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14th March 2005

Field Team Selection Weekend

Over the weekend of 11th – 13th March 2005 candidates from 134 (Bedford) Squadron attended a selection course for places in the coveted 2005 Squadron Field Team.

Candidates were set a wide variety of tasks and exercises to complete over the Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday of this non-residential course. These activities included giving mini lectures, drill and uniform inspections, leadership tasks and formal interviews.

Friday evening started with a briefing for the cadets about the weekend, this was followed by each cadet having to give a 3 minute lecture to the rest of the group on an object provided by the staff without naming or showing the object to the audience.

Saturday commenced with an Inspection and Drill session at DISC Chicksands during which each cadet took control of the flight on the parade square. This allowed AWO Taylor, the Squadron Drill Instructor to assess each candidate both within and in front of the flight. On returning to Bedford the cadets found themselves taking part in a classroom activity testing leadership, communication and lateral thinking.

The afternoon was dominated by a large-scale exercise at Harrowden Brook, which saw individual exercises centred on moving equipment (an imaginary field gun) over a series of obstacles including a small river. Saturday was rounded off back at the squadron headquarters with the cadets going straight into an aircraft recognition exam followed quickly by a knots and lashings test.

Sunday morning saw a series of exercises designed to highlight leadership skills, teamwork and workforce discipline. The first exercise involved pulling a Landover from a theoretical ditch using a ground anchor and rope. The second exercise featured a contaminated zone; which course members had to cross to retrieve film canisters one at a time from a downed Canberra reconnaissance aircraft using two specialist tread plates. The third and final exercise simulated an air raid and an unexploded bomb dropped next to the bunker, the team had to move the bomb to a safe zone on top of the bunker using ropes and pine poles.

The weekend concluded with each candidate attending a panel interview. The panel was made up of Flt Lt Whittaker, CI Cirin and PC Dipper who sought to find out more about each person and their background by asking their views on the squadron and the field team. 

All of the results of the weekend have now been collated; the final decision on the field team for 2005 has been made and will be announced shortly.

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Links:

• Photos from the weekend