The BTEC Diploma is a vocational award and all cadets over the age of 16 have the opportunity to earn this award recognised by employers and educational institutes. The First diploma is a respected vocational qualification equivalent to 4 standard grades at levels 1 to 3 in Scotland.

Commented Colonel Norrie Donald Commandant of 2 Highlanders ACF. “It is with pride I present these certificates to the first cadets in the battalion to achieve this award and the event is made all the sweeter by the fact the awards were all gained with distinction.”   

Our congratulations go to 

• Captain Glenn Pinsent on his promotion to Major, and appointment to Officer Commanding A Company
• Captain Alison Wilkie on her appointment to Second in Command of A Company
• Major Fergus Gatt on his appointment to Officer Commanding B Company
• Major Chris Downs on his appointment to Officer Commanding C Company
• Captain Gaenor Berkin on her appointment to Battalion Shooting Officer
• Major Peter Walker on his appointment to Battalion Training Officer

‘A’ Company of  the Battalion travelled the sixty miles from their detachments in Aberdeen to Barry Buddon Training Area on the edge of Dundee to put their field craft theory into practice one not quite dry and not too cold weekend in April.

The cadets were there to learn what life in the field is all about, preparing their own ration packs ready for eating and spending the night wrapped up under their bashas.

Commented AUO Shaw, 2ic Training, with A Company  “The weekend went really well for us. I felt we achieved our objective of delivering a realistic experience of life in the field to the cadets. All of them worked hard and were tired after the weekend and there was lots of snoring on the bus on the way home.”

 

3 and 4 start cadets spent a glorious sunny day at the Blackdog Rifle Range near Aberdeen practising their shooting skills prior to attending their annual camp at Strensall this year.

Commented Provost Bob Wynd “As the band marched down High Street and appeared through the snow I must say is was one of most spectacular sights I had ever seen”.

The 100 teenage Army and Air Cadets who came from all over Scotland and as far away as Essex and Manchester included a small number from the 2^nd Battalion The Highlanders Army Cadet force had spent a week of their Easter holidays at Cameron Barracks at Inverness receiving concentrated tuition from the skilled pipers and drummers of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, other regular army units, the Territorial Army, University Officer Training Corps and the Cadet Force’s own Adult Volunteer Leaders.

Company Trainig Officers will need to put in their returns by 15 May, 2008, so make sure your detachment commander knows you want to go on this weekend. – it’s open to any cadet that has passed 2 star, or has only two subjects outstanding.

The BTT are also looking for adults to help out with driving and training over the weekend, particularly those that want experience on a Full Bore/ Long Range. Details should be passed to your CTO, then onto the Assistant Battalion Training Officer.

PI’s Napier, Ramsay, Carder, Devlin and Collins will take part in the 10 day course, run by the Cadet Training Team.  They will be shown how to instruct in lessons, and assessed in their ability to deliver lessons in Map and Compass and Skill at Arms. They will also take part in an overnight exercise.

If they are successful, they will get to remove their red tabs and start wearing Sergeant stripes, so all the best to them, from all in the battalion. 

All pictures will obviously be vetted before being sent on, however we do ask that you clearly identify who the photo is from and the people shown on it.

Any suitable photos can be emailed to pictures@2highlandersacf.co.uk.