Annual Camp-to Okehampton

By the time everyone was allocated their respective rooms and the cadets were settled in there's, and all beds were made it just just about time for lights out, around about 10 till 10:30pm, of course the cadets were all very excited, seeing how it was there first Annual camp, and for some, their first time away from home, so it took a while for them to settle down, as was expected.

The next day verious Sergeants were asigned to verious star groups and rooms of cadets to look after.

Myself and Sgt Kev Ray was asigned to look after the one star advanced cadets, making sure that they got up bright and early at 06:00 every morning, getting dressed, making their own beds and ( take note Mam's ) and making sure that the room they shared with the other cadets was clean and tidy.

Breakfast was served, sometimes at 06:30 and sometimes at 07:00, after which the cadets returned to their respective rooms to finish off tidying up before the Company Sergeant Major ( CSM ) came around at 07:45 for room inspection, and the room had to be immaculate to pass the inspection, they weren't perfect but the CSM was pleased with the effort that had done for the inspection, and if he was pleased then so were we.
This was done every morning without fail, and my hat goes off the the cadets for all of the hard work they did keeping the rooms tidy for the time they were at camp.

Training started at 08:00, with nominal roles being checked makeing doubly sure that the cadets were in the right place at the right time.

The cadetrs were split into veriouse groups, starting with basic cadets to 4 star cadets going with the three companies that were at camp, 'A' Coy-- 'B' Coy-- and 'C' Coy, B' Coy having the one star advanced cadets, around about 70 cadets within our group.

Adventure Traing started on the Sunday, and what i great time the Cadets had.

They were taken to a reservoir on the morning where they wind tought how to wind surf, and how to use sailing yachts and some of them went mountain bike riding.

We spent two days at Adventure training and even though it was raining, the cadets never noticed it at all, because of the great time they were having or as some of the cadets called it-Brilliant, were having a fantastic time.

Then on the Tuesday the cadets were taken to the Woodlands Theme park and again they had a fantastic time, just doing what ever they wantded to do in and around the park.

Then the folowing day training commenced for them to pass the star level that they were at, so that they could move onto the next star level, Star level two, which, just about everyone did over the following week, with three of the cadets that were in the room that i was looking after getting made up to L/cpl, there first stripe, and i was very proud of them, it was great seeing them move on knowing that i had somthing to do with their advancement, it was a great feeling of satisfaction from my part, which being an adult in the Army Cadet Force is all about, knowing that you help to change young peoples lives for the better, and so we now look forward to Annual camp next year, but before that we have weekend camps inbetween now and then, aswell as the usual competitions which Cleveland Army Cadet force always excel at.