Burghfield Air Cadet and Cadet 150 Ambassador, Flight Sergeant Ryan Franks has helped launch Cadet 150 at Buckingham Palace in the presence of HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
18 year old Flight Sergeant Franks who has been a member of the 2402 (Burghfield) Squadron ATC for just over 4 years spent the preceding evening at a local army barracks meeting other Air Cadet Ambassadors as well as his Army and Sea Cadet counterparts and receiving a briefing on royal protocol from a member of Palace staff.
The big day saw the group of cadets up early making the final adjustments to their uniforms before travelling to Buckingham Palace to meet HM The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. During their audience, each cadet had the opportunity to shake hands with the Queen and tell her about their own plans for Cadet150. The cadets then proceeded to Whitehall for lunch with senior military commanders including Commandant Air Cadets, Air Commodore Stewart before being treated to a tour of both No 10 and No 11 Downing Street hosted by Mrs Margaret Darling, wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP.
The launch event concluded with a tour of the Cabinet War Rooms followed by a reception at Lancaster House hosted by the Ulysses Trust and the Council of Reserve Forces and Cadet Associations.
Flight Sergeant Franks said “This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am honoured and privileged to have been chosen to represent the Corps at the launch of Cadet 150”.
The Ambassador Cadets will now go on to promote both Cadet 150 and the cadet movement throughout the rest of the year.