What Do Cadets Actually Do?

A typical parade night

Most detachments and contingents meet one evening a week for a couple of hours. A parade night usually opens with a quick inspection and notices, then splits into training — a lesson or practical session on whatever the group is working towards — and finishes with something active or a team task.

It is more like a structured youth club with a syllabus than anything military in the popular imagination. Cadets of different levels often work on different things in the same room.

Weekends and camps

Beyond the weekly evening there are optional weekends and an annual camp. This is where most of the memorable stuff happens: fieldcraft exercises, adventurous training, ranges, sport, competitions and expeditions. Annual camp is typically a week away with cadets from across the county.

None of it is compulsory in the sense of being thrown in at the deep end — cadets build up to the bigger activities as they progress.

The subjects they train in

Training is organised into subjects, and cadets work through them at increasing depth as they move up the star levels. They include drill and turnout, fieldcraft and tactics, first aid, navigation, skill at arms, shooting, military knowledge, communications, expedition and adventurous training, physical activity and community engagement.

Our training subjects guide goes through what each one covers in plain English.

Qualifications they can come away with

Cadets is not just badges. Depending on the unit and how far a cadet goes, it can lead to recognised first aid qualifications, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Bronze, Silver and Gold, adventurous training awards, leadership qualifications and nationally recognised vocational certificates. These are worth real things on a CV or personal statement.

What cadets is not

• It is not recruitment. Being a cadet does not commit anyone to joining the armed forces, and most cadets do not.
• It is not boot camp. Adult volunteers are trained to work with young people, and the culture is about developing confidence rather than breaking it down.
• It is not expensive. Activities are heavily subsidised and uniform is issued. See our joining guide for what costs to expect.

What cadets get out of it

Ask a cadet and they will usually say friends and the camps. Ask a parent a year in and they will usually say confidence, independence and being noticeably better at organising themselves. Both are true, and they are the reason the syllabus is built the way it is.

Where Cadet AI fits

The training side has a lot to learn, and it is easy to forget between parade nights. Cadet AI is an independent study aid that turns the syllabus into quizzes and lets cadets ask questions in their own time. Free to use, built for ages 13 and over, no ads and no third-party trackers.