As a thirteen year old, Ben never thought he would achieve so much by becoming an Air Cadet, but six years on, Cadet Warrant Officer Ben Gilbert, now 19, has seen off competition from more than 20,000 fellow cadets to be awarded the prestigious Dacre Sword for the Best Male Cadet in the Air Training Corps.

Ben’s all round performance marks him out as an outstanding cadet.  He is an enthusiastic, articulate and intelligent young man who shows extraordinary dedication to his squadron.  Having joined 378 (Mannock) Squadron, based in Wellingborough, in 2005, Ben soon made sure he took advantage of every opportunity available to him.

Ben’s commitment to the squadron was rewarded when he gained places on several prominent training courses including parachuting, paragliding and the Air Cadet Pilot Scheme, all of which he completed successfully with his usual spirit and eagerness.

Ben’s drive to challenge himself was evident by his desire to improve his leadership capabilities by attending two of the Air Training Corps leadership training programmes, one at Frimley Park and the second, the notoriously tough Junior Leaders Course which is run over a three month period.  Ben, having become a qualified Junior Leader, now assists less experienced cadets on this very course.

His leadership skills have grown and developed over the past few years and have culminated in Ben being promoted to the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer in 2010.  With this he saw his responsibilities on the squadron increase and he is now in charge of the sporting programme at Mannock squadron and he manages the progress of cadets through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

The latter task is something Ben is particularly keen to pursue having completed the bronze, silver and gold awards himself.  His main passion at the squadron is adventure training and as a result of this he was eager to complete the Basic Expedition Leader course so he could take groups of cadets out in the hills around the UK.

Not only is Ben an excellent ambassador for the Air Training Corps in the UK, he has also represented the ATC in the USA whilst taking part in the International Air Cadet Exchange in California and while visiting RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus having been awarded the trip by the Royal Air Force Association.

Ben’s cadet career has also seen him attending the Cadet 150 Parade in London and was highlighted when he took on the role of Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet for Northamptonshire.  This position has seen Ben performing his duties escorting members of the Royal Family when they are on official visits in the county.

As a role model for younger cadets and a clear demonstration of what can be achieved through being an Air Cadet, it would be difficult to find anyone more capable.  Ben is always smart, well presented and his articulate manner means he is able to communicate effortlessly with cadets, staff and members of the public alike.  He is easily able to express himself and convey information with knowledge, clarity and enthusiasm.

Ben will no doubt go on to achieve more success in his civilian life.  His ambition is to complete a law degree and with the drive and determination he has shown to become the best male air cadet in the country, it is highly likely that he will achieve his dreams in the future.

After a very successful year in 2011, Mannock Squadron have finished the year with their Annual Presentation Evening.   The cadets, their families and guests from the Royal British Legion gathered at Wellingborough School to recognise the successes of the cadets throughout the past year.

The squadron’s trophies for outstanding achievements were presented.  The Cadet of the Year was presented to Cpl Harley Widdowson whose positive can-do attitude and enthusiasm, combined with dedication to the Squadron and a high participation in activities gained him this prestigious trophy.  Eight other trophies were presented to individuals and one to A Flight as the winners of the Interflight Competition.

Certificates that the cadets have gained during the year were also presented.  These included BTEC awards in Public Services and Aviation Studies, Flying and Gliding Scholarship certificates, awards for sporting representation and sixteen St John’s Ambulance Youth First Aid awards.  The number and variety of certificates presented showed the wide range of activities that the Air Cadets participate in.

The year has also seen the Squadron representing South and East Midlands Wing in the Lees Trophy competition for the best Squadron in the Air Training Corps and gaining the Dacre Sword for the best male cadet in the Air Training Corps.

Cadets from 378 (Mannock) Squadron embarked on a weekend of adventure to the Peak Centre in Edale, Derbyshire to experience a variety of adventurous activities.  They were also joined on the camp by cadets from 2195 (Long Eaton) Squadron and 2229 (Loughborough) Squadron.

22 cadets from 378 travelled to the hills of the peak district on the 16^th December and, despite some cold weather, the cadets where raring to begin their Christmas adventure. The weekend consisted of a range of adventure training from hill walking to more strenuous climbing and trips to the local caverns.

Saturday’s agenda saw cadets brave the cold for some hill walking despite the December air, the weather held off for most of the day allowing cadets to get the most out of the views that the Peak District has to offer. Cadets of all levels benefited from the walk; whether it was their first experience in the hills or expanding their knowledge of navigation.

After a good day’s walk the cadets where then given the task of decorating the centre for the Christmas dinner and made their own personalised Christmas decorations. Following a wonderful meal the cadets were able to let their hair down and socialise with cadets from the other squadrons and to show off their best dance moves in the disco.

Sunday’s activities saw cadets facing their fears on the centre’s indoor climbing wall and also travelling into the depths of Treak Cliff Cavern.  It gave the cadets an exciting day of pushing their experiences further and participating in some new experiences.

The weekend turnout to be a fun yet challenging weekend for the cadets and a great final camp of the year.

On Sunday the 13^th of November, 378 Squadron came out in force to take part in the annual Remembrance Parade through Wellingborough. Fifty cadets took part in the parade, marching from the Jackson’s Lane car park to the War Memorial. Alongside the Squadron were numerous other organisations including the ACF, The Royal British Legion and members of other local youth organisations.

Five cadets from 378 (Mannock) Squadron were given the rare opportunity to fly in an RAF Hercules as part of the Queen’s Birthday Flypast.

These five cadets were part of a total of 70 Air Cadets from across the country who flew in a variety of aircraft as part of the celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of the Air Training Corps. The cadets were greeted by the RAF at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and given a tour of the facilities at the station, including a chance to look around one of the most modern aircraft in the RAF transport fleet ’ the C-17 Globemaster. They then boarded the Hercules and took off from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

The aircraft then joined its formation with another Hercules and two RAF King Air aircraft. The cadets were given the opportunity to take it in turns to sit in the cockpit to see this spectacular sight. The aircraft met up with the other aircraft in the flypast and flew over London, viewed by the Royal Family and thousands of people outside Buckingham Palace.

The cadets enjoyed this superb opportunity and it will be something they remember for a long time.

Cadet Courtney Williams ran and won at the 100m sprint this year achieving a first place for the squadron! He remarked “It was just wicked, the adrenaline was awesome! You just want to get up there, race… And beat everyone!”

Cadet Williams is now going through to the region competition this year and is training for it at the Harriers Running club based just outside of Wellingborough, he said “I am training hard and will win, I want to go up to corps level”

He also took part in Shotput and the 4 man relay team who also won their event; he said that this was his favourite event but is still over the moon with the first place in 100m.

Cadets from 378 (Mannock) Squadron have recently had the honour of welcoming the Regional Commandant to their headquarters in Wellingborough.

Group Captain Brett Morrell was inspecting the squadron as the South and East Midlands Wing representatives in the Sir Alan Lees Trophy and Morris Cup competitions, which are awarded annually for the best squadrons in the Air Training Corps.

Following a formal parade which saw the Group Captain inspect all the cadets on the squadron, he was then shown a presentation about the unit by Cadet Flight Sergeant Jacob Hinson and Cadet Corporal Jacqui Wong. The cadets then demonstrated the type of training that they implement on a weekly basis. He was able to observe cadets completing a variety of activities which included first aid, field cooking, aero modelling and leadership.

Gp Capt Morrell was particularly interested in the group having a conversation using British Sign Language which the cadets having been learning over the last few months. Mannock Squadron has recently had cadets with hearing impairment and it is hoped that by learning this new skill, taught by CWO Ben Gilbert, it will enable other young people with hearing impairment to join the squadron.

The squadron was selected out of 29 units to represent South and East Midlands Wing after a successful twelve months. The nomination reflects the achievements of the cadets over the past year, with the squadron seeing success in all areas such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, sports, shooting, BTEC Awards and flying.

During the inspection of the formal parade Gp Capt Morrell took the time to speak to every cadet whether they had been in the Corps for four years or four weeks.

The commanding officer of Mannock Squadron, Flight Lieutenant James Roberts, said after the inspection “The cadets have worked hard over the last year and have taken part in an extensive range of activities. This is a great recognition of their achievements.”

The Commandant was thoroughly impressed with the achievements of the squadron and following the inspection commented “Your cadets are a splendid group of people, in very good heart and a credit to everyone associated with them.”

Once the other five top Squadrons across the region have been inspected, Mannock Squadron will find out if they have been successful in getting through to the next stage of the competition.