GETTING READY FOR ANNUAL CAMP

The count down to Annual Camp has certainly begun and with just over 10 weeks to go before we deploy to Okehampton I would urge a last call to adults and cadets to attend. The provisional figures show that we should see something like 550-600 adults and cadets attending what promises to be very enjoyable and rewarding experience.  Talking to cadets as I go around the County it is clear that information is being passed down and there is a good understanding of what is on offer and what we are aiming to achieve.

 

Remember, Annual Camp this year will be different for a number of reasons; we will be joined by cadets and adults from the Italian Army Cadet Force, who will be joining the 3 star cadre (to be followed by our cadets and adults visiting Italy next year). Ranges this year will be delivered by a Permanent Range Team (PRT) which should further improve the County's shooting skills. The adventure training package being organised this year should be second to none and takes full advantage of the opportunities afforded by Okehampton's position. Finally, I am hoping that our County badge will be on display and easily recognisable on our new uniforms!

Also coming up soon:

D of E Gold canoeing expedition down the River Wye
Presentation of CVQO Level 1 Awards in Canterbury Cathedral
AT weekends for D Coy and the RE Sqn at Lydd
B Coy visiting Ypres

4 DIV TARGET RIFLE COMPETITION

It was a great pleasure to be able to visit the 4 Div Target Rifle Competition at Pirbright on Sunday and see our County Team win a place at Bisley later this year. There was some truly excellent shooting on the part of our cadets at distances of up to 500 metres.

 

I would like to thank the adults who gave up their time to enable the event to take place, namely Capt Roberts (County Shooting Officer), Maj Nisbet, AUOs Green and Moore and SSgt Blair.

 

Shooting is one of our core skills and one of the key attractions to cadets when they join. The target rifle sits at the top of the tree when it comes to shooting skills and I would ask all our adults to encourage cadets who have a desire to develop their shooting skills and/or get involved themselves!

 

County Badge Update: The Kent county map with Invicta superimposed seems to be gaining ground at the moment. Last few days to express a preference!

COUNTY BADGE

Please take some time to look at the following suggestions for a County badge to wear on our uniforms. I would ask you to express your opinions via your Coy CoC by no later than mid May, in order to allow enough time to produce the badges ahead of Annual Camp. It will be a simple case of the most popular suggestion wins!

I would suggest that the badge be no larger than a pack of cards
1.

    

                                    4.

2.

                                

                                                                                                          5.

3.

COUNTY BADGE

I have now received a number of suggestions for a County badge for adults. It is my intention to publish 4 suggestions in the next week or two for consideration by our adults. The "chosen" piece will then be manufactured and distributed (and sewn on) before we go to Annual Camp in August.

Major Pellett appointed as County Training Officer

I am very pleased to report that Major Pellett has been appointed as the new County Training Officer for Kent Army Cadet Force. Major Pellett will take up his post as this end of this year's Annual Camp at Okehampton, taking over from Major Kevin Gatter who will return to his post as County Records Officer.

Major Pellett joins the Command Team at an exciting time, with planning for overseas exercises in Cyprus and Gibralter, an exchange programme with the Italian Army Cadet Force and the County's preparations for the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One. At the same time, Major Pellett will take the lead with planning Annual Camp 2015, to Wathgill, which is now just over 16 months away!

There will now of course be a vacancy for OC D Coy based in Ditton. Applications from suitably qualified officers should be submitted by the end of April 2013, for an appointment to take effect from the end of Annual Camp 2013.

MTP AND POSSIBLE COUNTY BADGE

Ladies and Gentlmen

You will by now be aware that our issue of MTP has arrived in the County and is being distributed via the CAAs on a one-for-one exchange with CS95. I fully expect that all CFAVs will be wearing MTP by the end of Feb, less any adults who have yet to supply their sizing sheets. And yes, brown boots will eventually be issued!

We will also shortly be issued with rank slides, which will be a generic "ACF" slide. I would like to canvas your opinion on the idea of producing a cloth County Badge for adults to wear. I am not convinced that we should procure a County rank slide as I am aware and support the strong Regimental and Corps loyalties which I know exist and are currently displayed on slides. A better option might be to go for a badge.

If we go ahead with a badge it would have to appear on the left arm (where Bde flashes usually go) and not on the right arm as it would not be a TRF.

My own thoughts would be for a Kent badge, with the white horse, probably on a red background in the shape of a shield. Something not unlike the badge at the top of this blog!

If we go ahead I would like to go to Annual Camp with a new collective adult badge, so I would welcome your thoughts over the next few weeks.

Could I ask regular (if there are any!) visitors to this blog to forward this post to colleagues so that we can gauge the feelings of a wide spread of the adult community.

WELCOME BACK IN 2013!

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.