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I started as a cadet in the United Kingdom Sea Cadet Corps at the tender age of 11 ½ as a small fish in a very large sea. At the age of 12 I progressed to the senior section of the corps and had attained the rank of Ordinary Cadet by the time I went on my first ever course.

 I chose to go on the course because I was on a bit of a downer with Cadets - and it had been recommended that the General Cadet Training Course was THE course to do to help you realise all the opportunities available as a cadet. After a week away, not only having to be responsible for myself but also to work as a team with all the other members of my division I came back full of enthusiasm. The fire fighting and damage control exercises may have had something to do with that though!

 On returning from the course I was promoted to Able Cadet and as time passed, and older members of the unit moved on I took on more responsibilities within the unit. It was about this time that I went away again to learn my “trade” or specialization. I had chosen communications due to an amazing instructor who even managed to make dry theory elements worthwhile and interesting. After spending 3 years waiting to be old enough to progress further through the Cadet programme and reach the dizzy heights of a senior cadet I finally reached my 15^th birthday and attended the Leading Cadet Qualifying Course at HMS SCTC Excellent in Portsmouth the month after. That summer I also attended my second UK international summer camp and spent a week on the tall ship T.S. Royalist- the flagship of the UKSCC offshore fleet.

 The year of 2006 was mostly taken up with preparing for and completing my GCSE’s but by the summer they were finished and I had a heap of courses to take me through the summer. The first was a Cadet leadership course (and the host of the Maple Leaf exchange) - CLC Frimley Park. I was one Sea Cadet in a platoon of 30, but I had my uses like tying rope and things like that.

 I then had a week at home before setting out for probably the best three weeks I will have as a Cadet. Yes, it was time to represent my country (haha!) at HMCS Quadra on the west coast of Canada! There were so many things that made those weeks fantastic, and I could write pages about that on its own. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and was very impressed with the professionalism and dedication shown by all the Cadets, staff and Officers there. I was also particularly pleased that the programme packed in as many cultural stereotypes as possible including maple syrup, beavers and Tim Hortons ;).

 So Cadet-wise that’s pretty much that so far. At present I have passed my Petty Officer Cadet board and will hopefully be promoted in the coming months, leaving me a year or so to get used to the idea of becoming staff!

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