Adult Training with Cambridgeshire ACF
(Above) Trainee Instructors preparing for paintballing, Annual Camp 2025.
Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) are the vital backbone of our organisation, without which none of our activities could happen. Whilst the ACF rightly stresses the advantages to young people of joining as a cadet, such as friendship, adventure, qualifications, or personal growth, it also offers many benefits to its adults (including all of the above.)
In Cambridgeshire, adult training is run by WO2 Emily White and CSgt Shaun Connor, both of whom are highly experienced and able to inspire new instructors with their enthusiasm for the ACF. WO2 White said: “We aim to give the new instructors a well-rounded experience, exposing them to everything, to find out what they like, and help them appreciate the experiences a cadet will have, and help them understand what the ACF is all about.”
Our organisation thrives on the mixed backgrounds of our adults, some with military or cadet experience, some with important civilian skills and qualifications. Most important of all however, is enthusiasm to learn, and and a passion for teaching, supporting and mentoring young people. Two of our most newly qualified instructors, who are especially keen to inspire the next generation, are Megan Buttress and Scott Faul.
(Above) WO2 White and CSgt Connor (seated middle) with trainee instructors including Scott Faul (top row 2nd from right), 2025.
Sergeant Megan Butress joined us in early 2025 having previously been an experienced cadet, and qualified as an adult instructor just last month. She said: “as a cadet, I made friends for life, I learned lots of new things and had lots of new experiences; STEM camp, clay pigeon shooting, Annual Camp. It was an incredible experience.”
(Above) Megan, left, with colleagues in 2025.
“I wanted to join as an adult because I missed it. It built my confidence, and I wanted to give that back. In some ways, joining as an adult wasn’t quite what I expected, its not just teaching the kids, its also learning yourself. There are so many courses you can go on, so many new things to learn.”
Megan was particularly impressed with the adult training team. “Emily and Shaun were incredible. They both understood it would take me a while to learn some things, and they made all the difference to me getting through the course. I have always struggled with Skill at Arms, but having the right people teaching it and supporting me, made sure I didn’t give up, and in the end, I enjoyed it.”
WO2 White said: “as a former cadet, Megan came into the training with a strong foundation of knowledge and experience. What stood out most throughout her journey was her positive attitude and willingness to learn. She demonstrated an excellent ability to build on what she had learned as a cadet and adapt those skills to her new role as a CFAV, ensuring she could effectively pass on her knowledge and experience to the next generation of cadets.”
Megan found herself thrown in the deep end at detachment, but also well supported by her colleagues when needed. She has just become 2 Coys’ Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Officer, an impressive achievement for a new instructor, and is full of enthusiasm for the award, having completed Bronze and Silver as a cadet, and now undertaking the Gold award as a young adult. “DofE builds friendships and also pushes you, helps you to think ‘I can do it!’ and gives you many benefits for the future.”
Megan would like to be promoted and is looking at different courses to ensure she gets the most out of the organisation and has a wide variety of skills to pass on to the cadets.
(Above) Megan in the field.
Sergeant Scott Faul also joined us early last year and has quickly become one of our most dedicated and enthusiastic instructors. Before joining us, he served with The Royal Anglian Regiment for 15 years, becoming a qualified sniper and serving in Afghanistan and Northern Ireland. He said: “I wanted to pass on some of my knowledge and get back in ‘the green’, and I missed the Army humour and banter.”
(Above) Scott Faul in the field with cadets, Beckingham, 2026.
Due to his high level of military experience, he found some aspects of the training difficult precisely because he was so well qualified. ‘Sometimes I had to roll back my knowledge to get to the right level, and there was also lots of new things to learn, such as safeguarding. I found Emily and Shaun’s enthusiasm addictive. At Annual Camp 2025, I learnt a lot more about how to do things the cadet way, to see the cadets in a fieldcraft environment, and I really enjoyed it.”
WO2 White said: “Scott’s training was mostly about fine tuning what he already knows. He was really good at listening to feedback, and incredibly good at helping others.”
(Above) Scott helping to supervise an exercise, Beckingham, 2026.
Scott is keen to obtain further qualifications and instruct cadets in multiple subjects, with a special passion for fieldcraft, the area in which he would most like to become a specialist instructor.
Of the ACF overall, he said: “I love it. I wish I had joined it sooner. I’m very impressed with the kids, and very impressed with the difference the ACF makes to them. It changes their whole outlook, the way they speak, their attitude, their confidence. It’s a really well put together organisation, and the mix of adults with both civilian and military backgrounds works really well because it brings together a vast amount of experience. It’s brilliant.”
Text by 2Lt Doug Stuart. Photos by 2Lt Stuart and WO2 White.