12 April 2022
Easter camp began with high spirits and excitement, luckily not dampened by the bitterly cold Friday morning we set out on. The cadets settled in well, with a busy first few days spent doing Fieldcraft and perfecting their rifle skills. The tuck shop cannot be forgotten and the queues stretched far outside the door when the new stock arrived! On Monday, the recruits had their first experience with live firing which was a blast. Three recruits qualified for their marksmanship badges, a phenomenal achievement for those who hadn’t shot a rifle before.
The whole camp enjoyed a well earned rest on Monday evening with a movie night before the AI cadre (composed of 4th and 5th years) set out on exercise the next day. The first night of the AI 48 hour exercise was exciting with a full ambush on an enemy vehicle checkpoint followed and plenty of ammunition spent as a result. Recruits joined the AI the next day and, after a stormy night, took part in a full platoon attack on the village to capture the elusive enemy.
After returning to the barracks, there were a few hours of down time (used for sleep by many!) before drill practice for the passing out parade the next day. The parade was a roaring success and the whole contingent showed their standards to the impressed Deputy Commandant Cadets. Overall, the camp was a highly enjoyable experience and it set an excellent baseline for future post-Covid camps. A massive thank you must go to the staff who gave up their Easter holidays to attend and were instrumental in ensuring the camp ran as smoothly as it did.
Written by CSjt Alasdair Emmett
