During the Bank Holiday weekend, Friday evening the 1 st May 2009 through to Monday afternoon the 4 th May 2009, Cadets and Staff from 2028 (Southam) Squadron, 1289 (Stratford upon Avon) Squadron, 2030 (Elmdon and Yardley) Squadron and 29f (Rugby) Squadron attended a Field craft and Radio training weekend at Yardley Chase in Northamptonshire.

After more than six months in planning and preparation this weekend camp was held at a brand new venue for Warwickshire and Birmingham Wing - ATE Yardley Chase near to Northampton . This Army training facility was an ideal location- completely secure with excellent variety in landscape in which to operate.

After travelling to Yardley Chase on the Friday evening 1 st May, all the Cadets and Staff unloaded the weekend kit and placed it in the Exercise Admin Bunker. The Cadets were then briefed for the weekend ahead and given safety briefings. The aim of the camp was, to put Field craft and radio signal Communications theory training into practice in field conditions. The Camp was given the name Exercise Khaki Badger. One cadet said. “They had not seen so much green kit and radio equipment in one place for use on a weekend camp”. Those attending, both staff and cadets, soon found that there was neither comfy beds nor warm billets so everyone was pleased to have a hot drink before settling down for the night.

On the Saturday morning the cadets and staff woke up to fine weather which lasted throughout the weekend. After packing their bed spaces away, the Cadets were then divided into two Flights with two sections in each Flight.

Each cadet was then issued with a 24 Hour Operational ration pack containing enough meals to last them until the next supply drops on the Sunday and Monday mornings at a given map reference on the exercise area. The cadets then had their first practical consolidation Field craft lesson on how to cook in the field using hexamine stoves and fuel blocks. The cadets had a practical demonstration of how to cook a breakfast and then they went about cooking their own breakfasts with practical help from staff members. After breakfast had finished the cadet's went about their personal admin which involved washing in the field out of a mess tin and cleaning their boots.

The cadets were then taken around the area for a familiarisation safety walk through before being formed up into their Flights and being briefed on the days training.

The Flights then swapped around covering practical Field and Battle Craft including duties of a sentry, field signals, basha building etc. Observation Techniques, Judging Distances, Object Indication, Camouflage and Concealment in the field and Night time operating training and drills were also covered. The Flights enjoyed a ration pack lunch before continuing the training. Once all the consolidation training was complete the cadets returned to the Admin Bunker for a full briefing on their Operational Deployment into the Field over the next two nights, it was only then that some of the cadets realised they were going to be living in the field under field conditions for the rest of the weekend! Once the safety brief had been given the cadets packed what kit they needed and left any unwanted kit in the Admin Bunker. The cadets were then given a familiarisation lesson on the Clansman radios and other equipment that they would be using throughout the Exercise.

The Flight commanders were issued with two 350 VHF clansman radios with full equipment schedule, spare batteries, two Field telephones, spare batteries and 20 metres of Don Ten Telephone cable. The Flights were then told to go away and pack their radio kit into the rucksacks, it was only then they found out who had over packed for the weekend!

H Hour came and the exercise started with both Flights deploying into the field to a separate Harbour Area, each Flight had to set up their Harbour area, establish radio communications with the exercise control staff at the Admin Bunker, establish a tactically camouflaged observation post linked by field telephone to the Harbour Area. The Flight commanders were also tasked with making sure all the cadets had their evening meal. Over the remainder of the weekend each Flight had to move their Harbour Area completely due to being compromised by the enemy, patrol and find their re-supply drops, patrol and locate aircraft crash sites, they also had to rescue the air craft pilot.

All too soon it was the Monday and End Ex and all the cadets and staff returned to the Admin Bunker for a full debrief. The cadets carried out the task of packing up all the equipment and packing minibuses and cars with great reluctance because they did not want the weekend to finish. Everyone agreed it was an exciting and rewarding weekend.

Flight Lieutenant Moreton, CO of 2028 Squadron commented, “My Sergeant Caine approached me some months ago now with the idea of taking Cadets to Yardley Chase to do Field Craft and Radio/Communications training. I readily agreed, with his expertise in Communications and Field craft, it was clear the Cadets would be in for a challenging and exciting time. If my Cadets are anything to go by they can't wait to do another Exercise Khaki Badger!”