36 ARMY Cadet Force adult volunteers from across the Wessex region received the new Queen’s Cadet Force Commission in a historic ceremony recently at Warminster. Longleat House provided a stately backdrop for the officers commissioning parade, approved by Her Majesty The Queen, introduced at the end of 2017 and the first of its kind for 155 years.

Family, friends and visitors joined them to celebrate the occasion as director of reserves, Major General John Crackett, inspected and presented newly-commissioned officers with their Cadet Forces Adult Volunteer insignia.

In his address to those gathered in the sunshine in front of Longleat House, General Crackett paid tribute to nearly 30,000 adult instructors who dedicate their spare time to instructing some 130,000 uniformed cadets around the UK.

He told them: “You are absolutely the centre of gravity of the cadet forces. We know that cadet training does not just ‘happen’. All those training nights, weekends and camps, aren’t thrown together at the last minute. It’s the product of your professionalism and your enthusiasm and long hours you put in to gain qualifications to organise and administer training.”

Thanking them on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, he said: “Today you’ve been invested in the Queen’s Cadet Force Commission. It recognises you very specifically as national youth leaders and role models. I hope you’re proud of that. We’re certainly proud of you.”

Viscount Weymouth, chairman of Longleat Enterprises Ltd, and Brigadier (Retd) Steve Hodder, chief executive of Wessex Reserve Forces & Cadets Association, assisted the General in the investiture ceremony.

The commissioning parade was led by the Band of the Royal Artillery, accompanied by the Silver Bugles of Somerset ACF, Devon ACF Corps of Drums and Wiltshire ACF Corps of Drums.