This expedition to the United States was a multi-unit project that used adventurous training, ceremonial, and multinational cadet collaboration to drive social mobility. Although not especially challenging in terms of the individual activities, the combination of circumstances can be extremely testing for the cadets. The lead unit was Solihull School CCF including six cadets from their Cadet Expansion Programme partner school, Tile Cross Academy. Based in one of the most deprived neighbourhoods of Birmingham Tile Cross Academy is in the top 3% for disadvantage according to the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation for England. Two officer cadets from Oxford University Officer Training Corps also accompanied the expedition. The whole group was led by two CFAVs and two female chaperones.
The main focus of the expedition was to attend the Junior Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC) run by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Army League (COMAL) for high school JROTC cadets from 19 schools across New England. Prior to this, however, the party had a weekend in Boston.
Having arrived late afternoon on Friday 16th the cadets had to be up and dressed in uniform for 0730 on the 17th to attend the anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Bunker Hill. This was first major battle of the Revolutionary war and, although a British victory, it was so hard won that the colonial forces considered it a turning point in the war. The British party made it to the church on time only to see the parish priest puffing up the hill 15 minutes later to say a decision had been made the previous night to move the service to the Bunker Hill branch of the American Legion due to a very bad weather forecast. Eventually the commemoration took place with numerous speeches, including one from the British Consul for New England, who joined us in a wreath laying ceremony.
We then walked the short distance to the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship still afloat, and then met up with cadets from the Massachusetts Bay Division of the US Navy Sea Cadet Corps. We walked with them to US Coast Guard Station where they are based and were shown their facilities and the cutter that was alongside that day.
On Sunday we were guests of Lawarence High School JROTC who gave us a tour of the school and their cadets facilities, as well as an excellent BBQ lunch. It was great for the cadets to meet other participants on the JCLC before deploying to Fort Devens. Many of the British cadets found it a surreal experience visiting a US high school as it was exactly like the film set for any coming of age movie. Many imagined they were on the walking onto the set of The Breakfast Club or Stranger Things. The afternoon was spent at the Cambridgeside Galleria although an academic party splintered off to visit MIT and Harvard.
Having become very familiar with their new home at the Boston Youth Hostel the cadets were apprehensive about their move, early on Monday morning, to Fort Devens US Army Reserve Training Centre. These nerves were offset by the anticipation of travelling there on a yellow American school bus provided by East Boston High School! The school parties from across New England were all arriving at the same time and cadets began to draw their bedding and find out who they were sharing rooms with and which company and platoon they were being assigned to. For all cadets it was a disorientating experience because all 300 cadets are split up and mixed with young people from different schools, states and countries!
Although not physically arduous or challenging from a strictly adventurous training point view the camp is a really significant test for our cadets. Indeed on Monday night, even before activities started, some cadets were voicing their apprehension to their British leaders. A ‘standard’ unit adventurous training expedition will involve cadets undertaking challenges with their friends and peers so there is a feeling of togetherness and familiarity with the people if not the activity. Our cadets arrival at JCLC separated them from all their friends and the sense of disorientation generated a lot of self-confidence issues and home sickness. Simply being put in a room with eight ‘foreigners’ you don’t know is daunting for a 14 year old away from home for the first time. Institutional knowledge of dealing with this annual issue from not just the UK cadets but also some of the US cadets means that the cadets are left to work it out and no room changes are granted. The directing staff know that by the end of the week they will all be best friends, and this is one of the greatest personal development journeys made by the young people.
Tuesday morning started dry but overcast and the three companies began the three day training cycle. This consisted of:
- Aquatics (kayaking, canoeing, floatation packs) and leadership at the nearby Mirror Lake.
- Civilian Marksmanship (air rifle shooting)/DCCT and Staff Ride (battlefield tour)
- Abseiling and Leadership Reaction Course (Command Tasks) on the range complex.
The staff ride took place in the Minute Man National Park and focused on the events that occurred in the first confrontation in the revolutionary war, including the Battle Road. Starting with a ceremonial flag raising of the Stars and Stripes the cadets then watch the excellent audio-visual presentation at the visitors centre before visiting some of the sites along the Battle Road where British soldiers died and are buried. Our hosts had provided wreaths and the correct Union flags of the period. British cadets had the honour of laying the wreaths at each grave we visited. The staff ride finished at the Old North Bridge in Concord where the cadets marched to the bridge behind a colour party carrying the Stars and Stripes and the Union flag. Three British Soldiers are buried at the bridge and a final wreath laying ceremony took place, in front of numerous tourists.
Over the course of the three days that the companies rotate through this package they built up their company identities and esprit du corps through various chants and ‘cadences’ that are sung on the march, on parade, and in competition against the other companies. Each company also has its own coloured guidons that match the company T shirts issued to each cadet. It is an extremely effective way of bringing the disparate cadets together and building friendships.
A final ‘formation’ was held on the Thursday night during which the UK contingent marched on, with drums, the Solihull School and Union flags with a representative group of cadets who made presentations of plaques to the camp commander. The rest of the evening was spent on signing shirts and tearful farewells.
After the camp closed on Friday we were hosted before our flight at East Boston High School which is very close to Logan Airport. We had a tour of school, took part in the JROTC archery programme and had a pizza lunch.
For all cadets of whatever nationality the camp is a challenge. All the US cadets are from areas of deprivation and are well outside their comfort zone on the activities and the camp environment. The heat, long days, and strange food meant that the camp medics were kept busy both with genuine injuries but also a few of attention seekers!
This exercise was a life changing opportunity for all the UK cadets. Some had never flown before and the personal development journey that they went on will help them to have more successful lives as adults.
The officer cadets got to work alongside officer cadets from American universities assisting in the leadership of each company, including assessing cadets in leadership appointments against the criteria used in the US UOTC system. Hopefully OUOTC has now formed a link with Norwich University, Senior Military College in Vermont. Throughout the whole trip the two officer cadets were also expected to take a leadership role within the UK party, providing a valuable leadership development opportunity. It was extremely encouraging that both of them completely understood the concept of Serve to Lead and were excellent ambassadors for the UK and OUOTC. The Solihull School cadets, who were all year 12, looked after and mentored the much younger Tile Cross cadets which also cemented the partnership between the two schools.
For our American hosts the UK contingent is an extremely welcome addition to their camp and adds greatly to the experience of their cadets. They could not be more welcoming and we are extremely grateful for the assistance provided by East Boston High School and Lawrence High School in arranging our local transport in Boston and to and from Fort Devens.
Our participation in the JCLC was part of a reciprocal visit supported by a State Department small grant awarded to Tile Cross Academy by the US Embassy in London. The theme of the grant was ‘Cadets Together Across the Atlantic’ and investigated how the Victoria Cross and Congressional Medal of Honor reflect the values of and standards of the two armed forces and British and American national values. In July 2023 six cadets and two adult instructors from Lawrence High School JROTC joined Solihull School CCF (with Tile Cross Academy) on their summer cadet camp on Dartmoor. They added greatly to the cadet experience on that camp and also enjoyed being tourists in London, Oxford, and Windsor.
Solihull School CCF, and OUOTC are also extremely grateful for the financial support offered by the Ulysses Trust, Yardley Education Foundation, CTC Frimley Park PRI, Sheldon School Charity, The US Embassy (London) in making this experience possible.
