Tactical Movements
13 March saw over 100 cadets descend on Mereworth Woods to take part in the contingents Field Day, where cadets can participate in a range of fieldcraft activities. Fieldcraft encompasses essential, diverse military skills, ranging from camouflage and concealment to learning how to stealthy move and work together as a team whilst mastering the environment and completing missions successfully.
Sergeant Pollard, Alleyn’s School CCF commented “we had over 70 cadets from year nine and over 32 Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Cadets taking part, so it was a huge number for our fieldcraft days. The cadet’s behaviour and enthusiasm were excellent throughout; all our adult volunteers were extremely impressed. The day was highly successful and so enjoyable for cadets and adult volunteers alike!”
Cadet Regimental Sergeant Major Lavitta added “the year 10s and their NCOs did a brilliant job. I conducted a harbour lesson whilst we cooked our ration packs. After carrying out a snap ambush and setting up their bashas, the cadets enjoyed a good night’s sleep – despite the wind and rain! The next day was full of activities and spirits remained high throughout the exercise with lots of smiles caught on camera! The year 10 cadets were fast learners, and the NCOs were thorough with their demonstrations and practices, ensuring that improvements were highlighted after each practice. Overall, everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves and learnt useful fieldcraft skills to a high standard and these were our main goals from the Field Day. The NCOs were so proud of the effort that the younger cadets put in.”
Cadre in Command
The contingent’s year 11 Junior NCO Cadre had an extremely productive training day, which involved the cadets learning about tactical principles, leadership skills, fitness and orders. The training day also involved a mock exercise and a rifle drill, with the cadets showing great focus, teamwork and enthusiasm throughout, making it a very successful day.
An Exercise Under the Stars
It was year 10 cadet’s turn for their Field Day in mid-March, where they had the chance to complete an overnight field exercise. During the exercise, cadets were able to develop their 1* - 2* skills through activities such as harbour occupation, section level operations and pairs fire and manoeuvre. Despite the windy and rainy weather, morale remained high throughout the night, with cadets showing excellent resilience and teamwork.
Navigating the Year Ahead
Whilst it looks like it is going to be a banner year for Alleyn’s School CCF as they prepare for their summer events, Sergeant Pollard said “From a staff perspective, this term has been incredibly uplifting and a real reminder of why we do what we do. Watching the cadets tackle every activity - whether out at Mereworth Woods, on overnight exercise, or training on site - with such energy, resilience and good morale has been brilliant. Their behaviour, teamwork and willingness to learn have stood out at every stage. The support from our NCOs and the effort from all staff have helped create opportunities for the cadets to shine, but the credit truly goes to them for making the week such a success. Seeing their confidence grow and their enthusiasm never fade has been the highlight, and it’s been a pleasure to be part of it. This week has also shown what fantastic teamwork across the CCF looks like. Our cadets have been outstanding throughout, and their positivity has been matched by the commitment and enthusiasm of our staff and NCOs. For me, it’s been an incredibly positive and rewarding week, and I’m so proud of how the cadets have conducted themselves and grateful to everyone whose hard work and dedication made everything run so smoothly.”
So, what’s next for the contingent? April will see the contingent tackle Mountain Nav Ex in Snowdonia, Wales where they will upskill on their navigation and expedition skills, whilst year nine cadets will do their Basic Field training and put their skills into practice by camping out overnight, cooking in the field and weapons handling. Later in the year, we will welcome back CCF alumni and VIP guests for their annual dinner night before taking part in Ex Cambrian Patrol – this is the first time the contingent is taking part in this competition, and we wish them the very best of luck!
Thank you so much to Sergeant Jess Pollard and all of the cadets at Alleyn’s School CCF for sharing with us their latest news and events, we’re looking forward to seeing what you achieve over the next few months!
