Postal Air Rifle League Competition Round 1

After lots of scoring we have the estimated results for the first round of the postal AR league competition. The six cadets have been split into two teams of three, scores as follows:

P - Prone
S - Standing
K - Kneeling

Team 1

Sgt Longman: P1 - 92, P2 - 90, S1 - 62, S2 - 78, K1 - 43, K2 - 83, TOTAL - 448 / 600

Deacon.T: P1 - 91, P2 - 88, S1 - 54, S2 - 61, K1 - 71, K2 - 72, TOTAL - 437 / 600

Moore: P1 - 81, P2 - 81, S1 - 70, S2 - 72, K1 - 87, K2 - 81, TOTAL - 472 / 600

Team 1 Total - 1357 / 1800


Team 2

Wilby: P1 - 72, P2 - 74, S1 - 74, S2 - 65, K1 - 68, K2 - 61, TOTAL - 414 / 600

Deacon.A: P1 - 84, P2 - 88, S1 - 58, S2 - 58, K1 - 63, K2 - 73, TOTAL - 405 / 600

Thorne: P1 - 91, P2 - 86, S1 - 46, S2 - 45, K1 - 62, K2 - 73, TOTAL - 403 / 600

Team 2 Total - 1222 / 1800


Good shooting by all, it's a very challenging competition requiring strength endurance and patience. The targets are now on their way to the official scoring officer at HQAC. Work on the next round of shooting will begin in early January.

R Davis
SGT (ATC)
Adjutant 2393 Squadron

Shooting Team AR Range Practice

Date: 16 DEC 12
Time: 09:15
Dress: Civvies
Details: Shooting time should only be 1 hour. Each firer will have 20 rounds in the prone position.

Christmas Message From The Commandant

As we approach the festive season, I look back on my first 4 months in command of the Air Cadet Organisation and am simply amazed by all I have seen and experienced as your Commandant so far. I have already clocked up almost 12,000 miles in the car and have visited Regional and Wing HQs and a number of individual ATC Sqns. I have inspected 2 CCF (RAF) sections and visited other CCF events. I have managed to fly twice, attempted part of an obstacle course and had a go at shooting on an indoor range (don't ask if I hit the target!). I have had the honour of presenting Duke of Edinburgh Gold awards, the Sir Arthur Marshall Trophy and a wide range of certificates of commendation. I have met with many influential people and have attended concerts and competitions, the standards of which have made me incredibly proud to be your Commandant.

But in between all these high profile, fun events, my overriding impression has been of a fantastic uniformed youth organisation, staffed by the most impressive team of adult volunteers who provide leadership and support to some incredible young people. I have received such a wonderfully warm welcome wherever I have been in the Corps and I am genuinely energised by the enthusiasm I find at all levels. 

Of course, there are some problems out there and we all know that resources are tight and times are tough. However, it's also an incredibly exciting time to be leading a cadet force, as everyone from the Prime Minister down is supportive of what we deliver for this country's young people and impressed by the quality of young adults that progress through our training. We are in the business of creating future citizens and our adult volunteers embody all that is good about the world of volunteering - giving up their time to enable others to achieve their potential.

I look forward to 2013 with great anticipation as we seek to shape the ACO for 2020 and beyond. Many of you will have heard me mention the emerging Strategy we are working on to ensure that the Organisation continues to deliver fun, exciting and relevant activities for our cadets and also invests in the adult volunteers on whom we rely to deliver the cadet experience. My mantra for next year is to "keep the air in air cadets" and also to live up to our motto of "Venture Adventure", whilst ensuring that all cadet activity is appropriately safe and properly supervised. I hope to involve as many cadets and volunteers as possible in this work and I will ensure that you are all kept informed of progress.

All that remains for me to do is to say a sincere and heartfelt thank you to everyone in the ACO who has worked tirelessly throughout another year to support cadet activity. I say a special thank you to our volunteers, be they members of civilian committees, Civilian Instructors, ATC SNCOs and WOs, VR(T) officers, Service Instructors, padres, or gliding and flying instructors as, without you, our 45,000 cadets would never achieve all that they do. I also pay tribute to my small but dedicated team of permanent staff at HQ, Regional and Wing level, be they Civil Servants, Regular or Full-time Reservist officers - you have all done a great job under challenging circumstances. 

I send all members of the ACO my very best wishes for a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas and festive season. In doing so, I would ask you all to bear in mind those who cannot be with loved ones at this time of year, particularly those deployed on operations overseas - we wish them all a safe and speedy return to their families.

Happy Christmas and I wish you all you would wish for yourselves in the New Year.

Dawn McCafferty

Comdt ACO

Dates For Your Diary

15 DEC - Bag pack (Waitrose, Billericay)

16 DEC - Shooting Team air rifle practice

16 DEC - Christmas carol church service (evening)

18 DEC - Secret Santa

20 DEC - Christmas party

21 DEC to 07 JAN - Christmas shut-down

22 or 29 DEC - Shooting Team possible rim fire shoot

05 JAN - First aid refresher course (staff and staff cadets where required) 

08 JAN - First parade night back after Christmas shut-down

12 JAN - Bag pack (Sainsbury's, Brentwood)

19 JAN - Church View garden project (DofE volunteering)

29 JAN - Leading, Senior and Master exams

16 - 23 FEB - Berlin camp

29 - 31 MAR - Peak District silver DofE practice

12 - 14 APR - Falklands Memorial Shield Competition

25 - 27 MAY - Peak District silver DofE expedition

Dates For Your Diary

08 DEC - Bag pack (Asda, Heron Retail Park Basildon)

15 DEC - Bag pack (Waitrose, Billericay)

16 DEC - Christmas carol church service (evening)

18 DEC - Secret Santa

20 DEC - Christmas party

21 DEC to 07 JAN - Christmas shut-down

05 JAN - First aid refresher course (staff and staff cadets where required) 

08 JAN - First parade night back after Christmas shut-down

12 JAN - Bag pack (Sainsbury's, Brentwood)

19 JAN - Church View garden project (DofE volunteering)

29 JAN - Leading, Senior and Master exams

16 - 23 FEB - Berlin camp

29 - 31 MAR - Peak District silver DofE practice

12 - 14 APR - Falklands Memorial Shield Competition

25 - 27 MAY - Peak District silver DofE expedition

Shooting Team Air Rifle Range Practice

All member of the shooting team, remember we are meeting tomorrow at 09:30 to shoot the National League air rifle competition. Dress is civvies, see you tomorrow morning.

R Davis
SGT (ATC)
Adjutant 2393 Squadron