Christmas Message from The Commandant. “Just a quick note to say how proud of you all I am as your Commandant. Cadets and Adult Instructors alike have worked hard and achieved great things in 2017. My thanks to you all and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a fantastic Happy New Year for an exciting 2018. “ Colonel Every.

Another fantastic year is coming to an end, and we would like to wish all of our cadets, adult volunteers and supporters a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! 2018 is already shaping up to be full of great training opportunities and we look forward to sharing all of the fun, friendship, action and adventure with you!

SSGT Josh Bettles gets his Master Cadet. Many congratulations to SSGT Josh Bettles on achieving his Master Cadet pictured receiving it from Commandant Colonel Every. Chief instructor on the course Lt Col AJ Lackey RA said "Calm under pressure and highly competent in command this is a young man who is exactly what a Master Cadet should be." Very well done from us all at Beds & Herts ACF.

LCpl Courtney Powdrill gets recommended for award! Courtney has shown extreme bravery and her first aid skills at an incident in Luton. Here is the citation describing her actions. She used her cadet training to the full to help the victim despite being in danger herself. A very well done from all at Beds & Herts ACF, The Commandant and everyone is very proud of you. Incident description Between 2100-2130 on Thursday 2nd November 2017 Courtney was at home when she heard a disturbance outside. She looked through a crack in the curtains and saw a group of six youths stab the casualty in the left calf and then in the back using a large kitchen knife and a warehouse knife/machete. She opened her front door and the youth ran off. Leaving the casualty partly on her footpath and the public footpath which was approx. 10 feet away from her front door. She called to her mother to call the emergency services. Courtney immediately applied pressure to the wound on his calf and raised his leg above the heart. A group formed around her when she asked for help no one offered so she shouted to her mother for something to stop the bleeding. She was given a tea towel by her mother to stem the bleed in his calf and checked the emergency services had been called. Courtney then assessed the casualty after the casualty told her that he had also been stabbed in the back. She found the following injuries in addition to the wound to his left calf just below his knee joint a wound to his back to the left side and cuts to his right knuckles and the nose. She asked the casualty who he was and his age. Which she later gave to the emergency services. At this point somebody appeared and removed a large knife from the casualty’s waist and wrapped it in a T shirt and drove off in a vehicle. The casualty then became very anxious about not being able to breath. Courtney then released his coat slightly and told the bystanders to move back. The casualty then said his neck was hurting. This is when a bystander came forward not from the crowd and Courtney asked her to support his neck. The injury to his back was being supported by his padded tight-fitting jacket and was acting as a bandage so she did not move him. The emergency services arrived together, and the bystander left whilst the casualty was being assessed by the ambulance crew she supported his head. She gave the ambulance crew as much detail as she could His coat was removed and the wound to his back then began to bleed heavily. The ambulance crew then stabilised the bleed and removed the casualty to hospital She then gave the police a report of her action and what she had seen The whole incident lasted approx. 15-20 mins Since the incident the police have given a update to the casualties injuries. He has multiple stab wounds and a very serious spinal injury and will be moved to Stoke Manderville when able Cadet I believe that the actions by this cadet stopped further injury to the casualty and showed great courage and bravery in going out to give first aid whilst the offenders were nearby, and where known to be carrying weapons and were prepared to use them. The casualty was also carrying a large knife and may have been prepared to use it.

Funeral duties for Cadet Instructors. We said a fond farewell to colour Sergeant Brown at the Harwood Park Crematorium yesterday. He was seen off by a good contingent of 2 Company instructors who carried his coffin into the crematorium. Amongst friends and relatives at the funeral were some friends from his time in the Royal Corps of Signals in the army and latterly with St. John’s where he was a radio operator. The curtains closed to the last post played a colleague from the Army Cadet Force( Conner Mc.Devitt).His wealth of knowledge as a instructor, friend and companion will be greatly missed by cadets, instructors and friends. Our thoughts go to his partner Karen. RIP.

Some of the best photos that have appeared on our Facebook Groups from Remembrance Parades and Poppy collecting events. Well done to all cadets and instructors who took part at an excellent smart turnout.

Representing the whole ACF at the Festival of Remembrance today - Warwickshire & West Midlands ACF. Watch tonight on BBC1 21.00.

HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Helen Nellis and many other dignitaries attended the launch of the British Legion Poppy Appeal in Luton, and so did our cadets !

Cadet Kaitlyn Heywood of Kempston Detachment, the only cadet to be allocated a place from Beds and Herts ACF, storms through the STEM Course ! Here are Kaitlyn's word describing her experiences. "This week has honestly been amazing, the experiences I have manage to participate in, the people I have managed to meet have been truly amazing! This week has shown me the jobs in STEM aspects of the Army, we were able to visit the Royal Signals, Royal Logistic Corps, Royal Engineers, Army Air Corps, Royal Artillery and REME- we were able to participate in many activities from landing a helicopter to pulling a truck out of a swamp and of course much more- Honestly it was difficult, the days were hard from wake up at 0500 and lights out at 2200 however, we all managed to pull through. I had an interview from a Radio Station on the REME activity day. I went on the camp not knowing much about the STEM aspects of the Army- I was overly nervous because I knew no one, as I was the only cadet from Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire but I have made many friends from all over the UK, whom I would never have got the chance to meet without this course! I would strongly advise trying to get on next years STEM course and other camps like this, although it was difficult at times it is one of the best experiences I have ever had within the ACF- it is one of those once in a lifetime things I would never have got the chance to participate in without the ACF!"

Our Officers have held their annual Study Day at Cranfield University followed by a Mess Dinner. Just one of the many good things officers take part in across the year. Why not join us as a leader?

Joshua Passes Master cadet with flying colours - and more ! Joshua who is from Sharnbrook detachment said “ it's been the best camp of my cadet career. I passed with highly competent and got an amazing surprise on the final parade! I was awarded the commandants coin for outstanding leadership!” Very well done from everyone at Beds & Herts ACF.