ISLE OF MAN ARMY CADET FORCE NEWSLETTER

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1 ISLE OF MAN ARMY CADET FORCE NEWSLETTER Jan Mar 2013 A Word From the Top Cadet Commandant Maj R Forrest This has been a busy period for the Army Cadets of the Island. We had the Basics completing their Stage one training and I was very pleased that we could get them and their parents together in Ramsey for a formal Parade so they could receive their badges from our Honorary Colonel. It was great for me to have the opportunity to speak to so many parents after the event. My words then remain extant today - if there is anything you don't understand - please ask one of my Instructors, we are always happy to explain the what s, whys and wherefores. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the majority of the Easter Camp in a snowy Warcop which was a great success and believe all Cadets who attended managed to fire 'live' on the range at least once - a great effort from both the Cadets and the Range staff. I also saw the final efforts of our first SNCO Cadre and was impressed with the enthusiasm and determination displayed by the young people involved. We have learned a lot about this course and Course Number 2 will be much improved. We now look forward to Summer Camp and JNCO Cadre Number 2! As many of you will be aware, I have had to leave the Island and the Isle of Man Army Cadets, but will remain 'in post' until formally replaced. It has been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to be the Commandant. I pass on my sincere thanks to all the Adult Staff for their support for me and most importantly - their dedication to the young people of the Island. Without you none of what we do would be possible. To the Cadets I also say thanks for making my time so enjoyable and full of laughter- remember - seize any opportunity you can get and exploit it to the full, we have a great organisation - use it.

2 EDITOR SI P LEWIN Welcome to the first issue of the Isle of Man Army Cadet Force Newsletter! The aim of the newsletter is to keep Cadets, their parent s and Adult volunteers up to date with all the latest news and goings on with the cadet force. There will be some changes along the way and I m setting no format in stone! If you have a story you would like to see in the newsletter then please speak to me. I hope you enjoy the newsletter and full of information you find helpful and activities to look forward too! County Training Officer Lt D Johnson Already the first third of 2013 has passed us by in what seems to be a blur. Training has been extensive and varied with a much heavier emphasis on adult training than in my previous years as CTO. This has been largely due to the significant number of adult volunteers who have joined us recently. The numbers have been such that our Cadet Training Team (CTT) felt it warranted holding an Initial Training Course (ITC) on the island the second such course in just over 2 years. AUO O Regan & SI Lewin are to be hugely commended for heading up the pre-itc training. Their hard work and effort paid off handsomely when virtually all who attended passed the course no mean feat! It hasn t been just adult training though. Earlier in the year saw us holding our first ever recruit passing out parade. The event was well attended by friends and family of the new cadet recruits who had successfully completed their Basic course and thus earned their first badge of their ACF career. We were delighted to have our Honorary Colonel, Charles Wilson in attendance who also spoke to the cadets and presented them with their awards. SI s Sayle and Hill are to be heartily congratulated for their stalwart efforts in ensuring that the cadets achieved the requisite standards. Looking ahead, we can expect to see a radical overhaul of the entire training programme for adults and cadets. These changes have been several years in the making and whilst change is always difficult to deal with in the early stages, hopefully we will all see the benefits to this new regime sooner rather than later. Whilst it creates a fair bit more work, especially for me(!), I am confident that we will all be better for it in the long run. All items of the cadet syllabus have been re-written, with the exception of Fieldcraft, which will undoubtedly also receive the same treatment shortly even PT has been revised! The net result for the cadets will mean a more relevant and up to date syllabus. Likewise, a radical overhaul of the way new adult instructors are trained is due to be implemented imminently. ITC as we know them will cease to exist, making way for a fairly lengthy but very thorough training program, which in turn will lead to better trained and qualified adults. All-in-all, exciting times lie ahead and a very positive start to the year. Thank you all for you immense hard work and efforts, whether as a cadet or as an adult instructor.

3 County Shooting Officer 2Lt Farrington Shooting this year has been difficult with the weather and the ability to obtain quality range time being limiting factors. We could not get to shoot at Easter on the Target Rifle and therefore our only chance to shoot before competition was taken away. The Duke of Lancaster shoot is actually taking place during TT and therefore the costs of attendance are too high. However, we have been granted additional budget to plan ahead for next year so we can look to book ranges for early next year and start back on our road to Bisley for I intend to run some additional Detachment weekend shooting days and from those days select a squad of GP shooters to travel to the UK and practice on a 300m range for CSAAM. We can then take a few teams ready to face the challenge and able to compete on a more even footing. Looking further ahead we will make full use of our new budget and look to get to the UK at least 4 times a year with the sole intention of shooting both CTR and GP. Anyone interested in taking part in competition shooting should make themselves known to their detachment commanders and keep an ear out for upcoming shooting weekends. Up coming events FIRST AID COMPETITION (Altcar, Liverpool) May 3 rd 5 th WEEKEND CAMP (Lewaigue) May 17 th -19 th WEEKEND CAMP (Lewaigue) June 14 th 16 th WEEKEND CAMP (Lewaigue) July 12 th 14 th ANNUAL CAMP - WATHGILL (Yorkshire) 3 rd -16 th August ANNUAL CAMP - INVERNESS 2014 (Scotland) ANNUAL CAMP - HALTON 2015 (Lancaster) ANNUAL CAMP - SWYNNERTON 2016 (Staffordshire) ANNUAL CAMP - RIPON 2017 (Yorkshire)

4 RECENT PROMOTIONS BDR JOHNSON, PROMOTED TO SGT L/BDR MARTIN, PROMOTED TO BDR L/BDR KEARSLEY, PROMOTED TO BDR L/BDR KINGETT, PROMOTED TO BDR CDT PERRY, PROMOTED TO L/BDR CDT O CONNOR, PROMOTED TO L/BDR Congratulations to you all, keep up the hard work! STAR LEVEL PASSES Congratulations to BASIC Cdt DUBARRY Cdt CACHIA D Cdt CACHIA J Cdt ROBERTSON Cdt INGRASSIA Cdt BARROW Cdt DEVERAU A Cdt DEVERAU S Cdt GALE Cdt MOFFATT Cdt BEATTIE Cdt BELL Cdt BUXTON Cdt DOUGHERTY Cdt FARRINGTON Cdt HARKINS Cdt KINRADE Cdt WALKOM Cdt COLLISTER Cdt ARMSTRONG-PATON Cdt WHITE Cdt CONNOLLY Cdt CHRISTIAN Cdt KILLEY Cdt HARDINGE Cdt CLAGUE ROUND UP IN PICTURES Ready For Inspection

5 Can you tell me where it hurts? First Aid forms an important part of the cadets training Down, test and adjust! Cadets practise their weapon handling skills. Safe handling is the uppermost priority for the ACF. Cadets taking up a defensive position. Fieldcraft and tactics are two of the more popular and enjoyable activities in which the cadets participate. IOM ACF HQ & Training Centre, Tromode Rd, Douglas. IM2 5PA. Tel: ao@isleofmanarmycadets.com