21/09/2015
After losing a Cpl, two L/Cpls and two MC1s in the last few months due to them moving on with their education, the detachment had the challenge of forming an entirely new eight man team to compete against all other detachments within Zulu Company Royal Marines Cadets.
The team was to be lead by a joint effort from MC1 Lopez and MC2 (Tish) Montagne, and was supported throughout by MC1 Hargrieves, MC2 Boyd, MC2 Cawsey, MC2 Croft, MC2 Sydorenko and MC2 Flaherty.
With only a couple of weeks to prepare and practice the detachment focused on the "NATO Orders Process" and basic low level infantry tactics, both areas already had the "bar raised" from last year and the Corps was now expecting a more "polished act" from all the dets.
As we set of for Bramley training area the cadets quickly switched on and apart from the usual silly sing songs from the back of the mini-bus, most of the journey was spent discussing the daunting task ahead, it is fair to say that eight individuals got on that mini-bus at Woking but a team got of at Bramley.
Despite the Team being newly formed, led by Marines that had never held command before and three of their number only having served a few months they prepared for the next days events and settled in for the night.
After breakfast on Saturday morning we set of on a "round robin" of practical tests including - seamanship, observation, battlefield first aid, navigation and Corps history which the Team excelled in (mainly due to Boyd and Sydorenko bringing their notebooks containing many of the answers. Improvise-adapt and overcome!!) and then it was off for the formal assessment. This was by way of a scenario where the section commander would receive orders, write up his own orders and deliver orders to his section in order to "destroy the enemy" in and around a grid reference, whilst being watched over by the adjudicating officers. This was something the whole team was nervous about as they had very little experience at this and at all levels. The team worked together with the I/C and 2I/C to come up with the orders and both I/C and 2I/C delivered the orders better than expected, they then anxiously patrolled the area until they came under "effective enemy fire" and retaliated with a quick and effective base line giving suppressing firepower on the enemy, although nerves and inexperience became apparent at this point, with a little bit of advise and guidance from the DS the team effectively neutralised the enemy and pushed forward to the "re-org". They then came under attack a second time and this time with hardly any help at all went straight into the drills and dealt with the situation and won the battle.
End result from the whole of the week end was that Woking Detachment was awarded a "satisfactory" grade, with the Team taking over 50% of the points available to them, this was a lot better than several other Dets and less than 25 points behind the leading Det.
I would like to add that throughout the event each and every cadet on the Team displayed great professionalism, maturity and commitment as well as ALL the values and standards of the SCC and showed the "Corps Ethos" and "Spirit" in everything they took on. I am now really proud to be Det Commander for Woking and more than happy to be back in a "TEAM" like this again, ""this is why I put my uniform on!!!""
A/SGT (SCC) R Andrews
Woking Royal Marines Cadets Detachment Commander
