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Joe Carolan

Young serviceman Joe Carolan put the job before family when he returned from a tour of duty in the Middle East.

The senior aircraftman from RAF Benson in Oxfordshire returned to the UK following a three-month tour in both Basra and Kuwait earlier in the month.

But instead of going straight to see his family in Mansfield, he spent his first weekend with 20 staff and cadets from Kidlington for a weekend of adventure training and fieldcraft skills at the Cornbury Park estate, near Charlbury.

SAC Carolan, 22, himself a cadet when he was a teenager, is a member of staff with Abingdon Air Cadets, but often helps out other squadrons.

He said: "I can't help but help cadets. Although we're not actively recruiting them to the RAF, the fact is that many do go on to join up.

"These youngsters could be my colleagues in a few years and I want to give them the best chance I can."

Kidlington Air Cadets spent the weekend building shelters and hides, and practising skills such as camp cooking, navigation and reconnaissance.

Commanding officer Annabel Cook said the youngsters gained an enormous amount of self-confidence, as well as leadership and communication skills.

She thanked SAC Carolan for giving up his time, adding: "The weekend went really well, it was good fun."

Kidlington Air Cadets are still celebrating after scooping the top regional award in a competition to find the most innovative fundraising idea for charity.

The cadets held a 15-mile sponsored bike ride at RAF Weston-on-the-Green in November last year, followed by a re- creation of the Battle of Britain, and raised £500 for serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and their families.

Anyone interested in joining Kidlington Air Cadets as a cadet or staff can contact the group on Tuesday and Thursday evenings on 01865 379950.

4:20pm Friday 25th April 2008

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