Welcome to
EVENTS IN 2008
at 2187 Squadron
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2187 Squadron News!

Keep up to date with events - BE PART OF IT

Cadets sign up for BTECs

11 cadet have registered for the BTEC in Public Services, with 7 cadets additionally registered for the BTEC in Music Studies.  Each BTEC is equivalent to 4 GCSEs (grade A-C).  These are run by the Cadet Vocational Qualification Organisation (CVQO), with the aim of assisting cadets to gain more practical-based qualifications; adult staff can also gain various qualifications.  And best of all, it's free for cadets!  Find out more about CVQO and what it offers by clicking here.

Promotion to Flight Sergeant!

Well done to to Sergeant Stockwell, whom has been promoted to Flight Sergeant!  The promotion was presented by Squadron Leader Penn, the Senior Wing Staff Officer for East Sector of Essex Wing.

Flight Sergeant Stockwell deputises for the Squadron Warrant Officer, and his main responsibilities are Recruit Training and developing of cadet NCO's.

Well done!

New Squadron Minibus on Order!

Thanks to the extremely hard work done by our squadron Treasurer, Mrs Toni Evans, we are lucky enough to have put in an order for a brand new minibus! We should be soon receiving a 17-seater Ford Transit, complete with squadron graphics.  This has been a major project, and has been made possible with significant donations from the following organisations;

• National Lottery Awards for All - £10,000
• Jack Petchey Foundation - £8,000
• Clothworkers Foundation - £5,000
• Garfield Weston Foundation - £3,000

We all look forward to receiving our new wheels, which should arrive late November.

Mess Night & Awards Evening!

A total of 144 cadets, staff and guests helped 2187 Squadron celebrated its 60th anniversary in style, at The Oysterfleet Hotel. The Mayor and Mayoress of Castle Point Borough Council also attended, in what was a great night. The Annual awards were presented:

• Best Cadet - Cdt Cartwright
• Best NCO - Cdt Sgt Evans
• Best Sports Cadet - Cdt Cpl Mizon
• Best Recruit - Cdt Stevens
• Most Improved Cadet - Cdt Lee
• Flt Lt RA Maltby Community Trophy - Cdt Sgt Parker
• Good Show  - Mrs Evans (for fundraising efforts)
• Good Show - MissMaltby (for work with squadron band)
• Good Show - Cdt Sgt Parker (for quick-thinking action in a first aid situation)

After the dinner and awards, civilian instructor Mr Parsons provided a great disco that kept the dancefloor busy until 1am.  Well done everyone on making it a great night, read more here.

Four cadets gain Wing Blues for Shooting

Sgt Knightly, Sgt Worrall Sgt Green-Muid and Cdt Longcroft recently represented Essex Wing in the Stubbs Trophy shooting competition.  They went to Chislehurst Ranges in Kent, and competed against the other Wings in London & South East Region, coming a respectable 3rd position out of the 6 Wings.  Our four cadets made up half of the 8 cadets of the Essex Wing team, and will now go on to represent the Wing at the Region Field Day at Carver Barracks.

For representing Essex Wing at shooting, they were all presented with a Wing Blue and a certificate.  Shooting is fast becoming a popular sport and skill at 2187 Squadron, and we will be soon participating in the Wing Postal Shoot and theBattle of Britain Trophy Competition.

Two staff pass weapons Basic Coaching Course

Sergeant McDermott and Mr Parsons recently attended a two-day Basic Coaching Course at Pirbright Camp in Surrey. The course is designed to teach better marksmanship skills and weapons handling to the cadets when shooting on the range.  Both staff passed, and this adds to significant number of qualifications already held by our staff. 

Wel done!

More Marksmen badges awarded!

Congratulations to Cdt Sgt's Knightlt and Worrall whom both gained our first ever Corps marksmen badges!  Also to Cdt Sgt Green-Muid whom gained his Region marksmen, and Cdt Sgt Evans whom gained a Squadron marksmen.

PREDATOR '08 - Fieldcraft Weekend

20 cadets from 2187 Sqn (and three of our friends from Stanford-le-Hope Sqn) attended PREDATOR '08, which was organised by Off Cdt Lindup and WO Roddy.  The weekend was held at Carver Barracks, and centred totally around Fieldcraft training.  The cadets were taught how to construct basha shelters, the art of camouflage and concealment, how to properly use ration packs, and much more   Look out for future Fieldcraft weekends, and PREDATOR '09!!

See more pictures of the weekend here.

First Aid Training

Sergeant Bradford and Mr Tunley spent a number of days over the Summer holidays in training cadets in First Aid.  After completing their assessments, twelve cadets will soon be presented with the badges and certificates for the St John Ambulance Young LifeSaver Award.  Well done to both staff and cadets!

Bronze & Silver DEA Expedition

About fifteen cadets from 2187 Sqn (and some of our friends from Stanford-le-Hope Sqn) attended two expeditions held at the same time, for those doing both the Bronze and Silver level of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.  The staff took the cadets to Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk, and used this as a base for their expedition.  The weekend acted as a practice expedition, and the actual expedition will take place in late September.

Cadets gain Marksmen badges

Four cadets recently qualified for some shooting badges at 2187 Squadron.  Cdt Longcroft, Cdt Sgt Knightly and Cdt Sgt Green-Muid all gained the Wing Marksman badge, whilst Cdt Sgt Worrall gained the Region Marksman badge. 

2187 Squadron benefits from having a target shooting range at its heaquarters, as well in having four range qualified staff; the practice is now obviously paying off, so well done to those cadets whom gained the badges and to the staff that helped coach them.

2187 Sqn hopes to get many more cadets qualifed in the future!

Band perform at Opening of 295 Sqn HQ

The band of 2187 Sqn performed at the official opening of the new HQ of 295 (Witham & Rivenhall) Sqn.  Under the direction of bandmaster, Miss Maltby, the band played magnificently in front of all the assembled guests and did thier own squadron proud.

Well done everyone!

Fundraising Curry Night!

About 40 people recently attended a Curry Night, to raise funds for the squadron.  It was an all-you-can-eat meal, and was followed by a disco!

The night also co-incided with Sgt Green-Muid birthday!

A great night was had by all, and thanks to everyone who came along to support us.

Another New Officer Cadet!

Congratulations to Mr Lindup, whom has become the second Officer Cadet at 2187 Squadron.  Off Cdt Lindup will wear the white hand band and white rank slides of an Officer Cadet until he completes his Officer Initial Course at RAF College Cranwell.  Upon completion of OIC course, he will become a Pilot Officer.  Off Cdt Lindup is the assistant Training Officer.  He is also  a Fieldcraft Instructor and is responsible for organising training and weekends away in relation to this.

The Band performs at the Castle Point Show

The band had their first  public outing at the Castle Point Show recently.  The squadron had a recruiting tent all day long, and it was a shame that the band had to wait until almost the end of the day to perform.  However, it was well worth the wait!  The Drum Major, Sgt Parker marched them smartly on to the arena, and then the band played faultlessly thorugh their music programme.

At the end of the display, there was an outstanding applause from the audience, easliy the biggest number of spectators viewing the arena all day long!

Well done to all of the members of the band, they really were magnificent.  A big well done to both Miss Maltby the bandmaster, and Sgt Kemp, in assisting in both the music and drill talents of the band.

Promotions!

Congratulations to all the cadets whom gained well-deserved promotions recently.  Cdt Cpls Parker, Worrall and Green-Muid were promoted to Cdt Sergeant, and Cdts Chadwick, Bennett, Swan, Mizon, Byrne and Robson were promoted to Cdt Corporal.  Well done everyone!

Two more staff become Range Qualified Officers!

Sgt Kemp and Miss Maltby have qualified to become Range Qualified Officers, bringing our Range Qualified staff number to four - brilliant!  They had to attend two consecutive weekends at Pirbright Camp to gain the qualification, and their aim is to help more cadets gain Marksman badges, as well as to get 2187 Sqn cadets in the Wing Bisley team for 2009.

Recruit Passing Out Parade

Twelve recruits took part in a Recruit Training weekend, to complete their First Class training syllabus.   They learnt about Airmanship, Initial Expedition Training, had their Weapons Handling Test, plenty of drill practice and the whole weekend finished in a formal parade.  Lots of parents and family turned out to watch whilst the cadets were sworn in and enrolled as full cadets, and as they received their certificates and badges!

JNCO & SNCO Cadre

Twelve cadets attended the two side-by-side courses to select our future JNCOs and SNCOs.  The two-day course tested the candidates standards of dress, individual drill, leadership skills, general ATC knowledge, ability to take Flight drill and participation in current affairs.  They finally had an interview to assess their suitability for promotion.  The competition was stiff, and it was great to see so many keen and highly motivated cadets taking part.

Cadets gain First Aid badges

A big well done to those cadets that were recently presented with St John Ambulance First Aid badges and certificates.  Cpl Parker, Cpl Worrall, Cdt Swan, Cdt Mizon, Cdt Longcroft and Cdt Cdt Campfield all attended several hours of instruction and practice, and then had a practical assessment by qualified staff.

Sports Representation

Cadet Sarah Mizon attended the London & South East Region Inter-Wing Athletics competition, as part of the Essex Wing Team. After a successful day in which saw Essex Wing gain two trophies, Cdt Mizon came first in the javelin event, and will now go on represent L&SE Region at the Inter-Region competition.  Good show!

Staff become Fieldcraft Instructors

Warrant Officer Roddy and Mr Lindup spent part of a weekend at Wing HQ at Carver Barracks, attending a course to become Wing Authorised Fieldcraft Instructors.  Now they have attended the course, this opens up many exciting future opportunities for the cadets and staff.  Expect some great weekends away soon!

Pirbright Camp weekend

Several cadets joined other from around Essex to enjoy a weekend at the Army Camp at Pirbright recently.  Highlights of the weekend included the obstacle course and shooting on the range.  Well done to Cdt Sarah Mizon who was awarded Best Cadet of the weekend - good work!

Weapons Instructor qualified!

Well done to Miss Maltby whom has now qualified as a Weapons Instructor!  Miss Maltby attended an intensive 2-day course at RAF Uxbridge, and the qualification now permits her to instruct cadets in the safe and respectful use of target rifles as a sport.   The course was run by 5 Small Arms Training Team (5 SATT), whom deal with all Air Cadet weapons courses in London & South East Region.

New Officer Cadet!

Congratulations to Mr Worrall, whom has become the first Officer Cadet at 2187 Squadron.  Off Cdt Worrall will wear the white hand band and white rank slides of an Officer Cadet until he completes his Officer Initial Course at RAF College Cranwell in January 2009.  Upon completion of OIC course, he will become a Pilot Officer.  Off Cdt Worrall is the squadron Adjutant, and is responsible for all admin matters.

Cadets complete Gliding Induction Course

Sgt Kemp and Miss Maltby took cadets Robson, Longcroft and Baptiste gliding at 614 Volunteer Gliding Squadron at Wethersfield.  Each cadet had a number of launches in the Grob Viking gliders, each designed to teach a number of different points.

The cadets assisted with the handling of the aircraft on the ground in the blazing sunshine. They later had their gliding certificates presented by the Mayoress of Castle Point Beverley Egan, when she visted 2187 Squadron on the following parade night.

New staff member

A warm welcome to Mr Lindup, whom joins us as a new Civilian Instructor from 1341 (Thundersley) Squadron.  Mr Lindup is an ex-ATC Cadet Warrant Officer and served in the Army Air Corps for a number of years.

Promotion

Congratulation to James Knightly on his promotion to Cadet Sergeant - good work! Keep up the good work.

Weapons qualification

Miss Maltby recently passed a trainnig course to become qualified to conduct Weapons Handling Training (qcWHT).  She is now qualified to assess the weapons handling skills of cadets, and will be attending more weapons courses in the near future.  Well done!

Chessington trip

25 cadets and staff recently went on a day trip to Chessington World of Adventures.

Cadets complete the RAF WARMA 2-Day 50 Mile March

Cadet Corporals Knightly and Parker recently completed the 2-day march at DACE Cosford.  They formed part of the Essex Wing team lead by Flt Lt Weston (Team Leader) and Mr Needham (Training Officer).  The 2-day march is organised by the RAF Walking and Road Marching Association (RAF WARMA) and involved teams from the ATC, Army Cadet Force, RAF and British Army.  It was also interesting to see military teams from Germany, Holland, France, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, all marching the 25 miles each day on the route around the RAF station.  It was a tough march in hot weather, but it was worth it to be awarded the medals at the end of it all, and what a great atmosphere and a fantastic achievement!

Well done to all staff and cadets invloved!

Sergeant Kemp completes Drill Instructor Course

A big Well Done to Sergeant Kemp whom completed the SNCO Drill Instructor (DI) Course at RAF College Cranwell.  The 5-day course is held at the Adult Training Facility (ATF) at Cranwell and run by an RAF Regiment Drill Instructor, and only those whom have completed this course are entitled to carry a pace stick.   The course was very intensive, and currently makes Sgt Kemp one of only three DI's in Essex Wing.  Sgt Kemp is very pleased with this achievement, as drill is his favourite activity!

Easter Camp at RAF Brampton

Eight cadets and two staff attended an Essex Wing Easter Camp at RAF Brampton in Cambridgeshire.  It was the first time for many of the cadets from 2187 Squadron, and they all agreed they had a great time.  Good work to Cpl Worrall, who gained the award for Best NCO on the camp!

2187 Squadron 60th Anniversary Ball

About 100 guests attended the Squadron Ball in March, to celebrate 60 years of 2187 Sqn. All the lads wore their best blues, and the girls all wore ball gowns - everyone looked great! Entertainment was provided by live band REDONIZM, in which Sgt Kemp is the drummer, and another ex-cadet of 2187 Sqn is the bass guitarist.  The band kept everyone on the dancefloor all night and ensured it was a successful evening!

2187 Sqn was originally formed as a Detached Flight of 1341 (Thames Estuary) Squadron, but became a full squadron in its own right in 1948.

2187 visits RAF Lakenheath

20 cadets and staff visited the USAF 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in February.  They were given a base tour by a female USAF Senior Sergeant, and visited the flight line, survival equipment section, and chatted to the pilots in their crewroom.  They were even treated to pizza for lunch in the airmans club!

They were also treated to an excellent talk about the F-15 aircraft by a USAF pilot (shown right), who walked them around the aircraft in its HAS (Hardened Aircraft Shelter). The pilot explained the role of the aircraft and told the cadets about his career as military pilot, and answered a lot of questions - definitely the highlight of a very interesting day!

Adventure Training Weekend

Flt Lt Weston organised a joint adventure training weekend held at Carver Barracks in February, which involved other squadrons in Essex Wing.  A large number of 2187 Sqn cadets and staff experienced the obstacle course and archery, as well as taking part in first aid scenarios, speed march, navigation exericse and several initiative and team exercises. Mr Parsons demonstrated the contents of a ration pack and how to make best use of them, and Miss Maltby kept everyone warm by giving them plenty of physical training!

It was a tough weekend, but great fun and good to meet up with our colleagues in other squadrons, and it is planned to be an annual event for the future!