Cadre Exercise Tests Cadet Leadership and Decision Making

Year 11 cadets have emerged from the woods after their six-day Cadre exercise in Kent. Cadre is a fully tactical exercise that places cadets into challenging and realistic scenarios and is designed to test decision making, leadership skills, mental and physical fortitude. It is designed off an army syllabus prescribed by the Ministry of Defense and is an enriching opportunity that is unique to the Alleyn’s cadet force programme.  

Cadre is the culmination of 3 years of fieldcraft training, and tests Year 11 cadets on practically everything in the CCF curriculum. Every cadet on the exercise must take on different command appointments, being elected to different roles including section commander and 2IC, where they must lead and take care of the platoon.  

A cohort of Year 12 NCO’s (Non-Commissioned Officers) assist in the delivery of the Cadre - a handful stand in as mentors for each Year 11 section, and the rest play the enemy, whom the Year 11 must locate, assault and overcome.  

Day 1 of Cadre involved setting up harbour (base camp), with the NCO’s building a very crafty mega basha, utilising their engineering and design skills to create a home for the enemy squad. Year 11 cadets engaged in lessons with Colour Sergeant Stevens and practiced their section battle drills in preparation for the exercise. 

On day 2 of Cadre the Year 11 cadets, aptly named the Alleynian Elite Platoon, received their exercise scenario and first 8 command appointments; signifying the official start of exercise. They had brief contact with the enemy that evening, reminding them that for the next 4 days and nights they would need to be on constant alert. 

The following days of exercise had the Alleynian Elite Platoon in hot pursuit of the enemy; ‘The Ace of Spades’ and other members of the ‘Sank Port Liberation Front’. After first sighting them conducting an illegal vehicle checkpoint in Reinden Woods, the Cadre patrolled and cleared the area, making regular contact with the enemy. As they patrolled and advanced through the woods and surrounding grass plains and valleys, they had to keep a cool head and be able to make crucial decisions and actions, while under firefight and constant enemy threat.  

From sunrise to sunset each day, they searched for the enemy and throughout the nights, had a sentry on rotation, ready to alert the Cadre in case of surprise enemy attack. Among small group information gathering, humanitarian support and protection of their forward operating base, the Cadre at every level were kept busy. 

As well as being tested on skills specific to the CCF, cadets were also tested on more general skills, such as teamwork and communication, and the Cadre were thoroughly impressive in each of their tasks, through tiring and at times overwhelming conditions. 

The exercise is normally run over Easter, so with the warmer weather, denser scrub undergrowth and fatigue created from GCSE, the Year 11 cadets had to dig deep to make it through the exercise.  

CCF staff were impressed with the leadership skills of the Year 11 cadets who showcased initiative and resilience. No doubt they will go on to be excellent NCO’s if they choose. From here, qualifying Cadets will complete the Pass Our Parade on Saturday at Founder’s Day; officially signaling the beginning of their journeys as NCO’s.   

Congratulations Cadre for an exercise well done.  

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