The Skills Never Leave You: Clifford O’Farrell’s Journey

Clifford O’Farrell served with the Household Cavalry for 12 years before being medically discharged in 2015 following a serious injury sustained on operations in Afghanistan. After spending two years in a wheelchair and facing an uncertain future, Clifford found renewed purpose in an unexpected place: the Army Cadets. Here, he shares his journey from recovery to becoming a committed adult volunteer and why he believes veterans have an enormous amount to offer young people. 

Finding Purpose After Service 

When Clifford was preparing to leave the Army, he was actively searching for something that would give him a sense of direction. During his research, he came across the Army Cadets and the cyfleoedd gwirfoddoli it offered. 

“I left the military with an injury, losing sight of what I could accomplish,” he explains. “I went from a fit soldier to someone who was stuck in a wheelchair for two years and trying to rebuild my life and not knowing what essentially would be happening in the big bad world.” 

Civilian employment followed, but it never quite felt right. The Army Cadets, however, offered something different: a return to uniform, a familiar set of values, and a genuine sense of purpose. 

Adapting Military Skills to a Civilian Setting 

One of Clifford’s initial concerns when joining was how to apply the skills he had developed over a 12-year military career in a very different environment. The Army Cadets are the largest MOD cadet force and operate as a youth organisation. 

“Being in the Army Cadets, there is a lot of give in the role,” Clifford says. “Understanding that people can’t always meet your standards, but you need to support them in that role.” 

Rather than leaving his military experience at the door, Clifford found that his background gave him a unique edge. He has used his expertise in first aid and navigation to qualify as both a navigation and first aid instructor at Frimley Cadet Training Centre, gaining new qualifications while passing on vital skills to cadets. 

What the Role Actually Involves 

As an instructor, Clifford parades twice a week for two-hour sessions, delivering lessons and testing cadets on their star levels. As a detachment commander, his responsibilities extend further: managing equipment, coordinating instructors and ensuring cadets are properly prepared for camps, training weekends and other activities. In total, the role takes around ten hours a week. 

What surprised him most about the Army Cadets was how all-encompassing it turned out to be. 

“We could take anybody from any walk of life, welcome them in, understanding where they’re coming from and what they wanted to accomplish, and providing lessons and guidance, getting them through their star levels and essentially being better people.” 

Bringing Something Extra to the Cadets 

Clifford’s connection to the Household Cavalry has given him something particularly special to offer. He has returned to his former barracks and now wears the Life Guard cap badge once again, bringing with it a depth of knowledge and genuine passion that resonates with the young people he teaches. 

“You tell them the good side and the bad side to military life and it’s providing that insight that makes them a lot more capable, thinks a lot more about potentially joining the army or what they’ll experience when they become an adult.” 

He is also open with cadets about failure and the barriers he has faced personally, helping them understand that setbacks are a normal part of life and that learning to overcome them early will serve them well as adults. 

The Impact on Clifford Himself 

For Clifford, the benefits have run in both directions. Volunteering with the Army Cadets has not only allowed him to make a real difference to young people; it has also played a significant role in his own recovery and sense of identity after leaving service. 

“Finding the Army Cadets, it is something that I know. It is back in uniform. It’s serving in a different way, and it’s applying all those core values and standards to something that I fully believe in.” 

A Message to Fellow Veterans 

Clifford is clear about what veterans bring to the table and why their skills and experience should not be allowed to fade. 

“Veterans have a lot to offer. They’ve got the knowledge and experience. They’ve had to overcome so much just to get into the military, let alone consider their experiences, training, postings overseas, barriers, and obstacles to career progression. That skill fade is needed in the Army Cadets.” 

His advice to any veteran considering volunteering is straightforward: give it a try. 

“It is military themed, but it is not the military. When you join, you make it your own experience. Whatever direction you want to lead it, whether it’s through leadership courses, adventure training, your own courses as a skilled arms instructor, a cymorth cyntaf instructor, everything is open to you. All you have to do is just apply yourself and put your best foot forward.” 

Apply to Volunteer Today 

If you are a veteran and Clifford’s story has resonated with you, the Army Cadets want to hear from you. Your military knowledge, values and lived experience could make a real and lasting difference to a young person’s life. 

Watch Clifford’s testimonial below