Have they got what it takes?
16.11.11
By SI Monk
This October the CTC hosted C Company’s annual Non Commissioned Officer Cadre (NCO Cadre). Cadets and NCO’s from all over C Company were sent to be trialled, tested and pushed to the limit to see if they have what it takes to gain rank or progress in rank.
The cadets were put through two days of intensive assessments. This included navigation under pressure, leadership, problem solving, time management and giving lectures in front of their peers. There was also the infamous Culvert Run.
The Culvert Run starts at one end of the training area with teams carrying a log between four cadets whilst navigating an undulating stream. Moving with haste down the stream they had to tackle fallen logs, overgrown bushes, ditches and finally going through the culverts themselves.
Lance Corporal Robert Smart, 16, from Billericay Detachment found the culvert run challenging to start with. When asked how they overcame their difficulties he said “we started working as a team and helped because we got the communication right.”
At one point in the weekend the cadre were sent on a cross country run around the training area. Cadet Sarah Wilson, 15, from Southend Detachment described this a low point of the weekend as she found her physical fitness a bit low. She did however list the Culvert Run as one of her highlights finding the obstacles really fun. When asked about the weekend as a whole Cdt Wilson remarked that the aim of the weekend is “to see if they have what it takes. It tests leadership, common sense and knowledge.”
Sergeant Stuart Owen attached from 7 Air Assault Battalion, Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers ran the Culvert Run with the senior team. He commented “The culvert is an arduous test of leadership pushing individuals to their limits and out of their comfort zone. Many cadets showed their true leadership and courage on this course.”
