Air Training Cadets Cap Badge

Air training corps cap badge

This cap badge reminds me of one of the most exciting, adventures years in my life. It was the year 2000 when I joined the air cadets and the places I saw and the things I experienced within that year will stay with me forever. Over this year I experienced flying for the first time, I remember the pilot doing a barrel roll, loop the loop, a stall and even let me control the air craft mid flight, I travelled across the country and visited places like RAF Northolt in London where I flew on the queens plane, I travelled to a tank regiment and experienced a blank round night exercise where we travelled around in the tanks, I shot weapons, swam for my squadron and made many friends. The friends where the highlight as I never had many friends at that time.

What I do remember is the art that I created within this time period, I would create illustrations of the experiences that I had, this is what made me unique people would know me for that and the nick name that was given to "tank", fond memories

But I see this badge, this symbol as a cross roads, Two paths that lay ahead of me one was to pursue a career within the armed forces, a life of adventure, danger, the other was a civilian life, I went to the army for work experience and the reality was very different. The experience left me with doubts whether I really wanted to do this. As time went on the things changed 911 changed the world, wars broke out in Afghanistan and Iraq. Things changed in my own life as well , with this new found confidence I began to make new friends and go out at and enjoy my youth and eventually left that life and that career choice behind but this cap badge will always be a reminder of that exciting year.

So what does this object say about the culture that we live in, well it most certainly tells us that we live in a waring nation. The ATC acted as a recruitment for the soldiers of the future, they would always put us through intense training while carrying heavy back packs, they would teach us how to shoot, scale the assault course's, basically they were preparing us for the real army/RAF, It became a era of when the world changed, 911 was the most unnatural thing that I ever seen, and resulted in more wars, and one that still rages on today.

I always wonder what would my life would have been if I would have gone down the other route, I never regret not joining but I do wonder where I would be today?