The 21 boys and seven girls visited their affiliated Army unit, E Company of 8th Battalion The Rifles, spending two days and a night at the base.
Following a safety brief and quick tour of the Army reserve centre, the pupils’ physical fitness was tested on an obstacle course and they were taught lifesaving first aid skills. The youngsters also had the chance to practice basic infantry tactics including fire and manoeuvre and use of cover skills on an air soft range.
After an evening meal to refuel, the pupils dived into night time activities which included a map-reading exercise with a compass and the use of night viewing and virtual reality (VR) headsets. The VR headsets proved particularly popular with the cadets.
The pupils were woken at 6am sharp on Sunday for more practice on the paintball range, following breakfast, before being taken to Shrewsbury Castle and Museum. Colonels from The Rifles and 11 Signal & West Midlands Brigade showed the cadets the history of all the Army Regiments in Shropshire while museum curators answered the pupils’ many questions.
The cadets were then taken back to Copthorne Barracks, the home of E Company, where they enjoyed Sunday lunch before being presented with certificates and medals.
