His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan, Professor Peter Vaughan QPM CStJ, was speaking at his annual awards ceremony held to celebrate high achievers from the cadet and reserve communities.
He praised the efforts of twelve people, including eight young cadets from across Mid Glamorgan, at his awards ceremony held at Pontypridd Army Reserve Centre on Thursday, 26 January 2023.
He said the Cadet Forces, which included a mixture of military training, youth work, civilian qualifications and community work, helped develop young people to be ready to take their place in society.
"The Cadet Forces would not operate but for the superb dedication and commitment of the officers and adult volunteers who give up their free time to make these organisations work," said Professor Vaughan.
Able Cadet Brandon Jones of Rhondda Sea Cadet Corps; Able Cadet Anna-Maria Petter of Porthcawl Sea Cadet Corps, Cadet Flight Sergeant Scott Jones of No 3 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets; Cadet Flight Sergeant Emily Richards of No 1 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets and Cadet Corporal Casey Garland of Cardiff and Vale Combined Cadet Forces were appointed as Lord-Lieutenant cadets for Mid Glamorgan for 2023.
Brandon, 16, from Tonypandy, who aspires to join the Royal Navy, was delighted to form part of the cadet honour guard for the King's first visit to Cardiff.
Anna-Maria, 16, from Bridgend, who attends Cardiff and Vale College is a keen musician who hopes to study music performance in the future. Her favourite activity is rowing and her greatest achievement in cadets was spending a week on board TS Royalist last year.
Scott, 17, who attends Bryntirion Comprehensive School in Bridgend, has been described as having 'outstanding leadership' skills and was awarded the Junior Cadet of the Year Award within his first 12 months. He oversees the Recruit Training Flight which now stands at over twenty cadets. He aspires to become an engineer either within the RAF or British Airways.
Emily, 17, of Merthyr, also attends Cardiff and Vale College, and aspires to become an engineer in the aerospace sector of the military. Among her achievements in cadets so far include flying in a Merlin helicopter and receiving a certificate of good service from the Air Commodore.
Casey, 17, from Aberdare, who attends Cardiff and Vale College, who travels 50 miles every week by public transport to attend cadets, says her greatest achievement so far was representing cadets at the King's first visit to Cardiff Castle.
The five were selected for the prestigious Lord-Lieutenant's cadet role after being put forward for nomination by cadet group leaders and the Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association for Wales.
They will follow in the footsteps of Cadet David Morgan of Porthcawl Sea Corps; Cadet Corporal Nyah Pope of Dyfed and Glamorgan Army Cadet Force; Cadet Flight Sergeant Garyn Kiff of No 1 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets and Cadet Flight Sergeant Corey Luke of No 3 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets who were awarded the Mid Glamorgan Lord-Lieutenant Certificate and Badge for being the 2022 representatives.
The role of Lord-Lieutenant cadet includes attendance with the Lord-Lieutenant, who acts as the King's representative, at a number of official engagements, including Remembrance events, Royal visits and parades.
Three adults were also recognised for their outstanding service and devotion to duty and awarded the Lord-Lieutenant's Certificate of Merit.
They were Civilian Instructor Michelle Sussex of No 1 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets, Sergeant Stephen Hughes of 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh and Acting Lance Corporal Rebecca Comer of Wales Universities Officers' Training Corps.
Michelle from Merthyr Tydfil joined the civilian committee of 415 Merthyr Tydfil Squadron when her son joined as a cadet and within a few years was encouraged to become a Civilian Instructor and is currently the squadron and detached flight adjutant - an integral and exceptional member of the team.
Reservist Rebecca from Bridgend was an officer cadet with Wales UOTC during her time at university. Following university as part of Wales UOTC she was mobilised into Joint Military Command Wales in support of Operation Rescript during the pandemic, where she worked as part of the operations room team. Outside of her reservist work Rebecca is a police officer.
Reservist Stephen from Pontypridd works as a recruiter within 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh and has constantly over many years exceeded the recruiting quotas set and as such his success has led to him being employed three days a week. He keeps in touch with recruits in his own time to ensure they are informed and derives great satisfaction from helping others to become members of the Armed Forces.
There are nearly 5,000 cadets in Wales who gain skills and qualifications through working with local communities, charities and taking part in a variety of practical activities. The cadet syllabus is delivered by 1,500 volunteering adult instructors and civilian assistants, who give up their spare time on weeknights and weekends.
The awards ceremony, attended by around 80 people, was organised by the Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association for Wales - an organisation that has supported the Armed Forces for over 100 years.
