Army Cadets from Forres have been crowned as their unit’s top detachment of 2017.
The cadets from Forres Detachment, 1st Battalion the Highlanders, competed with cadets from Moray Company at the company’s annual Inter-Detachment Competition Weekend held at the battalion’s Cadet Training Centre in Dingwall.
The competition saw 57 cadets from Moray Company’s Elgin, Forres, Nairn, Culloden, Ardersier and Pipes & Drums detachments represent their respective detachments in ten different stands in the warmth of Dingwall and the snow at Fort George, testing their knowledge of the cadet training syllabus at their relevant star level.
In each stand cadets competed individually for points, with an overall detachment average taken to decide the winner. Despite the competitive element there is always camararderie between the detachments with everyone hoping everyone does well.
Following the competition the cadets sat down for a semi-formal dinner, served to them by their company instructors.
After the dinner the cadets received a festive performance from the battalion’s Pipe Band, followed by the presentation of the annual awards.
Of the ten individual awards presented, members of Forres Detachment received eight of them: including Cadet Colour Sergeant Jadzia Calder (16) who received the ‘Top Shot’ and joint winner of the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ Trophies, Cadet Corporal Stuart Graham (17) who received the ‘Top Fieldcraft’ Trophy, Cadet Corporal Giacomo Innes (15) who received the ‘Company Commander’s Cup’, Cadet Lance Corporal Mia Bremner (15) who received the ‘Top Cadet’ Trophy and Cadet Lance Corporal Josie Watson (15) who received the ‘Top Junior Cadet’ Trophy. Members of Forres Detachment who were part of the winning Male and Female Football teams at Annual Camp also won the ‘Excellence in Sports’ Trophy alongside their fellow team members from the company.
The final award to be presented was the Inter-Detachment Shield which went to Forres Detachment, after an eight-year absence, which was presented by the Moray Company Commander, Major Carrie Higgins, to CSgt Jadzia Calder, the senior cadet of Forres Detachment.
CSgt Jadzia Calder (left) receives the Inter-Detachment Shield from Major Carrie Higgins.
After the presentation, Forres Detachment Commander Captain Ryan Dey was already making plans to retain the trophy.
He said: “It’ll be hard to retain it next year but the cadets continue to achieve over and above what is expected. I, along with the other adults in the detachment, am delighted with their efforts over 2017 and they should proudly say that they belong to the Champion Detachment within Champion Company.”
