1368 Squadron operates an induction programme for new cadets with the main induction being in September (typically 12-14 cadets). With intakes the young people join at same time as others and go through the same induction programme before being integrated into the squadron. It avoids repeating training, enables squadron to cope with larger numbers, and leads to stronger friendships among new recruits. We have  a 5 stage process to joining: Initial contact/register interest (ideally via form). Tour/visit to see Sqn where young person can learn more about what cadet experience is. Parent/guardian formally asks to join. Forms are sent out, returned prior to intake date. Young person starts. We have added a new cadet interest form to the website  Join Us  page to work around issues with the form on the RAF page (e.g. doesn't always work and now doesn't allow Year 7's to apply for intakes which start when they go into Year 8).

Last Saturday saw team 1368 organise and conduct another Sqn road march. Special mention to staff team on their motivation and fortitude to get admin sorted for new routes. Great mix of experience and newbies (on their way to the blue badge). Blue badges = opportunity for Bronze= opportunity for Silver etc, with Gold normally (if you're lucky) being Nijmegen.

His performance in first 6 months of the year has been exceptional. The first to attain MOI out of the 8 who applied, attendance on NCO Dev course attained, strong accumulated community duties, leadership and host of other badges no-one is going to catch him in terms of qualifications/badges/participation. so decided to call this one now. As Albert Einstein is quoted: "Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.". Well done.

Well done everyone that attended Monday's session. Was a little worried about holiday time numbers drop but attendance was reasonable in the end, and it was definitely worth it. Attitude was amazing. So often we hold ourselves back from what we can achieve, but there was none of that. You were fire. Never had this many of the higher awards (8 Advanced, 10 Intermediate, 4 Basic). Having the extra half hour really helped. Bonus from Wing. They have agreed to help fund costs as 1368 Sqn has been denied use of its building for coming up to 10 months now due to the DIO/.RFCA/VIVO maintenance contract failures (still no news on opening date). 

Well done to the April Silver's in their effort to pull together photos and info to deliver their presentation last night to the newbies (who have their own adventures to come). A pres/report is required to complete the Expedition section at Silver (and Gold).  There was genuine appreciation of the landscape/flora/fauna and, of course, mention of red kites (which I've passed on to Sgt M, who was unable to attend, but seemed pleased). Did also sense that they got a lot of joy from the shared adventure with "the Nugget", just the unexpected things that happen and how the team reacts. All passes, of course. We can start to finish sign-offs and get certificates, hopefully. Well done team.

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.

Has been an exceptionally busy period despite 9 months without a building. Last Sat saw cadets from 1368 Sqn participate in Leamington & Warwick Armed Forces Day for 3rd year running, incl. annual drill & challenge competitions against the local Army and Sea Cadets. 1368 won the drill again, 2nd in "the challenge" to the Sea Cadets. Well done all. Also great engagement with the general public with cadets showing little kids first aid and drumming, and entertaining dignitaries, and some great shots with the tank. Another win for 1368 Community Duty pillar this year. Great staff team performance and also thanks to 1289's FS R for helping with drill prep and on the day.

Busy weekend. 12 cadets from 1368 managed to realize CI M's dream of doing more 1368 Sqn air show visits. Although a lot of the really fragile older planes couldn't fly still a unique experience and CI M made a new friend (Richie, a US airline pilot on layover with a similar passion for war birds, it seems). There was also the rare Messerschmitt Bf 109 flies with Spitfire thing and the excitement of an old tractor pulling an old plane. It doesn't get more exciting for an air cadet, than this. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/28/rare-messerschmitt-flies-spitfire-first-time-this-century/

Post Athletics-win period has seen a return to Aylesford on Weds. 1369 Sqn now coming up to 9 months since building was closed due to MOD contract/VIVO problems in the maintenance of the volunteer estate by RFCA. As well as STEM lots of parallel things happening. Blue fieldcraft lessons ongoing. We have a group doing the Wing soccer challenge (diff one each week). NNAS pins/certificates for Cdt B-R and Cdt W. Lots of cadets also doing dry runs for MOI lanyard. Successful instructor lanyard pass by Cdt P on Mon 29 Jul (well done!), 2nd in batch (8 active cadets have done MOI training, so still looking for helping those that need it). It's a fair amount o effort but a significant milestone as can formally take on more of a teaching role, e.g. teach blue radio (if have bronze) and helps with bidding for higher level camps/courses.

Long term favourite this one. Normally we do as an IET/practice with NCOs helping, but tried this as assessed to get some through Bronze sooner. Was a step-up for sure, a few stories to tell about cows and getting lost, the DofE classics. New day 1 start route with canal/train route elements to seemed to flow well. First time anyone has tried making a cake/fishing. Slightly more challenging due to some footpath obfuscation around MOD Kineton on day 2 but they made in the end. Campsite was a stunning backdrop to fun in near perfect weather on the Sat and great comradery shown.

We occasional miss the opportunity, but 2026 is turning out to the year of the cake. With Year 11 exams almost done, last week saw another cake creation battle as Sgt G reached the ripe old age of 16. FS R's sloppy RAF roundel was really tasty with a light sponge (no photo though/FS R jumped the gun). Cdt R's creation was an MTP-themed air cadet Chocolate cake with brown/green mini-poos being attacked by Spitfires. Bravo to both bakers. Both were very nice.

Teamwork is about believing in a common goal and going for it. Leadership is about getting others to believe. Cdt L received the honours as COTM for last month for his contribution with Wing Athletics Competition 2026 win, engagement in preparation, negotiating tactical changes, running great warm ups and cool downs. There was lots of others, but his positive energy and regular attendance as a senior cadet, really helped to lead others to the win this year.

Community Duties is one of 1368's key pillars. We managed to recreate a 2019 classic shot, with CI M back in the driving seat as 1368 revisited one of its classic community duties on Sat. Tis was a little wet, but nothing new, Sqn event shelter came in handy, cadets got some free food, and we got to show off our high vis livery.

Now 8 months since building was closed as a result of RFCA/DIO contract changes as a result of  Volunteer_Estate_Value_for_Money_Study_Report.pdf  (adoption of contract for maintenance by VIVO). Cadets are looking forward to returning as the door was fixed in Feb 2026.  Hard facilities management services for the Volunteer Estate to be delivered by the MOD Built Estates contract - RFCA Yorkshire

Sensed things were going well when everyone turned up for coach, we were first in stand, and first three categories of those who came to do long jump all went to 1368 cadets. Speaking to a few OCs who cited late drop-outs but 2026 team didn't falter, had full girls teams for first time for a while, a few GCSEs with enough gaps in exams to plug holes (and score massive), unusually strong junior boys team, and impressive positive team-energy led by oldies. CI M's parody of a motivation speech on the coach? 2nd in Wing last year was good, but somehow 1st feels better and also reflects the strength across the different ages and genders, or perhaps just the general team spirit that NCOs have engendered as 1368 has grown over the last 5 years, since winning the competition in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Good competition though. Standard seemed quite high. Many thanks to the Birmingham and Warwickshire staff who took on running it and all the other staff who helped out on the day. It is grea...