OC’s
Foreword
A is for Adventure, Achievement and Annual formal Inspection
Being a squadron commander is and always will
be a privilege; however there is perhaps one
downside to this privilege which I am sure all
squadron commanders experience. We spend a
lot of our time “in the office”, sorting out issues
and making decisions, and not as much time as
we would like with the cadets themselves, getting to know them and their personalities. Although there should always be a professional divide between a squadron’s staff and its cadets,
it is for us fantastic when we get the opportunity to undertake practical cadet activities.
In May I was able to spend a week with a
group of 30 cadets from across the wing who
attended the adventure training camp in Windermere. It was an opportunity to get involved
with some of the activities that were on offer to
the cadets, an opportunity for me to wind back
the clock a few years and be a teenager once
again. The week was very well planned and
filled with many varied pursuits, all of which
were designed to take the individual out of their
comfort zone, After all adventure training without the adventure is just training. It is only
when you step out of your comfort zone and try
something different that you discover your true
strengths and abilities. You realise that what at
first seemed hard or impossible was in fact enjoyable and achievable, and more often than not something that you want
to do again.
Gorge walking near
Coniston, an
opportunity to jump off
of the top of a waterfall.
2497cosfordsquadron.moonfruit.com
I would imagine that some of you have
watched television the programmes entitled
Harry’s heroes, or walking with the wounded,
where teams of severely injured servicemen and
women who have lost limbs, or suffered extreme trauma, embrace the challenge of walking
to the Earths Poles, or attempt to conquer
Mount Everest. These men and women have
not just stepped out of their comfort zones, they
have
set
themselves
the task of
achieving
what
most
able bodied
people would
say was impossible. We
can
only
draw inspiration
from
these
truly
remarkable
Injured servicemen walking to the South Pole.
people.
It was for me good to see the cadets who
attended the Windermere camp take on the
challenges that were presented to them, and to
witness the team spirit which developed. Our
adventures might not have been as extreme as
those servicemen who took on the poles, but the
individual experiences gained were important,
for life is for living, for enjoying, and for sharing.
I believe that the air cadet organization provides
a good start to your life adventure. So keep
putting your names down for activities and get
involved with all that we do. For in doing so we
can repeat this years’ “A” grade at our annual
formal inspection.
Flight Lieutenant G. Vince
Officer Commanding 2497 (Cosford) Squadron
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