A Year in the
Life of a
Senior Cadet
My final year in Northumbria
ACF has been the most
memorable of my cadet
service. It began with being asked to take part in
the County Outreach programme as a mentor for other
young people from local schools. The aim was to
improve their self confidence and encourage them to
embrace the values and standards I have learned in the
ACF. I really enjoyed seeing the group I was responsible for grow both as individuals and as a team. This was one
of the most rewarding experiences of my life to date. After Outreach I was off on my Senior Cadet Instructors
Course (SCIC) which taught me the instructional techniques necessary to teach aspects of the APC syllabus to
more junior cadets. I found that my experience as a mentor had improved my own self confidence and I gained a
report that I am immensely proud of.
Hot on the heels of this I gained a
Distinction in my Uniformed Services
BTEC and was promoted to cadet
Staff Sergeant. The middle part of
my year was action packed. First off
was a two week exercise in Brunei
where I trained alongside the
Ghurka’s, gaining an insight to life as
a regular soldier in a unique
environment that very few people will
have the opportunity to experience.
One week after returning from the
Jungle and I was off to France as the
senior cadet in charge of a group of
“Tyneside Scottish” cadets from
Heaton Manor and Kingston Park
Detachments who were visiting the D
-Day beaches. A few weeks later
and I had swapped the sunshine of
the Normandy coastline for the
mixed weather conditions of
Salisbury Plain where the County
undertook our two week annual
camp. I will always remember summer 2014 as being one amazing experience after another.
Just when I thought that my year could not get any better I became the first recipient of the Z Company “Best
Cadet” trophy. It was a real honour especially as there are lots of other really good cadets who are equally
deserving. Some of best moments of my life so far have been in the ACF, sharing them with some great friends
who I know I can always rely on. As I leave Northumbria to join the regular army I will always remember what the
Army Cadet Force has done for me and I thank my cadet friends and the adult instructors for all of their support.
Cadet SSgt James White
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