THE COMBINED CADET FORCE (CCF) With a return to a training schedule free from Covid restrictions, WOI (RSM) William Schulze-Melander (Year 13) reflects on a year filled with achievement for the CCF
skills and drill technique. The Year 10 cadets focused on their familiarity with the demands of the contingent’s flight simulator, helping them to develop their understanding of the basic controls of aircraft. Year 11 cadets across all three sections have been pursuing the Cadet Force’s Method of Instruction (MOI) programme, where pupils learn how to teach the younger cadets, preparing them for their time and role in the Sixth Form as NCOs. Competitions, expeditions and trips After a fun Recruits’ Camp, preparations continued for this year’s AST regionals in November. The cadets’ preparations paid off, and after winning first aid, shooting and aircraft recce they won first place in the London and South-East region. Unfortunately, at the Nationals they were unable to replicate prior success, but still came a commendable third place nationally, defeating many of our main competitors locally. Navy This year has also been a successful one for the Navy. Cadets had the opportunity to use the Royal Navy’s Damage Repair Instructional Unit (DRIU), which mimics a sinking ship and the actions one must take to prevent the vessel from sinking. On the trip, the cadets also learned methods to fight fires on board ships. The Navy section offers its cadets a wide range of external professional qualifications to pursue, including sailing, powerboating and diving. In the year ahead, its busy schedule includes adventure training activities like mountain biking, kayaking and climbing. Army Due to unforeseen issues caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many of the competitions for the Army have had to be postponed. That being said, the Army section en- joyed the Battlecraft Camp in mid-February where cadets had the opportunity to improve their fieldcraft by engaging in section attacks, map reading and first aid. Despite the Guthrie Cup competition being cancelled this year, the Army section is looking forward to the CADSAAM shoot- ing competition, first aid competition and the prestigious Cambrian Patrol – for which much preparation has already been undertaken to help us secure victory!
A unique opportunity 2022 has been another great year for Dulwich’s CCF. In September, representing RAF cadets, Edward Stimpson, Ben Jones and Charlie Eccles had the opportunity to par- ticipate in Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral. This was a unique and amazing chance for our cadets to experience being centre stage of a global audience and to represent the UK. The once-in-a-lifetime occasion necessitated spending a week at ATC Pirbright, training with soldiers from across England and the Commonwealth – an invalu- able experience and rare opportunity for cadets.
comprised of both male and female cadets. Such is the success of this partnership that in 2022, for the first time in the history of our CCF, a female cadet, Polly Roberts, was appointed RSM. This was a unique and amazing chance for our cadets to experience being centre stage in front of a global audience and to represent the UK The addition of girls into our CCF has been an enormous success, with many competing in competitions such as the Guthrie Cup, Royal Air Squadron Trophy and the gruelling and highly prestigious Cambrian Patrol.
sembling early in the morning on College Road, all three sections put in a special effort to ensure that their uniform was correct, their boots well-polished, and their poppies displayed proudly on their chests to pay respects to the fallen. With police officers having cleared the way, our parade and ceremony with Alleyn’s School CCF went off without a hitch and many families and members of the local community attended. Cadet training Wonderfully, in 2022, each section was able to return to its regular programme of training on Tuesday evenings without being impaired by Covid protocols. In the Army section, the Year 9s learned the crucial skills of first aid, map reading and section attacks; the Year 10s improved both their foot drill and their rifle drill, as well as more advanced fieldcraft such as patrolling and observation posts. Alongside practical leadership tasks, Navy cadets (Year 9) learned how to use ropes, Morse code, the phonetic alphabet, and developed their first aid skills. Year 10 progressed through the syllabus, studying navigation, signalling, and familiarising themselves with the weapon systems of the Royal Navy. Year 9 RAF cadets learnt about the unique role the service plays in the stra- tegic defence of the UK, whilst developing their first aid
Return to normal training after the pandemic
In September 2022, the school year got off to a good start with a fresh batch of new Year 9s joining the ranks, and the senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) embraced the challenge of preparing them for Recruits’ Camp later in October. However, due to unforeseen challeng- es presented by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the contingent was unable to hold its usual Recruits’ Camp in Folkestone. But despite this, we pushed on and created a timetable of events to keep the new recruits active. These included archery tag, sleeping in a patrol harbour in the grounds and a trip to the RAF Museum. Following the success of the Camp, the contingent began practising for its annual Remembrance Day parade. As-
Congratulations! In 2022, three cadets from the Army section received AOSB passes, and Toma Cornisteanu-Bailey and Matteo Dembinski received Army Scholarships. Well done! Making history In September 2018, the DCCCF welcomed for the very first time 25 female recruits from JAGS. Since then, each new group of Year 9 cadets has come from both DC and JAGS, meaning that every year group is now
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THE ALLEYNIAN 711
CCF & DofE
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