Reflections on 1368 successes in 2023-24

-

Sept marks the beginning of 1368's training year, with new 0924 intake joining and cadets transitioning up a level in terms of classifications and badges. It's also a time when older cadets head off/return from Uni and a significant threshold as we welcome a new batch of prospective cadets into the corps and make them part of the 1368 Sqn fabric.

Successes for 2023/24 included:

  • 1368 Sqn cadets won Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing Athletics champions 2022-24 (3rd consecutive year).
  • 1368 Sqn cadets won Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme Wing trophy for 2023-24. We got 5 Gold DofE's last year but also loads of Bronze and Silvers.
  • 1368 Sqn was 2nd, 1st and 4th (depending on recount) in the W&B Wing Field Day last Sept (not bad considering our drill team were mostly newbies).
  • Three senior NCOs from 1368 Sqn achieved Junior Leaders (JL) national course graduations in 2024 (1 is rare, 3 is good in this national 6+ weekend training programme).
  • A senior cadet from 1368 Sqn achieved Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course (QAIC) graduation in 2024 (fairly rare, national 6 weekend opportunity requiring massive commitment).
  • A senior cadet from 1368 Sqn achieved her Silver Gliding Wings.
  • 1368 Sqn cadets won best Squadron in the Wing for First Aid in the 2023 Wing Competition Day (with remarkably little practice).
  • 1368 Sqn cadets is still the Wing Swimming best overall sqn (from the last competition that was run).
  • 1368 Sqn cadets is still the Wing Cross Country championships best overall sqn (from the last competition that was run).
  • A senior 1368 Sqn cadet became Lord Lieutenant's Cadet for Warwickshire 2024-25.
  • One of our cadets was the first Air Cadet in the corps to be awarded an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship as part of the Wing STEM-officer's pioneering efforts.
  • Cadets had fun.
  • Staff had fun.

The secret of success? A positive peer-led environment which has fun, built on a supportive team self-belief that anything is possible. It doesn't matter if you win but not trying is not an option (oh, and we do like you to do DofE Award, the air cadets is very low-cost in comparison with schools, and a great way to build friendships).







If interested in joining the 1368 cadet family then fill in this official form and we will look to arrange a show-around to see if it's what you really want to be doing every Monday or Wednesday evening: https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/interested-in-joining-as-a-cadet/?squadronno=1368





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DofE Enrolment Form link now in the Forms list

-
DofE enrolment: An  .doc enrolment form  or PDF  (link to form with some pre-filled info for Sqn) must be completed on first enrolment to eDofE. 1368 Sqn is passionate about the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The DofE is open to young people and has 3 levels - Bronze, Silver and Gold.  Participants complete activities at each level over set periods in each of 4 sections - Volunteering, Expeditions, Skills, Physical; for Gold only, a Residential is added as a fifth section. For the Participant: The DofE is understood by those outside of the ATC. There is a greater expectation of involvement by the cadet in the planning stage of their DofE experience than in standard cadet syllabus, thus accelerating the process of personal development. The ATC syllabus offers an almost ‘off-the-shelf’ programme to gain an Award and there are ample opportunities for cadets and young volunteer staff to gain Awards by their work within the Corps. DofE generates success in areas of particular interest to t
Read more

AP818 - RAF Drill and Ceremonial Manual for Air Cadets

-
Last week, the cadets did some drill practice, partly in readiness for parades that are coming up, partly to give new prospective NCOs some experience "at the front" and also to sharpen up Squadron discipline. Drill is a powerful aid to discipline. It develops a sense of corporate pride, alertness, precision and readiness to obey orders instantly. Good drill in aircraft is directly fostered by the habit of drilling smartly on parade. Thus, smartness on parade is not only a sign of good discipline, but a basic factor in raising the standard of performance in duties. Back in the (really) old days, the Air Cadets used to have its own Air Cadet drill manual. Nowadays this is all gone. The RAFAC aligns wholly to the RAF Drill manual called AP818 . To do it by the book, therefore, check out the book! (it's actually how the RAF teaches it).
Read more

The RAF Air Cadet's Astra initiative

-
Image
Air Commodore Anthony Keeling is a senior Royal Air Force officer and current Commandant Air Cadets. He's very keen to update the Air Cadets to align with the modern world and the type of skills that are important in the RAF. Astra is the name given to the initiative to modernize air cadet training to align with this future. RAF Air Cadet Purpose We are an Air, Space and Cyber focused uniformed youth organisation whose purpose is to grow young people’s potential while fostering an interest in the Royal Air Force. RAF Air Cadet Astra Ambition A leading, progressive and inclusive organisation delivering life-enhancing Air Cadet experiences that will equip our people to contribute to every aspect of the national Air, Space and Cyber enterprise. RAF Air Cadet Astra Vision To achieve this ambition, the Air Cadets will modernise and transform as an Air, Space and Cyber focussed uniformed youth organisation, providing innovative and inclusive life-enhancing experiences for young people, r
Read more