Fun Quiz/Dominos Pizza night (end of exams + Wing Athletics Champions 2026). Ensemble rekindling has highlighted enthusiasm and talent in our mids.  Cdt R collected her Silver DofE badge/cert. Snrs tested the Astro. Blue fieldcraft for juniors on Weds, albeit with beach attire.  GCSE-ers slower to return (cheaper hols times perhaps) but last 1-2 weeks more have come back, hence remain hopeful to get everyone rowing together again in the 1368 Norwegian Viking boat (been a bit like our main rowers left the ship, the juniors/year 10's just about kept us moving). We have circled back and starting to pick em out of the water, as they've waded back from their hols, e.g. great to see some helping marching band and dusting off the banner. Fingers crossed. Also been uptake of show-arounds for Sept intake.

Week 4's Wing World Cup inspired competition involving air cadet squadrons running a different football challenge a week proved surprisingly hard and frustrating. It appears that success in one of challenges doesn't mean success in all, hence competition is wide open. Cdt P came top on last week's passing challenge. Idea is we can at least award best in 1368 Sqn. Sgt F is keeping scores and has been submitting to Wing.   Everything to play for as we enter Wk 5. Normally, enthusiasm about England's soccer chances would've disappeared by now (2 days to go before that happens).

Congratulations to Cpl G on her promotion to 1368's Senior NCO team to help lead the JNCO team as we expand it in the coming months and years. She is also going to take on a role as DofE Junior Leader to help manage a very large number of cadets who need to get sections signed for classifications, leadership, athletics and other things they've been doing on Sqn over last 6 months. Long time coming.  The NCO team remains at the heart of what 1368 Sqn achieves. Promotion is not based on what you say you will do, it's based on what you've done. With 76 cadets, and very stable numbers in the NCO age range, there is a fixed number of available positions at each rank, hence it is only a high-calibre of cadet that gets promoted. Well done.

Cdt R received the honour's as COTM for last month (despite some suspicion that the OC's golden rule is being broken). COTM is about the cadet that has a positive impact on others. Teamwork and pastoral leadership on the DofE Bronze was on a level I've not seen before in a first exped, even if he did get them lost (all part of the fun). Plus there was a very nice MTP-style cake with Mint mini-poos. That had a positive impact on a lot of people.

Now 9 months since joint cadet centre building (shared with army cadets) was closed due to failure to perform legal building safety checks by RFCA West Midlands (after an MOD value for money review led to change to MOD's main estate VIVO Defence contractor in Aug 2024 involving the Defence Infrastructure Organisation). It has been parading at alternative venues since Oct 2025. Direct costs to parents/cadets, of the failure of MOD contract change to maintenance of volunteer estate buildings, now stands at £3185.75. Indirect costs on volunteer's time is significantly higher. Sqn has 76 enrolled cadets (2nd largest in Wing). It is current holder of the Wing Per Ardua trophy for best Sqn after overall win in Sept 2025 (a competition involving a wide range of activities, incl. Ensemble, STEM, Drill, Banner, Radio, First Aid etc). 1368 cadets/NCOs won the Warwickshire and Birmingham Wing Athletics Championships in May 2026. It is also current holder of all 3 Wing Sports trophies (Sqn...

Tue saw 11 cadets from 1368 Sqn (and 4 from 1289) spend the night indoor climbing at Redpoint in Birmingham. A great venue with both climbing walls and bouldering. Great instructors, and some fantastic adventure training experience. Many thanks to Sgt M and 1289 Sqn for helping transport.