CCF Newsletter- Autumn Field training 2024
The first half term of the school year has been a busy one for the CCF, especially in the terms of field training. On our third week back we attended an overnight exercise run by Brighton College in Pippingford Park training area in the Ashdown forest. Our cadets took part in activities such as a night stalk, individual fire and manoeuvre, first aid, command tasks and laser quest. Our senior cadets we asked to run the command task for the exercise and did a fine job. Thank you to Brighton college for looking after us and making us welcome. Our other main event this term was our own October filed ex at Pippingford Park Training Area.
It was a hugely successful camp with a vast amount of work and effort put in by all the cadets and the staff. For a one of our cadets it was their first camp and all learnt a huge amount and enjoyed it immensely.
We recently had to say goodbye to our two outstanding senior cadets, Sgt Joe Duke and Sgt Lewis Chick. They have been essential over the last few years in assisting the staff in instructing our younger Cadets for which we are immensely grateful. Lewis completed his Master Cadet Course in the spring. He did extremely well and was a credit to himself and us all. We wish them both the very best of luck.
With this power vacuum, it was time to promote some of our NCO’s. Ryan Vermeer to LCpl, Zach Baird to Cpl and Olly Wilkinson to Sgt. To prepare them for future responsibilities as our new senior cadets they were given the task of leading their sections on a recce patrols and command during the night ambush and the section attacks on the Sunday. They all performed admirably and they have given us a lot of confidence for the future.
As you may know that weekend did not have a favourable weather forecast and we were subjected to some persistent rain for the bulk of Friday night and all of Saturday. Thankfully, we were greeted with a beautiful sun rise on Sunday morning and we were blessed with some welcome sunshine for the rest of the day.
A huge amount of credit goes to all our younger cadets who were incredibly resolute. Not a single one of them complained about the wet and cold and got stuck into the activities with smiles on their faces.
On arrival at the training area the cadets occupied the harbour area (Camp site). Once complete the set about setting up their Basha’s and cooking their rations for dinner.
As stated earlier, on the Saturday morning the contingent executed reconnaissance patrols on suspected enemy positions.
They also learnt how to work on pairs, fire and manoeuvre, firing their weapons in order to engage the enemy, preparing them for the section attack on Sunday morning. On their return and after a hot, well deserved brew, they then practiced the ambush routine ready for the night ambush, which went off without a hitch.
The exercise ended with a section attack on an enemy position. A great initiation in leadership for our NCOs and a real exciting blank firing experience for our younger cadets.
The remainder of the term the contingent will be focused on the remembrance season collecting for the Poppy Appeal at Asda in the Marina and the remembrance parade at Rottingdean on Sunday the 10th November (report to follow). Our affiliation with the RBL goes back many years (since 1986) so it was an honour for us to take this on behalf of the contingent now and for all those staff and cadets over the years.
This second half term we are now welcoming our new intake of recruits. There has been a huge uptake in interest as we now have an additional 18 new recruits! Parade nights will be taken up with learning some basic skills including weapon handling, drill, military knowledge and fieldcraft.
A final thankyou goes to all our staff. Particular thanks go to Lt Durant and Sgt Hewling-Huggett for their huge commitment to the Contingent this year.
Maj A Pringle
Contingent Commander
Longhill School CCF