Seven current and former cadets from 1st Battalion the Highlanders’ Moray Company were presented with shooting medals on 26 June for their recent successes in national competitions.
They were awarded medals and badges for three UK-wide competitions: the Cadet 100, the Country Life, and the Montgomery of Alamien.
Seven cadets were presented with medals at the Forres Detachment cadet hall: Cadet Corporal Alex Miller (17) and Cadet Corporal William Smith (17), from Elgin Detachment, Cadet Colour Sergeant Jadzia Calder (17), Cadet Lance Corporal Josie Watson (15) and former cadets Liam Brown (19) and Giacomo Innes (15), from Forres Detachment and Cadet Corporal Leon McKay (15) from Nairn Detachment.
CSgt Calder, LCpl Watson, Cpl McKay and Giacomo were awarded Cadet 100 Badges for their placing in the Cadet 100 Competition. The competition, which takes place in the winter months and is fired on the .22 rifle, is open to every single cadet across the UK and shot over two rounds to see who are the top 100 shooters of the ACF. The battalion finished with six cadets in the top 100, four being from Moray Company – Jadzia placed 53rd, Josie 73rd, Giacomo 89th and Leon 99th.
CSgt Calder, Cpl Miller, Liam and Giacomo were all awarded bronze medals at Montgomery of Alamein, which is shot on the cadet force’s 5.56mm general purpose rifle on a full bore range. The competition, which is open to all three cadet services, tests the cadets’ shooting ability outside in deliberate, rapid and snap shooting at targets up to 200 yards away. The team actually finished with the same number of points as the second placed team, but due to the other team’s rounds being closer to the target for the snap shoot the Moray team were placed 3rd.
The final presentation to be made was silver medals for the ELEY Cadet Forces .22 Competition, or what is commonly called the Country Life, with CSgt Calder, Cpl Miller, Cpl McKay, Cpl Smith and Giacomo who formed the company team. The competition, which is fired on the .22 rifle, also tests the cadet’s ability at different firing practices: Grouping, Rapid, Snap and also Landscape Targets.
Moray Company Commander Major Carrie Higgins, with the Company Shooting Officer Regimental Sergeant Major Eric Mills giving a small talk on the outline of each competition before the medals were awarded, made all of the presentations.
