Sue’s medal for dedicated service
A PATIENT at Beverley Westwood Hospital has received a top award.
Sue McConnell, a former instructor with Humberside and South Yorkshire Army Cadet Force (ACF) and cancer patient has been presented with the Cadet Force Medal for completion of 12 years service to the ACF by the Commandant, Colonel David Fuller OBE.
Sue joined the ACF in 1997, being posted to the Endike Detachment, in North Hull, soon after becoming an instructor and became a valued member of the team who ran the very busy unit. As a new instructor she had to learn all the necessary military skills. One of her greatest skills was being able to relate closely with the cadets and her empathy towards them. This is greatly appreciated by her fellow instructors and, most of all, by the cadets.
She was promoted to Staff Sergeant in 2001 and assumed command of Wenlock detachment in West Hull in 2003. The detachment was struggling with cadet numbers, but after taking over Sue succeeded in raising the numbers, standards and profile of the detachment in an area where it is sometimes difficult to convince young people that the Army Cadet Force has something positive to offer them.
Following this she was posted to the Signals unit, qualifying on the Signals Instructors course, making her an important member of the unit and her knowledge was put to good use. She was always willing to take on any challenge, including being part of the team which has coached an all-girls team in the Brigade March and Shoot Competition, producing results which overshadowed many male teams.
She was promoted to Sergeant Major Instructor in 2006 and commanded Cottingham Detachment, taking the Detachment from strength to strength, before retiring from the ACF in 2010 due to her treatment, which is on-going.
Sue was awarded the Lord Lieutenant’s Certificate in 2007, an honour ranking immediately below the MBE.
On presenting Sue with the medal, Colonel David Fuller said: “Sue is fully deserving of the award of the Cadet Force Medal and it has been both a pleasure and an honour to be able to present the medal to her. She gave so much to the ACF and the cadets in the detachments she has been involved in, which has been appreciated by all concerned.”
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Weather for Beverley
Thursday 23 May 2013
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Light showers
Temperature: 6 C to 10 C
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