A mid September evening marked the last night Cadet Warrant Officer Rebecca Parr would parade at 2195 (Long Eaton) Squadron as a cadet.
As a lovely send off the The Squadron’s Cadet Non-Commissioned Officer(NCO) team bought her a cake with a picture from one of her first camps at RAF Cosford, along with some cards from the whole squadron, before giving her a cream pie in the face at the end of their NCO meeting, something she hopes will become a tradition for all Cadet Warrant Officers that leave the Squadron in the future.
Cadet Warrant Officer Parr has had quite a successful career with the Squadron, joining back in July 2009, and officially enrolling on the 17th August 2009, she has now been with the Squadron for six years and one month and during this time has really thrown herself at most of the activities the Air Cadet Organisation has to offer.
In 2010 she completed her first Air Experienced Flight in the Tutor with 7 AEF, before heading off on her first Summer Camp at RAF Cosford with a number of Cadets from the Squadron, which remains to this day as one of her favourite Camps. She also attended her first two Squadron Camps one a Fieldcraft camp and the other an adventure training camp in Edale. 2011 was much the same attending her first Wing Camp Swynnerton, and her second Summer Camp at RAF Valley where she had the opportunity to fly in a Sea King helicopter, it was also the year she reached Cadet Corporal.
The following year saw Cadet Corporal Parr start to develop herself, she attended both the INCO, old SNCO and Cadet Drill Instructor Course, she completed her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and Youth First Aid Course, gained a place in the banner drill team and went on her first adventure training week long camp at Llanbedr. It was during the summer of 2012 where she moved into the recruit flight, just after she was promoted to Cadet Sergeant, this is where she would spend the rest of her time on the Squadron up until the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer. It was also the year she successfully gained a place on the Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course. Then to top off the year she was presented Best NCO of 2195 at their annual dining in night.
2013 she managed to complete the Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course along with two others from South and East Midlands Wing, as well as the Nijmegen 100 mile road march and her Silver Duke of Edinburgh. This year saw her promoted to Cadet Flight Sergeant, and she and Cadet Flight Sergeant Bailey Wright managed to enrol 17 new cadets to the Squadron despite not having a permanent base, to parade in. 
In 2014 those dreaded things called A-Levels took some of her focus. However she still managed to get promoted to Cadet Warrant Officer, something she had always aimed for, as well as receiving two BTECs one in Public Services at a Distinction Star level and another in Aviation Studies. She also received her communicators badge and Activity First Aid badge, as well as being selected as Mayors Cadet for Erewash.
2015 and 20th birthday approaching! This year Cadet Warrant Officer Parr was at University in Birmingham, however she still tried to have as much involvement as possible. She attended a number of courses to help her progression to being a member of staff in the organisation, as well as helping her Squadron finally win Wing Field Day by winning both of the events she led, leadership and media. Being a University student she had lots of free time during the summer and decided to fill it doing a number of cadet activities. Firstly she completed the Nijmegen 100 mile marches, again, then went straight off to the Drill and Ceremonial Camp, had a few days rest before heading off on her first overseas camp at RAF Gibraltar and then completed her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Expedition in Snowdonia with the Wing.
Cadet Warrant Officer Parr said she was grateful for everything the Squadron had done for her over the years, and said she thoroughly enjoyed her time being a Cadet, and now looks forward to the challenges that being a member of staff will bring. She will now leave the Squadron for a short period of time while she goes back to the University of Birmingham, where she is studying a Masters in Medical Biochemistry. However the Squadron look forward to her return as a Civilian Instructor in the Christmas holidays.
Flying Officer Buckingham, Officer in Charge of 2195, said “Cadet Warrant Officer Parr has been a steadfast influence on the cadets of 2195 for the past six years. She has set an excellent example to the rest of the squadron and her numerous achievements over the recent years show this. I am sure, in her progressing career in the ATC, she will continue to excel.”