On the weekend of 1 to 2 March 2025, a team of eight Charterhouse Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Army cadets attended the Headquarters Southeast Military Skills Competition at Longmoor Training Area – an annual CCF competition in which 18 teams from the South of England compete over the course of two days.
Alfie (Year 13) reflected on the weekend:
The competition comprised a number of challenging activities that tested the unique skills acquired during a cadet's time in the CCF. Each team member was given leadership tasks and challenged with leading the team at points during the weekend. This allowed us to encompass many of Charterhouse's core values, such as perseverance, moral courage, and responsibility.
The weekend started at 05:30 on Saturday morning, when we awoke after a night spent in minus four-degree temperatures. Once we had successfully removed the ice from our sleeping bags and established that every member of the team was still alive, we got on with our day. The morning presented us with a number of varied challenges, starting with command tasks that required us to work as a team to 'cross a crocodile-infested swamp with a box of TNT.' This was followed by a casualty evacuation exercise in which my team members were kind enough to evacuate me from a minefield. We then headed to the Patrol Lane, where we were tasked with reporting on enemy positions without being seen. This task, however, was complicated somewhat by the thick fog that morning.
During the afternoon, we performed strongly in both the navigation and radio communication stands, once again demonstrating good teamwork and problem-solving skills. The day was rounded off with archery and the Cube challenge, which involved each member of the team having to complete a set of challenges under timed conditions. These challenges ranged from sudoku to balancing beams.
The following morning, after a night spent at a comparatively barmy two degrees, we started with the section attack stand. This stand involved us advancing into a simulated contact before engaging with the enemy. Once again, we performed strongly during this task, with our tactical skills being put to the test. We then finished off the competition with a strong showing in the military knowledge test, before topping it all off by winning the air rifle stand.
The Military Skills Competition was the culmination of many weeks and months of preparation, supported throughout by our wonderful Charterhouse CCF teaching staff. This weekend also marked the last CCF exercise for six of the eight members of the team before we leave Charterhouse in the summer. During our four years as part of the CCF, we have been able to engage in unique activities that form a vital part of the extra-curricular education at Charterhouse. Over this time, we have been taught how to teach fellow cadets in both the classroom and the field, as well as learning key life skills such as first aid and the principles of servant leadership, stressing the importance of putting the needs of your team above your own and the vital importance of a good sense of humor.
I would like to thank all members of Charterhouse CCF not only for organising the Military Skills Competition, but also for providing such an integral part of the Charterhouse education and for letting us all have a terrifically fun four years.
Alfie (Year 13)
