine yards. 21.30 Cadets go home. At the end of the night you might be left snarling at an empty crisp packet on the floor, but then you hear them all giggling as they drift off into the distance and you think, ‘That’s what it’s all about’. When I’m on the road touring I do miss detachment nights.
22.00 Back on the train. 01.30 I get home and go to bed.
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Tim juggles ACF with touring with his band
Tim Scargill, 55 Rank: Sergeant Instructor Joined: 1973 (as a cadet); 2014 (as a CFAV) County: Surrey Day job: Frontman of punk band Sham 69; film score writer Why I joined the ACF: My grandad was in the Army and that got me into collecting military cap badges. I joined the cadets at 11. I had a bit of a troubled childhood and my dad was violent, but for two nights a week my mum knew I’d be safe. One of the beautiful things that hasn’t changed about cadets is the compassion. The cadets became my surrogate parents. They saved my bacon. Now I’m kind of paying that back.
Share your story
Would you like to feature in a future edition of the magazine? Write and tell us how you manage a day job and volunteering for the cadets. Email editor@armycadets.com
ARMY CADET VOLUNTEER
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