The Senior Cadet Instructors’ Cadre
The Army Cadet Force places a lot of emphasis on training young people to be leaders, with much of our training being delivered by the cadets themselves. For this reason, the Cadet Training Team runs the Junior Cadet Instructors’ Cadre (JCIC) and the Senior Cadet Instructors’ Cadre (SCIC), intended to equip cadets with the skills and knowledge they need to deliver the high standard of training required. The SCIC course is for cadets with the rank of Corporal and above, and is an intense five day residential course, this time held at the Cadet Training Centre (CTC) and Army training ground at Bassingbourn. 68 cadets from across the region took part, including seven from Cambridgeshire.
The cadets arrived at the CTC on the evening of Sunday 16fed of February. They began by being split into groups and giving an ‘icebreaker’, telling the others about themselves, before settling down for the night in their dormitories. The first day was classroom based, comprising a thorough explanation of Cadet Forces Instructional Techniques (CFIT) and a demonstration from a member of the Cadet Training Team as to how a good lesson should be conducted. The members of the group were then given their own lesson subjects, which they would have to plan and deliver to the other members of the group. These lessons comprised a theory lesson and a skills-based one, with theory subjects including ‘First Aid – Stings, Bites and Minor Bleeds’ and the Phonetic Alphabet, to skills such as Cooking in the Field and Camouflage and Concealment. The following day they had to deliver the theory lessons in the classroom, and the day after, the skills lesson in the field. Cadet Sergeant Major Bella Harris of Soham Detachment said: “delivering a lesson in the field was new to me, having to rely on my own skills and knowledge without the resource of a PowerPoint presentation. I learned so much, and am now much more confident about teaching in the field.”
On Wednesday evening the cadets began to prepare for their field exercise, starting with a night navigation recce. The cadets reached their destination and then took part in an intelligence gathering exercise to learn more about the enemy soldiers in the area, roles played by members of the Cadet Training Team. The cadets hid in the bushes to observe and listen to the enemy soldiers, who were discussing making Improvised Explosive Devices. Cadet Sergeant Major Harris said: “They were all arguing with each other and it was very funny!” After waiting for them to leave, the teams patrolled back to their harbour area (camp), having to run and take cover on the way after sighting an enemy vehicle. The cadets also completed the night navigation exercise, walking on a bearing to multiple checkpoints.
The cadets additionally completed a Weapons Handling Test with smoke grenades, qualifying them to be able to use smoke in the field.
They reported their intelligence findings to their Platoon Commander (Captain Granfield of the Cadet Training Team) and then ate a ration pack meal in their harbour area. Waking at 0530, the cadets set off at 0600 to the form up point for the coming attack on the enemy, which involved putting down a smokescreen and attacking a built-up area, with the cadets and the opposing enemy firing blanks at each other. Cadet Sergeant Charlotte Harwood, of Fletton Detachment, was the leader of one of the Sections. She said: “I initially stayed back with half of my Section at the RV (meeting) point, whilst the rest took part in a recce. Then with the other ICs (Section leaders) and the Platoon Commander, we held an ‘O’ (Orders) meeting. We then went back to our Sections to brief our 2ICs (Second in Commands). We started the attack at 0645. My section led the way to the RV point and then attacked the gate (to the defended built-up area on the training ground). Our 2 Section went through the middle and breached the first four buildings, then gave covering fire as 3 Section took the next buildings, with both then providing cover for 4 Section. Finally, 1 Section breached the enemy base and made it safe and secure. We had a (simulated) casualty who we took to the helicopter evacuation point, formed an all-round defence around them, and awaited for them to be evacuated.” The casualty was taken away by a truck, to simulate a helicopter.
After the attack, the cadets cleaned up the harbour area and went back to CTC to clean their weapons. This was followed by a fun, social evening with a Kahoot! quiz.
The final day, Friday, was the parade, with an opportunity for family members to attend, and prizes to be given for the highest achieving cadets.
Cdt Sgt Harwood said: “The course was amazing. I really recommend it. I know a lot more, and now I know CFIT techniques much better and can apply them to teaching at a higher level. I came home feeling great, nice people on the course, and amazing adults. I’m well chuffed with how the week has gone.”
Cdt Sgt Major Harris said: “It’s a really good course. I’m really proud and happy that I completed it. It was a huge confidence boost, and going back to detachment it will really improve my teaching skills. I have learned so much from the other cadets, seeing their teaching strategies. It flew by very quickly. it was very like Annual Camp but with lots of different cap badges (cadets from different branches of the cadet forces). It’s made me much more confident about teaching, and seeing the others cadets’ lessons has given me lots of new ideas about how to make lessons fun. I have made really great friends, some will be friends for life, we got really close in such a short time.”
Text by 2Lt Doug Stuart with thanks to Cdt Sgt Major Bella Harris and Cdt Sgt Charlotte Harwood. Photos by 2Lt Doug Stuart and Cadet Sgt Owusu.