The Aim of the CCF
"To provide a disciplined organization within a school, so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance, resourcefulness endurance and perseverance".

 

The CCF plays a major role in the College today offering Cadets between 13 and 18 years old a chance to gain vital skills before they move on to their chosen career. While the CCF is not a recruiting tool, many of our Cadets continue their service in the OTC, TA or Regular forces.

 

Cadets join the CCF in Year 9 (2d Year). The Cadet Force within the college is voluntary and offered as an extracurricular activity and is a recognised activity for the merit award system. Each of the new cadets will have an induction day to give them an insight of what the CCF has to offer, both with respect to new friendships but also in challenging and enjoyable training opportunities.

 

Close ties are maintained with the Royal Navy and also the other CCF units in the UK, meaning we attend the same camps and courses and get to meet people from different schools and areas. Some of the courses we can go on include Power boating, Scuba Diving, First aid and Leadership - these are open to Cadets who show an interest and are willing to try the extra opportunities.

 

The Navy section now has 25 members all volunteers; we are now also recruiting and if anyone wishes to join please contact one of the senior cadets within the school or Mr. Baird. 

 

 

 

6.00am on a July morning and I’m woken with ‘Call to hands, Call to hands’ over the pipes (Naval term for the tannoy system) situated above my head and with the rest of my mess I emerge groggily out of my bunk, alien to the concept of getting up at 6.00am during the summer for my first morning on board HMS Bristol. HMS Bristol a Type 82 destroyer permanently berthed at HMS Excellent Naval Base in Portsmouth and is primarily used as a training ship for the Royal Navy, but also by the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and Sea Cadets. As I got up I thought about how I ended up here getting up this early to march to my breakfast along with many other teenagers of my age.

 

I had always fancied joining the cadets ever since I came to Lisneal College but somehow something had always got in the way. Last year I finally got the chance and chose to join the Royal Navy Section, I started at the beginning of September and I haven’t looked back since. All sections meet on a Wednesday night in the Junior School site of Foyle College and sometime Lisneal at 7.00pm. In the navy on a typical Wednesday we might learn knots, chart work, team building exercises or are taught about the navy.

 

The things we do on a Wednesday are all well and good but undoubtedly the stuff I enjoy the most is the more adventurous aspect within the naval cadets. On a series of 4 Wednesday night’s we met at 6.30pm at Enagh Lough to go canoeing, we donned wetsuits and buoyancy aids and paddled around the lough in our Canadian canoes learning different paddling techniques and even building a canoe pyramid in the middle of the lough!

 

We also have the opportunity to go shooting, this can be in the range at school or more often at Magilligan on a Saturday where we can shoot targetrifles or even semi-automatic L98A2 GP rifles provided we can pass a weapons handling test to make sure we are capable of handling the weapon safely. We are taught everything we need to know throughout the year in a series of lessons so if you pay attention it is quite easy.

 

We completed a Joint Navy and Army 48hour exercise which saw us camping out in a thicket of trees in bashas (a lean two made using a tarpaulin tied with two bungees around two trees) and eating ration packs cooked on trangias and hexi-block burners.

 

Another important aspect of cadet life is camps,  this year I was lucky to be able to attend 3, a joint Navy and Army Easter camp in Magilligan, a Summer camp at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and a Summer camp at HMS Bristol in Portsmouth.

 

Easter Camp lasted 5 days and was a chance for both the Army and the Navy section to learn from each other and to experience some of the things that the other section does at their camps. We were split into three mixed sections and IC appointed during the camp we camped out one night in much the same fashion as I mentioned above during the 48hour exercise but with the exception that instead of sleeping throughout the night we got up in turns to do sentry duty, and when the alarm was sounded we all were woken up to the sound of gunfire as our leaders took great pleasure in waking us up and quickly made our way to our predetermined emergency positions. We also used the DCCT (Dismounted Close Combat Trainer) which is like a giant play station with GP rifles as controllers and you aim at a screen which is great fun but also teaches you how to operate the weapon properly because if you make a mistake, or don’t do the drills properly or your rifle doesn’t fire. Other activities included a hike up Bienevena, team building activities such as ‘bomb disposal’, a stalk where we were in full combats and cam-cream and we were dropped off to hide about 600m away from our officers who were on top of a troop shelter with binoculars ready to send out their ‘hounds’ (other cadets).We were told to get as close to them as possible without being spotted by the within an hour, this involved a lot of stealth and stings from gorse, but eventually I got within 30m and was spotted. This was the closest that anybody got and I was last to get caught apart from a few people who were a lot further back. We also did section attacks, played sport, an observation task and a night time patrol through the base with rifles in search of ‘illegal drugs’, brought up the Foyle and cleverly disguised as the volleyball we had used the previous day!!

 

Another camp I went on this year was to B.R.N.C Dartmouth, this camp however was very different to any camp I had been to before, it was a lot stricter than Bristol as could be expected as they train all the officers for the Navy here as well as officers from various other Navy Sections around the U.K. However, this had its benefits as well because it meant we were treated more like adults. We a few ‘small’ problems in getting to the camp with somebody in the group, I won’t mention names (Who was in charge) leaving his hand luggage with our cheque in it for the camp in the arrivals terminal at Gatwick airport meaning we had to get off our train and wait for the next train back to Gatwick, after all this excitement we arrived about 4 or 5 hours late and missed dinner, so unfortunately we had we were ordered the whole menu from a pizza takeaway by one of the officers, even a tuna pizza and you can probably guess how much of that pizza was eaten!! As Mr.Unknowin was at blame for making us late, he claimed it was also his fault we got pizza and nobody complained and it was soon forgotten. During the camp we went sailing, did scuba diving try dive, power boating, stayed overnight on board picket boats, a low ropes course, leadership tasks, teambuilding exercises, a bridge trainer simulator, competed in various sports, learnt basic survival skills from the Royal Marine Commandos and even trained for and had our own passing out parade when we were inspected by two commodores.

……Anyway back to where I started at HMS Bristol which was personally my favourite camp this year, the atmosphere is a lot more relaxed and as a result everyone comes out having made some great friends. During this camp I went yachting, canoeing, kayaking, completed a day trek, did team building, visited the Royal Marine museum, the RN Diving school and bomb disposal group where we drove a bomb disposal robot and also watched on a small screen as the team leader drove a robot which changed shapes to negotiate stairs, opened doors and visited someone in an office in another part of the building and even read the paper they were reading without any of us moving a muscle. We also completed sea training on board a quite a big power boat which involved staying overnight on board in a marina on the Isle of Wight (Cowes). At the end of all this we even had a disco which is always the best bit of the camp, we ended up having a water fight.

 

I’ve really enjoyed my first year of cadets and would recommend it to anybody no matter which section you join but obviously I would strongly recommend the navy section. I would advise any teenagers to give it a go, how will you know if it’s not for you if you haven’t tried. Behind all the serious stuff Cadets is a great place to learn new skills, make new friends, get qualifications and have fun while doing so. The Navy section has also played a big part in my day-to-day life in school as I know lots the younger cadets in the years below me and during school we are always up to something new. Thanks to CCF I have been awarded a school Merit Badge and am currently applying for a school Honours Tie. I would not have achieved this without cadets.

 

I can’t say I know too much the other sections but I have got lot of opportunities to have an insight to what they’re like. I have been gliding with the R.A.F in Belfast along with other CCF contingents within Northern Ireland and am hoping to do a gliding course with the Royal Navy. What I do know is that the officers in charge of the navy section, Mr. Galbraith and Mr. Baird are very committed and spend a great deal of their free time organizing activities for us. I would like to thank Mr. Galbraith and Mr. Baird and Mr. Mace our contingent commander on behalf of myself and the rest of the cadets for all the hard work they do voluntarily us for and I’d like to say how much they’re appreciated by all of us.

 

AB; Carrie-Anne Hannigan

Year 13 Pupil

The Aim of the CCF
"To provide a disciplined organization within a school, so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance, resourcefulness endurance and perseverance".

 

The CCF plays a major role in the College today offering Cadets between 13 and 18 years old a chance to gain vital skills before they move on to their chosen career. While the CCF is not a recruiting tool, many of our Cadets continue their service in the OTC, TA or Regular forces.

 

Cadets join the CCF in Year 9 (2d Year). The Cadet Force within the college is voluntary and offered as an extracurricular activity and is a recognised activity for the merit award system. Each of the new cadets will have an induction day to give them an insight of what the CCF has to offer, both with respect to new friendships but also in challenging and enjoyable training opportunities.

 

Close ties are maintained with the Royal Navy and also the other CCF units in the UK, meaning we attend the same camps and courses and get to meet people from different schools and areas. Some of the courses we can go on include Power boating, Scuba Diving, First aid and Leadership - these are open to Cadets who show an interest and are willing to try the extra opportunities.

 

The Navy section now has 25 members all volunteers; we are now also recruiting and if anyone wishes to join please contact one of the senior cadets within the school or Mr. Baird. 

 

 

 

6.00am on a July morning and I’m woken with ‘Call to hands, Call to hands’ over the pipes (Naval term for the tannoy system) situated above my head and with the rest of my mess I emerge groggily out of my bunk, alien to the concept of getting up at 6.00am during the summer for my first morning on board HMS Bristol. HMS Bristol a Type 82 destroyer permanently berthed at HMS Excellent Naval Base in Portsmouth and is primarily used as a training ship for the Royal Navy, but also by the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and Sea Cadets. As I got up I thought about how I ended up here getting up this early to march to my breakfast along with many other teenagers of my age.

 

I had always fancied joining the cadets ever since I came to Lisneal College but somehow something had always got in the way. Last year I finally got the chance and chose to join the Royal Navy Section, I started at the beginning of September and I haven’t looked back since. All sections meet on a Wednesday night in the Junior School site of Foyle College and sometime Lisneal at 7.00pm. In the navy on a typical Wednesday we might learn knots, chart work, team building exercises or are taught about the navy.

 

The things we do on a Wednesday are all well and good but undoubtedly the stuff I enjoy the most is the more adventurous aspect within the naval cadets. On a series of 4 Wednesday night’s we met at 6.30pm at Enagh Lough to go canoeing, we donned wetsuits and buoyancy aids and paddled around the lough in our Canadian canoes learning different paddling techniques and even building a canoe pyramid in the middle of the lough!

 

We also have the opportunity to go shooting, this can be in the range at school or more often at Magilligan on a Saturday where we can shoot targetrifles or even semi-automatic L98A2 GP rifles provided we can pass a weapons handling test to make sure we are capable of handling the weapon safely. We are taught everything we need to know throughout the year in a series of lessons so if you pay attention it is quite easy.

 

We completed a Joint Navy and Army 48hour exercise which saw us camping out in a thicket of trees in bashas (a lean two made using a tarpaulin tied with two bungees around two trees) and eating ration packs cooked on trangias and hexi-block burners.

 

Another important aspect of cadet life is camps,  this year I was lucky to be able to attend 3, a joint Navy and Army Easter camp in Magilligan, a Summer camp at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and a Summer camp at HMS Bristol in Portsmouth.

 

Easter Camp lasted 5 days and was a chance for both the Army and the Navy section to learn from each other and to experience some of the things that the other section does at their camps. We were split into three mixed sections and IC appointed during the camp we camped out one night in much the same fashion as I mentioned above during the 48hour exercise but with the exception that instead of sleeping throughout the night we got up in turns to do sentry duty, and when the alarm was sounded we all were woken up to the sound of gunfire as our leaders took great pleasure in waking us up and quickly made our way to our predetermined emergency positions. We also used the DCCT (Dismounted Close Combat Trainer) which is like a giant play station with GP rifles as controllers and you aim at a screen which is great fun but also teaches you how to operate the weapon properly because if you make a mistake, or don’t do the drills properly or your rifle doesn’t fire. Other activities included a hike up Bienevena, team building activities such as ‘bomb disposal’, a stalk where we were in full combats and cam-cream and we were dropped off to hide about 600m away from our officers who were on top of a troop shelter with binoculars ready to send out their ‘hounds’ (other cadets).We were told to get as close to them as possible without being spotted by the within an hour, this involved a lot of stealth and stings from gorse, but eventually I got within 30m and was spotted. This was the closest that anybody got and I was last to get caught apart from a few people who were a lot further back. We also did section attacks, played sport, an observation task and a night time patrol through the base with rifles in search of ‘illegal drugs’, brought up the Foyle and cleverly disguised as the volleyball we had used the previous day!!

 

Another camp I went on this year was to B.R.N.C Dartmouth, this camp however was very different to any camp I had been to before, it was a lot stricter than Bristol as could be expected as they train all the officers for the Navy here as well as officers from various other Navy Sections around the U.K. However, this had its benefits as well because it meant we were treated more like adults. We a few ‘small’ problems in getting to the camp with somebody in the group, I won’t mention names (Who was in charge) leaving his hand luggage with our cheque in it for the camp in the arrivals terminal at Gatwick airport meaning we had to get off our train and wait for the next train back to Gatwick, after all this excitement we arrived about 4 or 5 hours late and missed dinner, so unfortunately we had we were ordered the whole menu from a pizza takeaway by one of the officers, even a tuna pizza and you can probably guess how much of that pizza was eaten!! As Mr.Unknowin was at blame for making us late, he claimed it was also his fault we got pizza and nobody complained and it was soon forgotten. During the camp we went sailing, did scuba diving try dive, power boating, stayed overnight on board picket boats, a low ropes course, leadership tasks, teambuilding exercises, a bridge trainer simulator, competed in various sports, learnt basic survival skills from the Royal Marine Commandos and even trained for and had our own passing out parade when we were inspected by two commodores.

……Anyway back to where I started at HMS Bristol which was personally my favourite camp this year, the atmosphere is a lot more relaxed and as a result everyone comes out having made some great friends. During this camp I went yachting, canoeing, kayaking, completed a day trek, did team building, visited the Royal Marine museum, the RN Diving school and bomb disposal group where we drove a bomb disposal robot and also watched on a small screen as the team leader drove a robot which changed shapes to negotiate stairs, opened doors and visited someone in an office in another part of the building and even read the paper they were reading without any of us moving a muscle. We also completed sea training on board a quite a big power boat which involved staying overnight on board in a marina on the Isle of Wight (Cowes). At the end of all this we even had a disco which is always the best bit of the camp, we ended up having a water fight.

 

I’ve really enjoyed my first year of cadets and would recommend it to anybody no matter which section you join but obviously I would strongly recommend the navy section. I would advise any teenagers to give it a go, how will you know if it’s not for you if you haven’t tried. Behind all the serious stuff Cadets is a great place to learn new skills, make new friends, get qualifications and have fun while doing so. The Navy section has also played a big part in my day-to-day life in school as I know lots the younger cadets in the years below me and during school we are always up to something new. Thanks to CCF I have been awarded a school Merit Badge and am currently applying for a school Honours Tie. I would not have achieved this without cadets.

 

I can’t say I know too much the other sections but I have got lot of opportunities to have an insight to what they’re like. I have been gliding with the R.A.F in Belfast along with other CCF contingents within Northern Ireland and am hoping to do a gliding course with the Royal Navy. What I do know is that the officers in charge of the navy section, Mr. Galbraith and Mr. Baird are very committed and spend a great deal of their free time organizing activities for us. I would like to thank Mr. Galbraith and Mr. Baird and Mr. Mace our contingent commander on behalf of myself and the rest of the cadets for all the hard work they do voluntarily us for and I’d like to say how much they’re appreciated by all of us.

 

AB; Carrie-Anne Hannigan

Year 13 Pupil