Iona Young Reflects on Six Years of Army Cadet Adventures

For many young people, joining the Army Cadets opens the door to new friendships, leadership opportunities and unforgettable adventures. For Iona Young, it became much more than that. After joining during lockdown in 2020, she progressed from attending lessons over Zoom to achieving the prestigious Maighstir-Cadet qualification and completing Gold Duais Diùc Dhùn Èideann expeditions abroad. 

Now having aged out of the Army Cadets at 18, Iona looks back on six years filled with camps, expeditions and experiences that helped shape her confidence, leadership skills and sense of adventure. In this Q&A, she shares her journey through the cadets and explains why expedition opportunities are among the most rewarding experiences on offer. 

What inspired you to join the cadets? 

I joined because my older sister was already in cadets and she was having fun, so I decided to give it a go. It felt less daunting to join a new club when everything was online when I first joined. 

Since then, I have achieved far more than I ever thought I would. I progressed from being a basic cadet trying to complete lessons over Zoom while coping with social distancing rules to becoming a Master Cadet. Having younger cadets look up to me in the same way I looked up to the senior cadets when I first joined feels strange, but I am glad I have been able to help them progress through their own cadet journey. 

How has the experience changed you? 

It has been a fantastic six years which has really shaped my confidence and character. Through my progression and the increased responsibilities I was given, I feel I have grown into a leadership role. Getting the chance to teach younger cadets is both challenging and rewarding. 

I have often been told that I take on a very mothering role towards the other cadets, making sure they have everything they need, carrying snacks or essentials, and always being there for them. It is something I used to feel embarrassed about, but now I think it is sweet that people appreciate those efforts and look up to me for it. 

What has been your proudest moment as a cadet so far? 

My proudest moment was definitely completing and passing Master Cadet. 

When I was a junior cadet, I helped two of the most senior boys in our company complete their 4-star drill qualification by volunteering to stand out in the cold on a Christmas weekend while they taught lessons. Seeing them achieve Master Cadet inspired me because they were people I really looked up to. 

At the time, reaching that level myself felt impossibly far away, so the fact that I eventually achieved it and now have younger cadets looking up to me still feels difficult to believe. 

What skills have you developed through cadets that you didn’t expect? 

My seòladh skills, without a doubt. I used to find maps incredibly confusing, but now I am confident with map reading and finding my location. I even enjoy making route cards and calculating timings. It is a really valuable life skill and I love helping younger cadets develop it as well. 

Cadets has also hugely improved my people skills. I have met people from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences, and cadets makes it very easy to start conversations and build friendships. When you spend so much time together on courses and exercises, you quickly become comfortable around people. 

That confidence in meeting new people will definitely help me later in life, especially when going to university far from home. 

What expeditions or camps have you taken part in? 

I have attended four annual camps since they restarted after lockdown and completed five expeditions, all linked to my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award levels while also counting towards cadet star-level qualifications. 

Alongside that, I attended several company weekends and only missed two events during my entire time in cadets. 

Which expedition has been the most memorable and why? 

The most memorable expedition was definitely my Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition in Bavaria. 

Not only did I finally get one of the Army Cadets DofE teddy bears I had wanted for years, but the scenery was absolutely beautiful and the whole experience felt unforgettable. I had a brilliant team around me and the weather was far better than on some previous expeditions. 

The travel itself also made it memorable. It involved a flight to London, using the Underground for the first time, a ferry from Devon and then another 12 hours in a minibus. It was exhausting, but completely worth it. 

What did you learn about yourself while on expedition? 

I learnt that when things get difficult, you really do just have to keep going. 

Counting down the days left helped make tough moments feel more manageable, and even when things were challenging it was still always enjoyable, especially when stopping somewhere with a great view for a well-earned break. 

I also realised that taking small comforts with you is worthwhile if they help keep your morale up. Even something simple like the DofE teddy bear became a big morale boost on expedition. Taking something that’ll make you more comfortable is worth the space it’ll take in the bag as long as you know you can carry it! If you can carry it and it’ll make your experience better, it’s not silly. 

Was there a particular location or activity that stood out to you? 

Bavaria stands out more than anywhere else. I was lucky enough to visit twice during my time in cadets. 

The first time was in 2023 on a multi-activity package Centre for Cadet Adventurous Training (CCAT) course. It was exciting but also daunting because it was my first time flying without my parents and travelling abroad. 

I returned the following year for my Gold DofE expedition, which became my favourite expedition overall and the first one where I avoided getting blisters! We were able to choose our own routes and campsites, but on the final day every team had to visit the Breitachklamm in our yellow T-shirts. 

It was especially memorable because I recognised it from my earlier CCAT course, so it felt both familiar and completely new at the same time. 

What opportunities have cadets given you that you might not have had otherwise? 

Definitely the opportunity to complete all three levels of my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. 

My school used to run the award scheme, but I do not think they offered anything beyond Bronze and it stopped completely by the time I started secondary school during Covid. When I discovered I could complete it through cadets, I signed up as soon as possible. 

I think I enjoyed doing DofE through cadets far more than I would have through school. My Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) encouraged me to complete all three levels while still allowing me to take responsibility for choosing my own activities, expeditions and residentials. 

What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining cadets? 

Absolutely go for it. 

It has been an amazing experience and I only wish it could have lasted longer than the six years I had. The people I have met and the experiences I have had are things I would never want to change. 

One thing I would say is that opportunities are not always heavily advertised within detachments, so you often need to look for them yourself and ask questions. That is how I managed to go to Germany at 15 for a CCAT course and later attend another course at Halton for rock climbing. 

There are so many opportunities available for different interests, from expeditions and residentials to adventurous training courses. My Tiree residential was fantastic and courses such as CCAT or Master Cadet can even count towards the residential section of Gold DofE. 

If something interests you, take the initiative and go for it because the opportunities are definitely there.