Second Lieutenant Daisy Burnside (24), from Culloden Detachment of 1st Battalion The Highlanders Army Cadet Force, has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
The promotion is in recognition of her work in keeping the cadets of the Detachment engaged during lockdown and upon the return to face-to-face training.
Lt Burnside became a well known face throughout the ACF during lockdown with her, and fellow volunteer Sergeant Major Instructor Stuart Taggart from the Battalion’s Caithness Company, hosting weekly interviews on the Battalion’s YouTube Channel. The interviews saw them both speak to various Army Cadet personalities, ranging from the Battalion’s own personnel, former cadets and even senior members of the organisation including author and TV personality Big Phil Campion who is the National Champion of the ACF.
On top of her morale boosting activities, she had also been ensuring that the cadets of the Battalion – which covers the Highlands, Moray, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland – have been progressing with their normal cadet training by creating an Online Training Programme to allow Virtual Training to take place each week for the Army Cadet’s numerous training levels, which has allowed cadets and the adults from across the Battalion to keep in touch with each other during this time.
Following an easing of restrictions, cadet detachments reopened for face-to-face training just before the Summer last year, which has seen Daisy ensuring that her cadets have been progressing with their cadet training – covering those parts of the syllabus that could not be assessed online.
The confirmation of Daisy’s Army Cadet Force Commission is the culmination of a two-year process which started with her being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in March 2019, and staring the Initial Officer Training which utilities elements of live virtual and residential training alongside 1:1 coaching.
Completion of training and the two-year probationary period sees all new Officers confirmed as a Lieutenant. Daisy was presented with her new rank in a presentation (pictured) made at the Detachment Hall on Keppoch Road by the Battalion’s Commandant Colonel Mike MacDonald.
