St Edmund's

This year we took 13 cadets to a centralised summer camp at Longmoor, arriving on Sunday 6 July at around 15:00. Upon arrival, we attended a briefing on the camp setup, followed by being taken to our accommodation blocks for the week. While the cadets settled into their rooms, Maj Hawkins and I attended a series of smaller briefings. That evening, the cadets had the chance to relax and enjoy the games rooms, which included table tennis, Xbox gaming setups, and a cinema room. Lights out was at 22:30.

We started Monday with an early breakfast at 06:30, meaning a 06:00 wake up. To their credit, the cadets were up and ready on time every day. The day focused on shooting, split into two sessions: rifle ranges and clay pigeon shooting, followed by observation and careers stands. All 13 cadets had never fired a rifle before, yet two achieved marksman level and one completed a trained soldier shoot. The range staff were genuinely impressed with the cadets’ rifle drills. A brilliant start to the training and a very hot day for everyone.

Tuesday was another early morning with a 07:00 coach departure for a full day of adventure training. In the morning, cadets took part in raft building, paddleboarding, and kayaking. The afternoon included mountain biking, the climbing tower, and archery. It was another hot day and the cadets especially enjoyed the water based activities. Many said they would have preferred to stay in the water all day, but they gave everything a go and made the most of the experience.

On Wednesday we began the fieldcraft package, starting with TIBUA, which stands for Training in Built Up Areas. This was a highlight for many cadets. They threw themselves into it, smashing down doors, clearing rooms, working as a team, and communicating well while staff observed from above. Next came the section attack. As the heat increased, cadets stayed in the shade while the tactics were explained. Once briefed, they carried out the activity with focus and teamwork, especially impressive considering it was new to most of them. After lunch we moved on to the ambush stand. Following a walk through, it was time to put learning into practice. Capt Kincaid and I even dressed as enemy and joined in. The cadets performed well and received great feedback from the training staff. That evening we gave the cadets their overnight briefing. Once they had set up their bashers, Maj Hawkins and I attended another evening briefing and picked up sausages and chips for everyone as a well deserved treat. All the cadets sat together to enjoy their meal with a cold drink. By 22:00, everyone was asleep, ready for our 05:30 start the next morning.

Thursday began with packing up and preparing for training, which started at 06:45 to avoid the worst of the heat. First was a survival skills stand, where cadets learned how to find water, purify it, and set up traps. They were really engaged and wished for more time to explore this. Next was axe throwing, where the cadets were split into two teams. Bobby Halling and Rosa both stood out with great accuracy. After a short break we moved to the paintball stand. Because of the extreme heat, the session was adapted for safety. Instead of running around, cadets had fun shooting tin cans and testing their aim at longer distances. Later that day, cadets spent a couple of hours thoroughly cleaning the rifles used during the week. Once everything was cleaned to standard, we returned to camp to shower and change for dinner. Ration packs were planned, but as most had gone uneaten during the week, Maj Hawkins ordered Domino’s pizza instead, which went down very well.

Friday was competition day, with cadets rotating through various challenges set up by the cadet training teams. Events included mountain biking time trials, The Cube, military knowledge, drill, axe throwing, and archery. We placed second in The Cube and first in mountain biking, which was a great result and a reflection of the cadets’ effort and enthusiasm.

This was an excellent week for everyone involved. From early mornings to new experiences, every cadet gave their best and showed great teamwork, commitment, and spirit. Special thanks go to Lt Lea and Capt Kincaid for their support throughout the week. A huge thank you also to Maj Mark Hawkins, who has given over 35 years of service to the Combined Cadet Force. This was his final summer camp before passing the reins to Capt Kincaid.

Maj Hawkins, you will be missed by everyone at St Edmund’s CCF and we wish you a very happy retirement.

Capt Kincaid, we wish you all the best as you lead this fantastic unit into the future

SSI

Sergeant Major Trevor French