Lifelong dreams were fulfilled for four Nottinghamshire soldiers at their Pass Out Parade at the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate.
The soldiers were among 400 junior soldiers on parade to officially mark the successful completion of their Phase One training.
Former Wilsthorpe School pupil, Ethan Barnaby, knew that Army life was for him. He said: “I’d always wanted to join the military. I saw programmes on TV and heard about the Army on the news growing up. It’s always been this – I’ve never thought about doing anything else.”
The prestigious graduation parade is the culmination of months of intensive training, nurturing and education that is tailored exclusively to 17 and 18 year old soldiers.
Their final training exercise was a challenging seven-day battle camp encompassing all they had learned during their time at the college. They will now go on to complete their trade training – three of them with the Royal Armoured Corps in Bovington, Dorset and one at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire.
Ethan grew up in Clifton and now lives in Long Eaton with his mum Vicki. He and fellow soldier, Trooper Sam Ward from Nuthall will go on to serve in the Household Cavalry.
“There are two sides to Army life,” said Ethan. “You can be working in camp where it is pretty much like a 9-5 job. It’s a bit like college I suppose, you are learning new stuff and keeping up your fitness with Physical Training. Then the other side is being in the field.”
The Household Cavalry is divided into the Household Cavalry Regiment and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
Soldiers in the Household Cavalry are trained to drive and operate armoured vehicles, gathering information about the enemy and carrying out attacks. They also spend time in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment which is the ceremonial regiment. It takes part in state ceremonial occasions and also provides the daily duty of The King’s Life Guard at Horse Guards.
Like Ethan, Sam had also set his sights on an Army career. On leaving Kimberley School, he attended Military Preparation College based at HMS Sherwood in Chilwell.
“I couldn’t see myself sat in an office all day – I’m practical and like to be hands on,” said Sam. “Ethan and I spoke to James Rock who worked as an instructor at the Military College. He had served in the Household Cavalry and was an inspiration.
“The Household Cavalry has two sides to it which I liked. I’ve never ridden a horse before so I’m looking forward to that.”
James has since left the Military Preparation College and now works at Loughborough University as a Learning and Development advisor. He went along to watch the soldiers at their Pass Out Parade.
“I am so proud of them – they have achieved so much in such a short space of time,” he said.
Also heading for a career in the cavalry is Trooper Max Lunn (17) from Barton In Fabis, a former pupil of East Leak Academy. Max will be joining the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards based in Swanton Morley, Norfolk.
Max said: “My brother is also serving, and he was a medic with QDG for five years, so I got a good insight into what the cavalry was like, especially on deployments. He deployed with them on Op Newcombe to Mali. He sent me videos and it was cool to see what they were doing.”
His brother, Joe Brown, now a Phase 2 instructor training Combat Medical Technicians at Defence Medical Services, Lichfield said: “Max was only 16 when he made his mind up, but he’s smashed it. I was proud to see him on parade.
Joe’s advice to Max in his Army career is: “You don’t have to finish first at everything as long as you put in a 100%, are willing to learn and use your mistakes as lessons you won’t have a problem.”
Heading for the infantry is Private Duncan McAllister (17) from Ruddington. Duncan, a former Rushcliffe Secondary School pupil, was born in Scotland. He is looking forward to joining 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland based in Edinburgh.
He said: “The course has been good and I enjoyed the teamwork. Getting used to the change from civilian to soldier was the most difficult bit.
“My mates back home say I’m different, that I’m more responsible. The discipline was hard, but I understood why we were doing it. Discipline is vital in the Army. It means that you know your team will support you and not let you down.”
