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  • News
  • 8 Aug 2025
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Hundreds of young soldiers advance to the next step in their Army careers

Chief of the General Staff in his blues uniform is photographed inspecting a soldier in their brown uniform while smiling.

750 Junior Soldiers marched onto the parade square yesterday (7 August) at the Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate to mark their graduation. 

A row of soldiers marching in line wearing brown uniforms and holding a rifle. They are marching forward with their heads turned looking to their right.
Soldiers stood for inspection are seen chatting with Sir Gareth Southgate who is wearing a suit and tie. Family and friends are seen in the crowd in the background.
A row of soldiers in their brown uniform holding a rifle are seen marching in time with each other on parade.
Soldiers in ceremonial dress are marching across the parade square with white and red flags. The graduating soldiers in their brown unifrom are stood in lines behind them. The background shows the AFC Harrogate building with the family and friends crowd in front of the building.
The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas performing in their green ceremonial uniform at the AFC Harrogate Graduation Parade
Chloe is photographed in her brown uniform and blue Army Air Corps beret stood next to her mum Sherene who is dressed in her camouflage uniform. They are both smiling and have their arms around each others back.
Chloe is photographed in her brown uniform and blue Army Air Corps beret stood next to her mum Sherene who is dressed in her camouflage uniform. They are both smiling and have their arms around each embracing in a hug.
Madalyn is photographed wearing her brown uniform with her navy cap on her head. Her father Graham is photographed to her right wearing his brown uniform and peak cap with his medals mounted on his chest. They are both seen smiling with their arms around each others back.
Chief of the General Staff in his blues uniform is photographed presenting a trophy award to a soldier in their brown uniform wearing a parachute regiment pink beret while smiling.
A row of soldiers marching in line wearing brown uniforms and holding a rifle. They are marching forward with their heads turned looking to their right.

Army Foundation College Harrogate Graduation Parade

Soldiers stood for inspection are seen chatting with Sir Gareth Southgate who is wearing a suit and tie. Family and friends are seen in the crowd in the background.

Guest of honour, former England manager, Sir Gareth Southgate meets the Junior Soldiers

A row of soldiers in their brown uniform holding a rifle are seen marching in time with each other on parade.

Army Foundation College Harrogate Graduation Parade

Soldiers in ceremonial dress are marching across the parade square with white and red flags. The graduating soldiers in their brown unifrom are stood in lines behind them. The background shows the AFC Harrogate building with the family and friends crowd in front of the building.

Army Foundation College Harrogate Graduation Parade

The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas performing in their green ceremonial uniform at the AFC Harrogate Graduation Parade

The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas performing at the Army Foundation College Harrogate Graduation Parade

Chloe is photographed in her brown uniform and blue Army Air Corps beret stood next to her mum Sherene who is dressed in her camouflage uniform. They are both smiling and have their arms around each others back.

Junior Soldier Chloe De Stadler and Reservist mum Sherene De Stadler

Chloe is photographed in her brown uniform and blue Army Air Corps beret stood next to her mum Sherene who is dressed in her camouflage uniform. They are both smiling and have their arms around each embracing in a hug.

Chloe De Stadler and Sherene De Stadler embrace

Madalyn is photographed wearing her brown uniform with her navy cap on her head. Her father Graham is photographed to her right wearing his brown uniform and peak cap with his medals mounted on his chest. They are both seen smiling with their arms around each others back.

Junior Soldier Madalyn Laycock and Army Foundation College instructor dad Captain Graham Laycock

Chief of the General Staff in his blues uniform is photographed presenting a trophy award to a soldier in their brown uniform wearing a parachute regiment pink beret while smiling.

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker presents the Best PT (physical training) award to Junior Soldier Jimmy Fraser

A row of soldiers marching in line wearing brown uniforms and holding a rifle. They are marching forward with their heads turned looking to their right.
Soldiers stood for inspection are seen chatting with Sir Gareth Southgate who is wearing a suit and tie. Family and friends are seen in the crowd in the background.
A row of soldiers in their brown uniform holding a rifle are seen marching in time with each other on parade.
Soldiers in ceremonial dress are marching across the parade square with white and red flags. The graduating soldiers in their brown unifrom are stood in lines behind them. The background shows the AFC Harrogate building with the family and friends crowd in front of the building.
The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas performing in their green ceremonial uniform at the AFC Harrogate Graduation Parade
Chloe is photographed in her brown uniform and blue Army Air Corps beret stood next to her mum Sherene who is dressed in her camouflage uniform. They are both smiling and have their arms around each others back.
Chloe is photographed in her brown uniform and blue Army Air Corps beret stood next to her mum Sherene who is dressed in her camouflage uniform. They are both smiling and have their arms around each embracing in a hug.
Madalyn is photographed wearing her brown uniform with her navy cap on her head. Her father Graham is photographed to her right wearing his brown uniform and peak cap with his medals mounted on his chest. They are both seen smiling with their arms around each others back.
Chief of the General Staff in his blues uniform is photographed presenting a trophy award to a soldier in their brown uniform wearing a parachute regiment pink beret while smiling.

The parade marked the end of Basic Training for the 16 and 17-year-olds after months of hard work and dedication during which they undertook various military training, fitness, and education tasks that culminated in a vigorous two-week battle camp and tactical exercise, preparing them for Army life.

"I am grateful for the opportunities it will give my future career and the challenges I will need to overcome to get there."

Chloe De Stadler, Army Air Corps

Successful completion of Basic Training means the newly qualified soldiers will march to their respective units and complete trade training in their chosen field.

Among the graduating Junior Soldiers, 17-year-old Chloe De Stadler, from Epsom, Surrey, was watched by proud mum Sherene De Stadler who has just passed her own initial training to become an Army Reservist.

Chloe, who enlisted to AFC following her GCSEs, said: “Joining the Army always interested me because of all it has to offer.

"I’m very proud of her for going through the challenges of army training and enjoying it."

Sherene De Stadler, Army Reservist

“I am grateful for the opportunities it will give my future career and the challenges I will need to overcome to get there.”

Sherene enlisted in the Reserve to be a support network for Chloe. She said: “I’m learning as I go, I knew nothing about the Army before I joined.

“We are able to help each other and learn together because we can speak the same army language, something that I wouldn’t be able to do if I didn’t join.”

Chloe will join the Army Air Corps as groundcrew, while Sherene is joining the Grenadier Guards alongside her gym management role.

"I’ve always lived as a military child, so I had an insight into what army life was like and started researching it."

Madalyn Laycock, Royal Army Medical Services

She added: “It felt amazing knowing my mum was in the audience knowing what I’ve gone through to be on that parade square.

“It’s so nice to be able to talk to my mum about army life because she understands and can relate to it.

 “I hope my mum is aso proud of me as I am of her joining the Reserve so she can understand what my life will be like from now on.”

Sherene said: “There’s  been loads of tears from myself and her father today.

“Chloe has quit projects before when they’ve been hard, so I’m very proud of her for going through the challenges of army training and enjoying it.”

Chloe fought to have the weekend off for Sherene’s passing-out parade, while Sherene got to watch her daughter pass out weeks later.

Sherene said: “It’s very different from watching your daughter graduate from university. We’ve completed training so close together that we both have a unique mother daughter bond that not many people get to have.”

Over 5,000 family members watched  as their loved ones graduated and marched on the parade square showing the skills they had learned over the past year.

Also graduating was 17-year-old Junior Soldier Madalyn Laycock, from Goole, Yorkshire. Madalyn’s dad, Captain Graham Laycock, an instructor at AFC, watched as his daughter passed out from the same college where he trained to become a soldier 26 years earlier.

Madalyn, who wants to be a Combat Medical Technician with Royal Army Medical Services said: “My father is currently serving as a captain here.

"I was the same age when I joined the Army and was also a member of Waterloo Company at the Army Foundation College."

Captain Graham Laycock, Army Foundation College Harrogate

“I’ve always lived as a military child, so I had an insight into what army life was like and started researching it.”

Graham said: “This experience has been one of the most emotional and rewarding experiences of my life.

“I was the same age when I joined the Army and was also a member of Waterloo Company at the Army Foundation College.

“I’ve loved watching her grow so quickly into a stronger person, full of confidence. She’s not following my path, we simply started at the same place, she’s carving out her own, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

Wesley Jefferson-Hallet, aged 16, led the parade after being named Junior Regimental Sergeant Major.

Senior Inspecting Officer on the day was Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Roly Walker, with former England football manager Sir Gareth Southgate guest of honour.

The college offers training to two cohorts of Junior Soldiers per year. Candidates will embark on either a 49-week course or a shorter 23-week course.

For more information, resources, and how to join junior training at AFC Harrogate click here.

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