Horncastle teenager crowned county's first ever national champion Army cadet

Seventeen-year-old Heber Murtagh, whose rank is Cadet RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major), represented the county in the national Champion Cadet Competition held at the country’s cadet training centre in Frimley Park, Camberley, Surrey.

The competition is one of the most prestigious events in the Army Cadet Force (ACF) calendar, bringing together the UK’s best cadets.

Having already completed the demanding Master Cadet course, competitors spent a week tackling a series of rigorous assessments, designed to test core skills, and also underwent a formal interview.

The skills included leadership, resilience, fieldcraft, day and night navigation, instructional ability, weapon handling, shooting, first aid, teamwork and physical fitness and endurance.

The competition not only identifies the highest-performing cadets within the ACF but also celebrates the qualities that cadet training develops, including confidence, self-discipline, responsibility and service to others.

Of 70,000 cadets across the country, only 26 made the final – and Heber was elated to come out on top.

“I was very surprised that my name was called out,” he said. “I thought I did well enough to be a contender, but I never expected to win. I feel amazing.”

Heber first joined the ACF after the Covid-19 lockdowns when he was looking for a new challenge in his life.

“I was just really bored,” he laughed. “We’d just come out of lockdown and I couldn’t go out with mates or play sports. My dad had also been a cadet and always spoke highly of it, so I thought: sign me up!”

Although physically active through playing basketball and rugby and taking up boxing and regular gym training, Heber admitted the biggest challenge during the competition was mental rather than physical.

“The day-navigation exercise was probably the toughest,” he recalled. “It was about pushing through and knowing I had to keep competing.”

He believes one of the biggest lessons he learned throughout the week was self-evaluation.

“You don’t get feedback after every stand,” he revealed. “You have to assess yourself. I learned to think about what I’d done well, what I could improve and then move on. If one stand didn’t go well, I couldn’t let it affect the next one.”

Looking back on the competition, he encouraged future contestants not to overlook the importance of physical fitness.

“It’s easy to focus on the skills and drills, but physical fitness makes everything easier,” Heber said. “Navigation, shooting, everything benefits if you’re physically prepared.”

Heber’s success marked the culmination of years of dedication, hard work and determination, and served as an inspiration to cadets across the UK.

He received the Claire Shaw Trophy and has now set his sights on the next stage of his Army journey. He hopes to join the Parachute Regiment as an officer, with ambitions of attending the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in the future.

Heber’s proud dad, James, is the commander of the Horncastle detachment, which has about 20 members at present but is keen to recruit more.

Any youngsters aged between 12 and 17, and any adults who would like to volunteer, are urged to go along to one of the group’s meetings on Mondays between 7 pm and 9 pm at the cadet hut on Coronation Walk (LN9 6HP). Or they can visit the ACF website at https://armycadets.com

Another feather in the cap of the Horncastle detachment has been provided by 16-year-old Cadet CSM (Company Sergeant Major) Mollie Poucher.

For after her selection in August, she has taken up a role as the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet for the ACF in Lincolnshire.

The role is to act as an aide to the Lord Lieutenant, Toby Dennis, by accompanying him on his high-profile civic duties, including events, military parades, such as Remembrance Sunday and Armed Forces Day, and royal visits.

Only one cadet from the ACF is selected each year, and the position is considered to be one of the highest honours a young person can achieve during their time within the organisation.