Firstly, a slightly belated Happy New Year and a welcome back to training in what will be a very busy year. It was a great pleasure to see a number of you at Dibgate for the first Adult Update Weekend and also the RE Sqn at work at Collingwood a week before. The next adult weekend takes place in early February. I was very pleased to be able to introduce our new Honorary Colonel, Col James Partridge TD DL to adults training at the weekend. Col Partridge is keen to get around the County ans meet as many adults and cadets as possible, so don't be surprised if he pops up at your training events over the coming months!
I think that most people have now met the new Deputy Commandant (Training), Lt Col David Steele, who has joined us on promotion from SE London ACF. The second new Deputy Commandant, Lt Col (Designate) Chris Gilbert, will be returning to duty at the start of February to begin the handover/takeover with Lt Col Masters. Lt Col Gilbert will take up his post as Deputy Commandant (Admin) on 1st April.
I would like to draw your attention to the latest Army Cadet Magazine, which is heavily focused towards the hot topic of adult commissioning and so will be of particular interest to our 17 AUOs and others contemplating this career pathway. The other strong themes in the magazine are training safety and Values & Standards. I would encourage you to study the article written by GOC Sp Comd, Maj Gen Boag, who has ultimate responsibility for the ACF. You will find the link to the current magazine below.
http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk//launch.aspx?eid=441f728e-e75b-4a4a-b06a-ef8b486e785c
Our Main Effort as a County must now switch towards the preparations for Annual Camp to Okehampton in August. The County recce will take place over the weekend of 16/17 March, after which the detailed Coy/Sqn plans and arrangements will be confirmed. The price this year will be fixed at £80 per head.
I would also like you to start thinking further ahead to 2014 which will be the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One. I took a party of officers to Flanders last October for a Study Weekend to scope the potential for cadet visits in 2014. I am hoping that the Coys/Sqn now carry out a similar planning exercise and then make detailed arrangements for cadet visits in 2014. Kent, being so close to France has an obvious advantage when it comes to visiting France/Belgium and is not without evidence of the impact of WW1 itself.
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