Cadets Rise to the Challenge at Cambrian Patrol 2026

From 15 to 17 May 2026, cadets from across the United Kingdom participated in the prestigious two-day Exercise Cambrian Patrol, which is one of the most demanding events in the cadet calendar, designed to push teams to the limits of their physical and mental endurance. 

19 teams from both the Army Cadet Force (ACF) and the Llu Cadetiaid Cyfunol (CCF) took part, navigating approximately 25 kilometres of unforgiving terrain with only remote supervision as they moved from stand to stand. At each point along the route, teams faced tasks drawn from the Maes Llafur Cadetiaid y Fyddin, with their performance assessed and rewarded at gold, silver, bronze, or certificate standard. 

What the competition entailed 

Competition stands were as follows: 

1. Kim’s game: cadets had to work as a team to find a key and unlock a box that contained another task: encoding a message. They then had to find and memorise 20 items in a room before being quizzed. 
2. Section attack and withdraw: cadets used their fieldcraft skills to respond to enemy fire before withdrawing from the fight. 
3. Training in woodland and forest (TIWAF): cadets were presented a set of orders by their section commander and had to use their fire and movement skills to clear a woodblock and defeat the enemy positions. 
4. Combat first aid: teams were presented with a real-life scenario in which they had to apply their first aid skills under high pressure to treat a casualty and evacuate them to a helicopter pickup location. 
5. Signals: cadets had to approach the enemy position, kill the enemy, then apply their CIS knowledge to reconstruct a radio and send a message to headquarters. 
6. Attack fight through: as a section, cadets had to apply their fire and movement fieldcraft skills and tactics to clear enemy positions and a building, finding relevant intel to aid them in their next task. 
7. Navigation: the teams were given a timed quiz on the local training area, had to identify various locations, and were tested on the recognition of map symbols. 
8. Final Section attack on Sunday: teams were grouped into platoons of 3 sections at a time and had to work their way through a valley with multiple enemy locations to clear. 

Across all of these challenges, cadets were required to draw on their navigation, fitness, fieldcraft, teamwork and leadership abilities, often in difficult and unpredictable conditions. 

The Results 

Congratulations to all the teams that participated. The winners were: 

Best ACF Team – ACF Surrey 

Best CCF Team – Academi Glasgow CCF 

Best Patrol Commander – RSM Maisie Roberts – Clwyd and Gwynedd ACF 

Building the Leaders of Tomorrow 

Events like the Cadet Cambrian Patrol play a vital role in shaping the next generation. Beyond the military skills being tested, the exercise develops resilience, team cohesion and confidence, giving cadets the opportunity to apply their knowledge in genuinely demanding, real-world conditions. 

When asking Brigadier Mark Davis CBE, Commander 160th (Welsh) Brigade, his thoughts on the competition, he said: “Well, it’s a big part of it [the cadet experience]. I did this as a young kid, 16 years old myself, so I’ve seen the journey. 
I think it’s really important for two reasons. It teaches people they can always go that bit further. 
And the second thing is about fellowship and leadership, and working in a team.” 

The skills gained here extend well beyond the cadet movement. Decision-making under pressure, communication, responsibility and the ability to support those around you are qualities that will serve these young people throughout their lives, whatever path they choose to follow.