205 Army Cadet Unit - Mudgee

26/08/2026

*** 3RD WEEK OF SPECIAL FORCES CHALLENGES ***
Week Three of the 205 ACU Special Forces Challenge saw our teams tackle Grid references & Intelligence, with activities designed to test navigation, observation, communication and problem-solving skills.
Grid Coordinates – locating hidden checkpoints and retrieving information.
Ciphers & Puzzles – racing against the clock to crack codes, solve puzzles and decipher hidden messages.
Radio Communications – identifying what information was operationally important and separating key details from everything else.
WEEK 3 RESULTS
Titans – 19 points
Vipers – 17 points
Phantom – 14 points
And those results have tightened up our overall competition!
OVERALL LEADERBOARD – AFTER WEEK 3
Vipers – 75 points (58 + 17)
Titans – 70 points (51 + 19)
Phantom – 55 points (41 + 14)
The Vipers are still holding the lead, but the Titans have closed the gap to just five points, while Phantom still have plenty of opportunities to make their move.
Three weeks down... and the Special Forces Challenge is definitely not over yet with one week to go!

14/08/2026

205 ACU is set up and ready to take your orders at Bunnings Mudgee.

Come down and visit us for a chat and a snag.

14/08/2026

**** Bunnings Sausage Sizzle – Saturday 15 August ****

205 Army Cadet Unit Mudgee will be at Bunnings Warehouse Mudgee this Saturday, 15 August, for our fundraising sausage sizzle!
Come along, grab a snag and a drink and help support your local cadet unit. Funds raised will assist with activities and opportunities for our cadets.
We’ll also be happy to have a chat with anyone interested in finding out more about the Australian Army Cadets and what’s involved in joining 205 ACU Mudgee.
DATE: Saturday 15 August 2026
TIME: 8:00 am – 2:30 pm
LOCATION: Bunnings Warehouse Mudgee
We’d love to see you there — stop by, say hello and support our cadets!
205 ACU Mudgee

11/08/2026

*** Recognising Commitment, Leadership and Achievement ***

Last night we had the pleasure of recognising three of our cadets for their commitment to developing their leadership and instructional skills during the recent promotion and instructor courses held at Lone Pine Barracks, Singleton.

CDTLCPL Tate, Menzies C and Menzies B successfully completed the Cadet Corporal Course and Basic Instructor Course.

We are incredibly proud of all three cadets for giving up part of their school holidays to invest in their own development. Every course attended builds experience, resilience, confidence and leadership skills that strengthen both the individual cadet and our unit.

The evening was made even more special as we were also able to recognise CDTLCPL GATLAND, presenting her with a Corporal rank slide and formally promoting her to CDTCPL.

Promotion is an important milestone and reflects not only the successful completion of the required training, but also the opportunity to step into greater responsibility and leadership within the unit.

Congratulations to all three cadets on their achievements, and a special congratulations to our newest Cadet Corporal!

11/08/2026

*** SPECIAL FORCES CHALLENGE – WEEK 2***
This week, our 205 ACU Special Forces Challenge continued with three activities designed to put our cadets’ teamwork, observation, memory and problem-solving skills to the test.
BUILD A GHILLIE SUIT
Using old DPCU uniforms and camouflage materials, teams worked together under the guidance of one of our DAHs (Defence Approved Helpers) to create their own team ghillie suits. So, apparently, we no longer have to be jealous of Sinclair’s ghillie suit!
Beyond the creativity, the activity reinforced the principles of camouflage and concealment.
HIDDEN OBJECT CHALLENGE
2LT Whale led the activity of four hidden objects around the designated area.
Sounds easy? It wasn't!
Teams had 10 minutes to find all four, and they were hidden so well that most teams needed almost every minute. If you look carefully through the photos, you might even spot one of the hidden objects up the flagpole!
The challenge encouraged cadets to systematically scan their surroundings, recognise things that were out of place, maintain situational awareness and communicate their observations with the rest of their team.
MEMORY & OBSERVATION CHALLENGE
2LT Hanman placed 20 different objects on a table and gave the cadets just 30 seconds to study them before covering everything with a tarp.
Then came the distraction…
The cadets listened very intently to an entirely unrelated — but obviously fascinating — story before suddenly being asked:
“Okay… what was under the tarp?”
Teams then worked together to recall as many of the 20 objects as possible. The activity highlighted the importance of observation, attention to detail and accurate recall, particularly when information needs to be retained despite distractions.
It was definitely Team Titan's night, taking out all three challenges and earning an additional 5 points for their strategy during the Memory Challenge.
Week 2 points:
Titan – 44
Viper – 28
Phantom – 26
OVERALL LEADERBOARD – AFTER WEEK 2
🥇 TEAM VIPER – 58 points
🥈 TEAM TITAN – 51 points
🥉 TEAM PHANTOM – 41 points
What a difference one week can make! Titan has jumped from third place to just 7 points behind Viper, while Phantom remains very much in the competition.
Two challenge weeks remain, and with points awarded for teamwork, participation and performance, this competition is far from over!
Who will take the lead after our next Special Forces Challenge?

04/08/2026

*** Recognising commitment and leadership ***

Last night we had the pleasure of recognising three of our cadets for their commitment to developing their leadership and instructional skills during the recent promotion and instructor courses held at Lone Pine Barracks, Singleton.

CDTCPL Mason successfully completed the Advanced Instructor Course.
CDTLCPL Gatland successfully completed the Cadet Corporal Course and Basic Instructor Course.
CDT Summers attended the Cadet Corporal Course and Basic Instructor Course.
We are incredibly proud of all three cadets for giving up their holiday time to invest in their own development and demonstrating commitment to learning. Every course attended builds experience, resilience and confidence that strengthens both the individual and our unit.
Congratulations to you all!
We have a few more certificates to present next week to cadets who were unable to attend last night's parade.

04/08/2026

We're very proud of CDTLCPL Gatland from 205 Army Cadet Unit - Mudgee, who spent the weekend as a visiting instructor supporting the Lance Corporal Course at 235 Army Cadet Unit - Dubbo

Stepping into an instructional role is a great achievement and reflects the confidence, leadership and knowledge she's developed as a cadet. By planning, instructing and mentoring the next group of junior leaders, CDTLCPL Gatland not only shared her knowledge but also continued to grow as a leader herself.

Well done, CDTLCPL Gatland! Thank you for representing 205 Army Cadet Unit - Mudgee with professionalism and for helping inspire the next generation of Lance Corporals.

30/07/2026

29/07/2026

*** 205 ACU Special Forces Challenge Begins! ***

This week our cadets kicked off the first round of the 205 ACU Special Forces Challenge.

Working in mixed teams rather than their usual Core groups, cadets completed a series of 3 x 10-minute challenge rotations designed to build teamwork, communication, leadership and problem-solving skills. Mixing cadets of different ages, experience levels and ranks encouraged everyone to support one another and work together towards a common goal.

This week's challenges were directly linked to the MIL (Military Knowledge and Skills) stream of the Cadet Development Continuum (CDC), specifically the ropework lessons, giving cadets the opportunity to put their knot-tying and pioneering skills into practice in a fun and engaging way.

Congratulations to our teams – Vipers, Phantoms and Titans – for their enthusiasm and teamwork!

The Special Forces Challenge will continue in a fortnight, when cadets take on the next set of exciting challenges. We can't wait to see what they achieve next!

13/07/2026

On 30 June, 205 ACU Mudgee welcomed parents and carers to our end-of-term information evening. This provided a great opportunity for families to hear directly from our cadets about what they had learnt throughout Term 2, while our staff gave an overview of the training and activities planned for Term 3.

Our cadets did a fantastic job leading the discussions, confidently sharing their experiences and knowledge from the term. Topics included:
* ANZAC Day commemorations
* Survival in the field, including shelter construction
* Field rations
* Camouflage and concealment
* Fieldcraft skills
* Ropework and knots
* Our bivouac at Warrumbungle National Park
* Drill and ceremonial skills

It was wonderful to see the confidence our cadets continue to develop and the pride they took in presenting to their families.

A big thank you to all of the parents and carers who attended the evening and continue to support our unit. Your encouragement and involvement make a real difference to our cadets.

We would also like to congratulate the many cadets who have recently attended promotion courses during the school holidays. They have given up part of their holiday break to further develop their leadership skills. We look forward to hearing all about their experiences once everyone has returned from the holidays and will share more about their achievements then.

We hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the school holidays, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting term of learning, leadership and adventure in Term 3.