"These are skills that will stay with them for life," Calvin Bailey said as he met cadets in Lincolnshire this week, using a visit to Beckingham Training Camp and RAF Waddington to make a wider point about what these units mean for young people well beyond parade nights. Ahead of National Cadets Week, which runs from 5 to 11 October 2026, the Minister for Veterans and People said cadet forces are giving teenagers across the county confidence, resilience and ambition at a time when practical opportunities can be hard to come by.

At Beckingham, Bailey joined cadets on the range and watched fieldcraft, first aid and navigation exercises. Later, at RAF Waddington, he was shown a drone circuit and tried an immersive flight simulator, speaking with young people and adult volunteers about why they keep turning up. That mattered because the day was not just a ministerial photocall. It was a chance for Lincolnshire units to show what cadet life looks like on the ground: technical training, teamwork and a steady build of self-belief, led week after week by local volunteers.

According to the government announcement, more than 13,000 cadets across the East Midlands are taking part in cadet forces. In Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force alone, there are 714 cadets supported by 167 volunteers, a reminder that the scheme depends as much on local adults giving up their time as it does on national backing. Ministers have pledged £70 million to support long-term growth, with a target of increasing cadet numbers by 30% by 2035. For places like Lincolnshire, the argument is straightforward: if Whitehall is serious about backing opportunity outside London, it needs to keep funding the people and places already doing the work.

The government is leaning on independent evidence to make that case. Research from the University of Northampton found cadet participation is linked to better wellbeing, stronger educational outcomes and improved social mobility, with an estimated £120 million in wellbeing value generated each year. The same research found young people involved in cadets tend to report stronger confidence, resilience, employability and leadership. Those are not abstract Westminster talking points; they are the qualities schools, employers and families across the East Midlands keep saying they want to see more of.

Bailey, a former Air Cadet himself, told those gathered that he learnt to fly an aircraft before he could drive a car, and said the experience helped shape his future. He said he wants more young people from all backgrounds to get the same sort of chance, whatever path they go on to take. There is a local message in that as well. Cadet forces remain one of the clearest links between Defence and everyday community life, bringing together schools, employers, parents and volunteers in towns and villages that are often overlooked when national policy is discussed.

Across the UK, around 28,000 adult volunteers support more than 137,000 young people in cadet forces. In Lincolnshire, that national picture comes into focus in a more practical way: evenings on camp, weekends on exercises and trusted adults giving teenagers room to grow. With the first National Cadets Week now set for 5 to 11 October 2026, the hope from government is that more families will take a fresh look at what cadets offer and that more adults will step forward to help. In Lincolnshire, the sell is not complicated. These units are helping young people build skills for life, and the county has every reason to be proud of that.