Captain Sir Tom Moore last week (Thurs, Sep 10, 2020) praised the high standard of turnout of hundreds of Junior Soldiers during their Graduation Parade at the Army Foundation College, Harrogate in North Yorkshire
Capt Sir Tom, acting in his new role as Honorary Colonel of the Northern military training establishment, was speaking after carrying out his duties as the Chief Inspecting Officer at the Junior Soldiers’ Passing out Parade.
The World War II veteran, who has raised a phenomenal £40 million for the National Health Service’s charitable wing, NHS Charities Trust, upon completing 100 laps around his garden at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, during the lockdown period, has become a household name and national treasure.
The Keighley-born hero, who was shown around the College last month for the first time, returned to inspect the 294 Junior Soldiers from Cambrai Company who are on their Passing out Parade.
The Junior Soldiers of Cambrai company started training in March but due to the Corona virus pandemic (Covid 19) they had to do 10 weeks of virtual training before returning to the College at the end of May.
Subsequently the Junior Soldiers completed 18 weeks of training without any time off but have still had the opportunity to achieve a City and Guilds apprenticeship for Information Technology users at Level 2, incorporating Functional Skills.
The Junior soldiers on the longer 42-week course will join either the Infantry, Royal Artillery, Royal Armoured Corps or Royal Logistic Corps. Once Junior Soldiers complete the shorter 22-week course designed for other cap badges they will head for the longer more specialist phase of their training which could be anything from being a vehicle mechanic with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers to becoming a communications systems operator with the Royal Signals.