Six members of the Army Cadets in Caithness have been recognised for their commitment to the ACF.
Major Stephen Mezals (36), Staff Sergeant Instructor Elizabeth Hendry (36), Sergeant Instructor Jordan Tillier (26), Cadet Regimental Sergeant Major Lani Jones (17), Cadet Colour Sergeant Rhuaridh Jack (17) and Cadet Sergeant Dylan Gunn (17), from 1st Battalion the Highlanders’ Caithness Company, received presentations from the Lord Lieutenant of Caithness, Viscount Thurso.
The first presentation saw Sgt Gunn, from Thurso Detachment, being appointed as the new Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet of Caithness. The year-long appointment will see Dylan assist the Lord Lieutenant in his duties as the Queen’s appointed representative of Caithness. Dylan will also be an ambassador for the cadets and young people of Caithness.
Caithness Company Commander Major Mezals and Wick Detachment Instructor SSI Hendry were both presented with Lord Lieutenant’s Certificates of Meritorious Service for their service to the cadets. Stephen joined the battalion in 2001 as an instructor with Inverness Detachment, later transferring to Thurso Detachment and Caithness Company in 2006 where he was appointed Company Commander in 2016. Elizabeth joined the Battalion in 2005 as an instructor with Wick Detachment, where she was for a time the Detachment Commander before returning to focus on teaching the cadets of the detachment.
Wick Detachment Commander SI Tiller was promoted to Second Lieutenant, after recently completing a Cadet Forces Commissioning Board course held at Westbury.
RSM Jones, from Castletown Detachment, and CSgt Jack, from Farr Detachment, were both awarded their Master Cadet badges after completing their Master Cadet courses earlier in the year. Master Cadet is the highest level a cadet can reach in their career, which requires them to attend a week-long course at the Army Cadet Forces’ National Cadet Training Centre at Frimley Park in Surrey. This was not the only presentation made to Rhuaridh as he was then promoted to Caithness Company’s new Cadet Company Sergeant Major, with the presentation of the CSM’s pacestick.
After the presentations Major Mezals said: “The company are going from strength to strength and that’s down to the commitment and dedication everyone puts in. Of course, none of this is possible without the dedication of the adult volunteers and I have to say – I seriously think we have one of the best teams of adult volunteers around. I cannot express highly enough my appreciation for all the time they put in to the ACF!”
Pictured above: The Lord Lieutenant of Caithness (centre) with the Company awardees (from left) CSM Jack, 2Lt Tillier, Major Mezals, Sgt Gunn, SSI Hendry and RSM Jones.
