Young People from the Nottingham Cadet Forces joined council employees, civil dignitaries and veterans at County Hall in Nottingham today (20 June) to raise a flag to mark the beginning of Armed Forces Week.
The event, held on the Trent embankment outside Nottingham County Council’s Headquarters in West Bridgford, saw Cadets from the Sea Cadets, Army Cadet Force (ACF) and Air Training Corps (ATC) form a flag party who passed the flag onto a veteran.
The flag was then hoisted up by Michael Rowen, a Deputy Lieutenant in Nottinghamshire, where it will fly for the next week.
Cadet Warrant Officer Jade Cox, aged 18, of 1360 (Stapleford and Sandiacre) Squadron ATC, was the Cadet Parade Marshall at the event. She said: “I’m very proud to have been a part of this year’s flag raising ceremony to mark the start of a week of celebrations for Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and the valiant work they do. My pride is magnified through being selected to be the Cadet Parade Marshall for the ceremony as I can take pride in the younger cadets on parade, knowing that I once stood where they were.”
Squadron Leader Allan Munns RAFVR (T) was the Officer-In-Charge of the Joint-Cadet Party at the event. He said: “It is important that the young people of our country appreciate the dedication, professionalism and, regretfully, sacrifice of the United Kingdom’s Armed Forces. The cadets are the cream of today’s youth and are, at times, the representatives of their parent service within their local communities so it is fitting that cadets are fully included in the celebration of our Armed Forces.
“The Flag raising ceremony, as the marking of the start of Armed Forces week, is now fixed within the Cadet Forces calendar and we stand with pride with the Regular and Reserve Forces of the County.”