CFAV Spotlight: Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Oxford

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself

I am Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Oxford, Oxfordshire Army Cadet Force, age 47 and am a Clinical Research Associate Manager.

2. What was your initial motivation for joining as a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer (CFAV) and what year did you join?

I joined Herts ACF in 1992 and spent 4 years as a cadet, achieving SSgt and 4 Star. I then left to move to Oxford in 1996 to go to university and joined Oxon ACF as a CFAV. I had gained so much from being a cadet, developing confidence, teamwork and teaching skills and I thoroughly enjoyed it and wanted to give back that experience to others whilst also continuing to develop my leaderships skills. I’ve never looked back.

3. What training/qualifications have you done with the Cadets?

L3 Award in Education & Training Walking Group Leader Camping Leader First Aid at Work M Qualification – Exercise Conducting Officer Range Management (RCO).

4. What do you enjoy most/get out of being a CFAV?

I love helping people grow and develop, building confidence and skills to go out into the world and achieve what they want from life. I also enjoy knowing that we are helping cadets learn about the importance of community and citizenship.

5. What are some of the challenges you have faced as a CFAV and how did you overcome them?

I’ve always wanted to be the best that I can be, so made an effort to get qualified and use those qualifications to maximum effect. I’ve never been in the military, so developing a more military mind set and developing by pushing myself outside of my comfort zone has created good challenges for me which have helped me learn and grow, building transferable skills that I can use at cadets and at work. I’ve no doubt my work has benefitted from the development opportunities and experiences I’ve had in cadets and vice versa.

6. What advice would you give to anyone considering becoming a CFAV?

It’s a fantastically rewarding hobby. You don’t need to rush up the ranks. Take every opportunity to learn and grow and progress will happen. Take time to reflect on lessons learned and approach things with a growth mind set, receiving feedback is the best way to learn and grow. Above all, enjoy it, watch the change in cadets as they develop into young leaders themselves as a result of their cadet experience and grab hold of the opportunities that come your way, so you can continue to offer the best cadet experience for everyone who comes through our doors, it will help build a strong community spirit and good citizens to strengthen our society.

7. Do you have anything else you would like to share about your time as a CFAV?

When I joined, I never envisioned holding the role I do now. Just over a year ago I was appointed as Deputy Commandant and have the pleasure of working with the Commandant, RSM and key stakeholders to make change, improve our offering and work towards becoming a centre of excellence for delivery of the cadet experience. I’m a big believer in ‘you get out of cadets as much as you put in’ and there are so many opportunities out there now, it’s a great platform for helping adults develop themselves and become great leaders too.