SEPTEMBER 2016 • ISSUE 14 High-LightTHE TRI-SERVICE MAGAZINE OF HIGHLAND RESERVE FORCES’ AND CADETS’ ASSOCIATION Beating Retreat Web: HRFCA.CO.UK at Balmoral Facebook: FACEBOOK.COM/HRFCA Twitter: @HRFCA Pages 4 & 5 2 | Editorial High-Light • Issue 14 Events galore during very busy summer The Chief Executive looks on as Cadet Drum Major Dominic Buttifant of the Orkney Independent Battery ACF comes forward prior to the March Off to request permission from Her Majesty the Queen to take leave. elcome to High-Light Issue 14, our biggest ever currently delivered by the Service Cadets that has most caught W edition; a one-off special expanded by four the eye. pages to showcase the number and variety of As reported on Page 4, the biennial Beating Retreat in the activities that we, and those we seek to support, presence of Her Majesty The Queen at Balmoral exemplifies have been up to over a very busy summer. the achievements of the Cadet pipers and drummers and, of In the following pages you will find reports on Armed Forces course, their instructors, without whom none of this would be Day events, Cadet annual camps, our traditional association possible. with Stirling Military Show, as well as some eye-catching A flavour of Balmoral and the dress rehearsal at Gordon pictures from two key employer engagement events, Exercises Barracks in Aberdeen is captured within the following Medical Stretch and Executive Stretch, during which willing pages. But please do also take a look at the HRFCA website volunteers elected to forego their home comforts for a brief and Facebook pages which provide access to many more but intensive insight into life in the Reserves. photographs than there is room to print in even an enlarged While demanding in terms of Reservists’ man-hours, these High-Light. Incidentally, I was again reminded of the potential exercises really do allow the units from all three services of social media when one of our short videos of Executive which support them to demonstrate the outstanding personal Stretch had, at the time of writing, reached no fewer than and professional attributes of their people. 49,780 people. But perhaps it was the superb standard of musicianship In one further departure from the norm, this edition includes a short summary of some of the topics being addressed and managed by HRFCA’s Executive Board. As you will read on Page 17, we continue to operate in challenging and fast-evolving political, commercial and military environments – each with the potential to impact on the Association’s business. While not everything with which we find ourselves confronted is within our gift to resolve, you can be sure that your Board, supported by the executive, is applying itself The Chief energetically to the task in hand. Executive I do hope you enjoy High-Light and, as ever, welcome your visiting suggestions and views to makes sure that it continues to fulfil Exercise its purpose as the Association’s in-house journal. Medical Stretch in Dundee. Mark Dodson High-Light • Issue 14 | 3 Contents 4, 5 Beating Retreat at Balmoral 6 Clackmannanshire Armed Forces Day 7 Medical Stretch 8, 9 Executive Stretch 4, 5 10, 11 Stirling Military Show 12, 13 Armed Forces Day Dundee 14, 15 Armed Forces Covenant signings 7 10 16 NE Area meeting 17 Member information 19 18, 19 Service Cadets round-up 20 Fast track to success 14, 15 8, 9 High-Light is designed and produced for [email protected] you by Highland RFCA, Seathwood, tel: 01382 631027 twitter: @hrfca, 365 Perth Road, Dundee, DD2 1LX facebook: facebook.com/HRFCA 4 | Events High-Light • Issue 14 Royal appointment for Service Cadets he Service TCadets’ Massed Pipes and Drums Beat Retreat before Her Majesty The Queen on 10 August. The musicians from the Sea Cadets, Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps were drawn mainly from Scottish units. It was the fourth time the Massed Pipes and Drums have played before The Queen at Balmoral. The performance was excellent with all units acquitting themselves extremely well and, despite the damp conditions, the event was a resounding success. HRFCA was represented by Chief Executive Mark Dodson, Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Rawlings and Martin Passmore. High-Light • Issue 14 Events | 5 Skills fine tuned at Gordon Barracks rior to playing Beating Retreat P for Her Majesty, the Cadets staged a full rehearsal at Gordon Barracks, Bridge of Don. The event was well-attended by invited guests and members of the public. Both sets of spectators enjoyed tunes including Scotland Forever, Salute to the Fallen, Balmoral, Highland Laddie and Mairie’s Wedding. The salute was taken by the Lord Provost of Aberdeen. Following the reception, guests were treated to talks by members of the Cadet Presentation Team. The assistance of Aberdeen UOTC was greatly appreciated and ensured the event ran smoothly. 6 | Events High-Light • Issue 14 Parade going from strength to strength warm and sunny Alloa was popular mascot, Lance Corporal Cruachan the venue for the IV, was impeccably behaved throughout, A under the careful eye of Pony Major Clackmannanshire Armed Forces Corporal Mark Wilkinson. Cruachan Day Parade on 1 June. IV’s predecessor Cruachan III was also As invited guests and children from local present. primary schools took their positions, the Other guests included Royal British parade of Cadets from Dollar Academy Legion Scotland Clackmannanshire and Combined Cadet Force, the Clackmannan District representatives and veterans. Company of the Argyll and Sutherland The Lord-Lieutenant welcomed all those Highlanders, the Royal Regiment of present, saying he ‘was delighted so many Scotland, Number 383 (Alloa) Squadron had come’. of the Air Training Corps and other youth organisations, led by Dollar Academy He was pleased that since 2006 when Pipes and Drums, made its way through the annual event had been inaugurated Alloa town centre to the Town Hall. with the aim of ensuring that the contribution made by our veterans was They were met there by the Lord- never forgotten, it had gone from strength Lieutenant, Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) to strength. This year the focus was on Johnny Stewart, accompanied by Colonel the centenary of the great naval Battle of Stephanie Jackman, Assistant Commander Jutland, which cost over 9000 allied and of the 51st Infantry Brigade. German lives. Also taking part were Lord-Lieutenant’s Following the flag raising ceremony, the Cadets – Cadet Sergeant Jonny Haywood parade was dismissed and invited guests – of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders including HRFCA representatives – retired and Cadet Flight Sergeant Andrea to the Town Hall for refreshments, and for Paterson of 383 Squadron of the Air the Lord-Lieutenant to once again thank Training Corps. Both said that they were everybody for coming. very pleased and excited to be part of the He also awarded certificates to proceedings. schoolchildren whose handmade flags The Royal Regiment of Scotland’s had been judged the most colourful. High-Light • Issue 14 Events | 7 Thumbs-up for Exercise Medical Stretch edics were put to the test at M Exercise Medical Stretch in Dundee on 21 May. This year the annual exercise was run by city-based 225 (Scottish) Medical Regiment. It took place at Magdalen Green and Riverside Park with participants from Dundee University, NHS Tayside, NHS Lanarkshire, the Scottish Ambulance Service and St Andrews University. Reservists had put on a wide range of activities including a zip line, assault course, paint ball, stretcher run and command tasks. The aim of the exercise was to continue to develop links between 225 Med Regt, 205 Field Hospital, Dundee University, NHS Lanarkshire and the Scottish Ambulance Service. It also helped attendees understand what the Defence Medical Services do and what benefits the Army Reserve can bring to their organisations. The event was won by a composite team which included members from Dundee University and NHS Tayside, with a team from NHS Lanarkshire coming second. Tom McConnachie (56), a nursing lecturer at Dundee University and part of the winning team (pictured on stretcher run above), said: “We teach the students that nursing is very much about leadership and what greater opportunity to experience that than here at Exercise Medical Stretch where there is situational awareness teambuilding and leadership Participants took part in a wide range of activities including a stretcher run, zip line and exercises in a one-day package.” assault course along with various command tasks. Cameron Tisshaw (20), a student at St Andrews University studying International Relations, said: “This has been an excellent experience in leadership activities and teambuilding. It was also a good bonding opportunity with students from other universities as well as a chance to meet Army Reserves.” Cameron, who is in Tayforth UOTC, hopes to join 225 Med Regt as a Medical Support Officer. Murray McEwan (32) works for the Scottish Ambulance Service in Edinburgh. He said: “Medical Stretch exceeded our expectations. We thought it was going to be a lot of lifting and shouting, and it was! But it was evident from the start that there was a lot of transferable skills from the civilian setting to the military and vice versa. It was really well hosted, very The opportunity to practice as a team delicious. From what I have discovered enjoyable and provided valuable shared and being a leader was invaluable – it was about military medics, the Reservists are experiences.” so great that I am seriously considering amazing people – second to none in my Pam Curtis (26) is a Dundee University joining 225 Med Regt.” eyes.” 3rd year mental health student. Morvan Kyle (31) is a 2nd year adult VIP visitors to the event included the CO She said: “This has been really good nurse student at Dundee.