REMEMBRANCE
DAY SERVICE
…Shaune
Gray, Dana Winkler, Lenny Galbraith
Printed in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald November 1990 (actual date unknown)
CADET
CORPS MAINTAINS TRADITION
Almost
90 years ago,
Moose
Jaw
public school board was interested in giving rifles to it’s high school
students. The government agreed it was a good idea, and the first Cadet Corp
was formed in 1904. Except for an 11-year break caused by tight finances and
“a wave of pacifism” in the 1930s, cadet training has continued ever
since in
Moose
Jaw
.
And the proud tradition was reaffirmed Thursday during the Annual Inspection
for the 1856 Schools Cadet Corp. More than 30 cadets between the ages of 12
and 19 paraded inside the Armoury, displaying gymnastic and first aid skills
along with small arms proficiency. The snappy salutes, precision marching
and youthful dedication to duty impressed reviewing officer Col. Hugh
Cunningham, cadet boss for much of
Western
Canada
.
“If the rest of
Canada
’s
youth is as good as the people you see in front of you,” he told assembled
parents and relatives, “then the future of our country is very secure
indeed.” He said military and political leaders appreciate the importance
of the Cadet Corp so much that, if there were just 50 cents left in the
defence budget, the cadets would get 49 cents of it. Though only a handful
of the 32 cadets were young women, one of them – Marcia Thompson – was
named as the Legion Medal of Merit award winner. Other awards included:
-
School
participation award to St. Agnes;
-
Commanding
Officers awards to Kevin Klassen, Jay Hastings, Chad Waughtal and Lamont
Dyck;
-
Best
in the Fields to Joe Heilman;
-
Perfect
attendance to Marcia Thompson, Pat Gilbeault, Kevin Klassen, Crystal Daschuk,
and Frederic Dery;
-
Best
Dressed Cadet to Dave Swanson.
Along
with high-ranking dignitaries, seven former commanding officers of the Cadet
Corp watched over the annual inspection.
Printed
in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald
May 11, 1990
COUNTRY’S
FUTURE IS BRIGHT WITH CADETS’ COMMITMENT
The
commitment shown by cadets of No. 1856 Moose Jaw Schools Cadet Corps speaks
well for the future, the annual inspection ceremony was held last week.
Inspecting officer Col. Hugh Cunningham, deputy chief of staff of
regional operations, said anyone can dress and learn the drills of a cadet
but he could sense the maturity and dedication they possessed as he spoke to
each one.
“If the rest of the youth were like this, the future of the nation
would be secure,” he said. “The
commitment of the cadets is an essential item to the future.
It provides the ability to meet challenges that they will meet as
they travel life’s path. And
they will always have what they have learned, the skills and friends they
have obtained,” Cunningham said.
He
said he enjoyed the professional demonstrations and the cadet’s
outstanding dress. He
appreciated the use of both the Canadian official languages as cadets
performed various training demonstrations.
Four cadets demonstrated the fieldstripping of a rifle, including a
safety check, and a series of demonstrations from taking out the magazine to
taking out the gas rod and spring. Pieces
were arranged in order so they could reassemble the weapon in the dark.
A
sample of physical training included jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups.
During a first aid display, a cadet went through the procedures of
surveys such as asking for help from others who knew first aid, searching
for injuries, and checking for life signs.
Steps were explained in both English and French.
The message was that an accident or illness could happen at any time,
anywhere, to anyone, including a loved one, and that is why persons should
learn the initial level of first aid.
Warrant Officer Lamont Dyck described the army cadet training.
“It teaches field craft in the bush such as making fire and using
maps and compasses. The
fundamental training consists of learning the history of the Canadian flag,
when to salute, etc. We learn
drills and steps of first aid. Later
we learn the essentials of leadership,” he said.
Dyck
is the second of the 1856 Corps to be accepted to attend an outward-bound
camp for a six-week course for rock climbing in
Wales
and
England
.
Dyck is one of the top 10 cadets in
Canada
.
During the awards ceremony, Master Warrant Officer Marcie Thompson
was named the best cadet in the corps. She
also won an award for perfect attendance.
Best
cadet in the field was Jerry Heilman. Best-dressed
cadet was Sgt David Swanson. School
Participation award went to Cadet Crystal Daschuck of St. Agnes.
She is the only student from this school in the corps but she was
present 100 percent of the time. Commanding
officer’s awards went to Sgt Kirby Larivierre; Level Green:
Cadet Kevin Klassen; Red: Cpl
Jay Hastings, Gold: WO Lamont
Dyck. Other perfect attendance
awards went to Cadet Pat Gilbeault, Cadet Kevin Klassen, Cadet Crystal
Daschuck and Cpl Frederick Dery.
Printed Moose Jaw This
Week
May 15,1990
NEW
SCHOLARSHIP FOR CADETS
Members of
Moose Jaw
’s cadet corps can set
their sights on a new scholarship created Monday by city council.
The decision to set up the Snowbird Scholarship came at the
recommendation of Coun. Brian Swanson.
“It’s
an appropriate way to recognize the important role of the (CFB Moose Jaw)
base, and promote the Snowbirds, Swanson said.
Council set aside $5000 from the capital fund to create the
scholarship. The scholarship –
equivalent to 75 percent of the interest- will be awarded to “the most
worthy Grade 12 graduate who is a member of the local army, air or sea cadet
organization.
Coun.
Jim Johnson opposed the scholarship, saying the precision flying team is
already well known. “I’m not
certain that setting up a scholarship is going to contribute to the
recognition of the Snowbirds,” Johnson said.
He also worried council could be setting a
precedent, which might lead other groups to ask for scholarships.
Printed
in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald on
June 12,1990
CADET
SELECTED FOR OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOL CLASS IN
WALES
Lamont
Dyck of Vanier Collegiate is the cream of the crop in the Army Cadets.
Dyck is one of 10 cadets from 25,000 in
Canada
selected to attend the
Outward
Bound
School
in the British-Canadian exchange program in
Wales
.
Dyck will attend the original Outward Bound camp in Towyn,
Wales
this summer for leadership skills training.
As an Outward Bound
student, he will literally climb to the top, with rigorous training in water
activities, hiking and mountaineering. In
his fifth year of Army Cadets, Dyck is happy he listened to his father’s
encouragement when he first joined the cadets.
“My father said: ‘Try
it.’ The first couple of months were boring.
I felt out of place. Dyck
says, cadets showed a purpose after a while and recommends anyone “check
it out to see if it’s for them.”
Following a rigorous course last summer at
Banff
in hiking, rock climbing and whitewater canoeing, his training officer, Lyle
Johnson asked him to apply for the Outward Bound leadership course.
When the Grade 11 Vanier student gets out of school, he will go to
Camp
Petawawa
, Ont., for a week for preparation training in the outdoor activities for
the
Wales
course. “The people from
Outward Bound told me you’ve got to be in top physical shape to be there.
“And,” he grins,
“We’ll be representing
Canada
there and if we don’t do as well as the British, it’ll show, so we have
to be a little bit better.” Dyck
has loved the outdoors since he was a youngster roaming the
Souris
Valley
River basin
at Estevan. Mountaineering is
his favorite and one he wants to pursue in the instructor’s course at
Canmore near
Banff
after graduation. Mountain
climbing is just a real thrill, he said.
“If it’s just an easy climb, it’s nothing.
If it’s hard, especially if the rocks jut out, it’s a thrill.
It’s hard to describe. Your
heart starts thumping. You get
excited. Your palms get sweaty.
When you sink two baskets, you can’t rewind the whole thing again.
When you get in top of the rock, you can look to where you’ve come
and say: I did it.”
Dyck plans university
studies involving the environment or physical engineering.
“My dream is to go around the world lecturing to young people about
(preserving) the environment.” He
said his environment –consciousness comes from his parents.
“We were never into it, but we did things like save plastic bags,
washing them and using them over.”
Johnson, his training
officer, says: “To go to the
Outward
Bound
School
is a very prestigious thing."” Johnson said the school is physically
demanding with training in hiking, water activities and mountain climbing.
“It really builds self-confidence and self-initiative.” The trip
includes a tour of
Great Britain
. Johnson said this is only the
second time in 25 years a
Moose Jaw
cadet has been chosen for the award in 25 years.
Bev Therien was chosen in the 1960s.
Johnson was chosen to be an
officer at the school, but a motorcycle accident injury kept him from
attending. He said Dyck
qualified for the
Wales
’ course at the leadership course in
Banff
last summer and through his academic work.
The leadership course stresses a show in initiative, good attitude to
cadets, leadership skills with particular emphasis on co-operating skills.
There are two Outward Bound Schools in
Canada
, one in
Ontario
and one at
Keremeos
,
BC
Printed
Moose Jaw This Week
June 22, 1990
MOOSE
JAW CADET LEARNING SMALL BORE TECHNIQUES
Cadet
Frederic Dery of
Moose
Jaw
is attending the Royal Canadian Army Cadet small-bore rifle instructor
course at Winnipeg Cadet Camp, Kapyong Barracks.
Cadets in the course learn instructional techniques and marksmanship
skills and complement the course with fitness classes like swimming and
callisthenics.
Cadets will spend three
days at CFB Shilo firing large bore rifles and touring.
Dery’s day
starts at
6 a.m.
with wake-up call,
physical education, showering, bunk making and breakfast, followed by light
hours of classes to
4:15 p.m.
Supervised
recreation activities follow supper. Free
time for laundry, canteen visits and uniform work is from
7:30 p.m.
to
10:00 p.m.
Lights are out at
10 p.m.
Not
all is work. Cadets on the
course tour the
Western
Aviation
Museum
, Man and
Nature
Museum
, Portage Air Show, Lower
Fort Garry site and visit the
Winnipeg
Beach
.
Printed in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald on
July 27,1990
LOCAL
TEEN AT CADET CAMPS
Royal
Canadian Army Cadet F. Dery of Moose Jaw, Sask who is a member of the 1856
Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, is presently attending the six-week cadet
small bore rifle instructor course at the Winnipeg Cadet (Kapyong Barracks,
Winnipeg). Cadet Dery, along with the other members of the course, will
spend a large amount of his time learning instructional techniques and
marksmanship skills.
The
cadets will also do a variety of fitness activities from swimming to upper
body calisthenics. During his spare time, Cadet Dery and his co-horts will
tour local attractions such as the
Western
Aviation
Museum
,
Man and
Nature
Museum
,
Portage Air show, Lower Fort Garry and the Forks. The time is well spent
with educational and historical tours. There will also be a day spent at
Winnipeg
Beach
enjoying the water.
During
this course, the cadets will spend a period of three days at Canadian Forces
Base Shilo firing large bore rifles and touring facilities. This trip will
be one of the highlights of their stay at the
Winnipeg
cadet camp. The cadets are instructed and supervised by staff cadets and
cadet instructor list officers with a few regular force staff assisting. The
staff cadets come from cadet corps throughout the prairie region (
Western
Canada
and North Western Ontario).
Cadet
Dery’s day starts at 0600 hrs with wake-up, followed by physical
education, showering, bunk making and breakfast. With all this behind him,
the rest of the day is filled with eight classes until 1615 hrs. After
supper, Cadet Dery and the other members of the course take part in planned
physical and recreational activities which are of interest to teens. These
activities are supervised by staff cadets and officers. From 1930 hrs to
2200 hrs the cadets have free time in which to visit the canteen, work on
uniforms, do laundry, and visit with other course members. At 2200 hrs, it
is lights out for another day.
The
Winnipeg
cadet camp, which Cadet Dery is attending, is a microcosm of today’s
Canadian society – although the one difference is that our teens seek
discipline and a sense of order in their lives. Cadet Dery will be exposed
to the principle aims of the Canadian Cadet Movement while at the
Winnipeg
cadet camp. The aims are citizenship, fitness and leadership.
We
hope that through this unique training at the
Winnipeg
cadet camp, the teens who pass through our hands will be better equipped to
take their place in Canadian society as responsible citizens. It all happens
at the
Winnipeg
cadet camp to Dery and his friends.
Printed
in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald,
July 28, 1990
MOOSE
JAW CADET HONORED
VERNON
,
BC
– Seventeen year old
Moose Jaw
army cadet Chad Nashiem of 1856 Royal Canadian Army Cadets received a
Commanding Officer Commendation at Vernon Cadet Camp from Canadian Forces
Communication Commander, Brig – Gen Donald Banks at the final graduation
parade Aug 16.
Nashiem was first on the
scene when a motor vehicle with four cadets and an officer rolled on a
gravel road leading to a training area a Vernon Army Cadet Camp.
The certificate signed by Camp Commanding Officer Lt-Col. Michael
Neil credits Nashiem with taking the necessary actions to prevent further
pain and suffering for the victims.
Nashiem was among 135 cadets throughout
Western Canada
employed as camp staff during the six week summer camp that instructs junior
cadets in such subjects as outdoor survival skills, leadership, problem
solving, rock climbing, map using, firearms safety, technique of
instruction, and other cadet subjects like drill, dress, deportment and
band.
Employed as a station supervisor on the
confidence course, he was concerned with ensuring harnesses and ropes were
properly fastened while cadets learned rock climbing.
Printed in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald
29 Aug, 1990
CADET
MOVEMENT PLOTTED IN RECONNAISSANCE
MISSION
Saskatchewan
Dragoons completed the last four exercises in reconnaissance at Dundurn
recently. About 40 army cadets
accompanied dragoons from
Moose
Jaw
and SwiftCurrent. “The cadets
were there as ‘enemy forces’ for the exercise.” Said Sgt. Terry
Bittles, Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant and information officer for the
Dragoons.
Since the role of the
Dragoons is reconnaissance, members have been training with the use if
weapons, communications and navigation.
“A recce unit is responsible for going into enemy territory and
reporting on enemy strength, weaponry and direction of movement,” Bittles
said.
Each troop is made up of 21
men and seven vehicles. At
times, it becomes necessary to move on foot.
“We have to be able to reach our target unnoticed and report on
what we find,” Bittles said. Over
the weekend the Dragoons were doing just that.
They were assigned patrols to spot the cadets and report on movement.
Cadets
placed themselves along the patrol routes in ambush settings and also made
raids on Dragoons’ Headquarters. “The
cadets were successful a couple of times,” Bittles said.
“They ran all over our headquarters on one raid.”
Cadets were also there to learn.
“They have no idea what is going on, but they listened well and
followed the orders,” Bittles said.
Each
person in a troop must be able to handle the communication equipment, be
able to find his way around on the ground and be able to handle weapons
properly. “With new technology
we can now use satellites for communications; laser radar to detect enemy
movement on the ground and can direct an air attack or recce from the
ground,” Bittles said.
While all the activity on
exercise may seem dangerous, it is not.
“Safety is the number one priority on exercise,” Bittles said.
All ammunition used was blank and the cadets brought their own
weapons. “We cannot provide
training weapons for the cadets,” Bittles said.
“They brought their own to the exercise.”
Dragoons are entering a
lull in training that will allow them to go over the basics in
communications and weapons. “Our
next field exercise will be in winter indoctrination in January,” Bittles
said. Training for the Dragoons
is to prepare them for the day when they may be asked to fill in for regular
army personnel. “We train to
the extent that, if needed, we will be able to work for the regular
forces,” Bittles said.
Printed
Moose Jaw This Week on
November 6, 1990
1991
NOT A FLAW
Cdt
Sgt. Chad Waughtal stands at attention as Major H. Sobchyshyn CD conducts an
inspection of him and the rest of the 1856 Moose Jaw School Cadet Corps at
the LCol D.V. Currie VC Armoury Friday.
Waughtal was presented the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of
Excellence, an award which only six cadets in
Saskatchewan
have the honor of receiving each year. Waughtal
is the first cadet from the 1856 Corps who has received this award.
Printed
in
Moose Jaw
Times Herald on
May 11,1991
LEARNING MIXED WITH
FUN
DONNISON
HELPS BUILD CONFIDENCE, SELF-ESTEEM IN CADETS
Cadets
is one of the most recognized organizations in
Canada
with more than 17,000
officer alone. When dealing with
such a large group it is hard to think of individual achievements but when
Tony Donnison of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in
Moose Jaw
thinks of his 37 cadets,
that is exactly what comes to mind.
“It
has been very satisfying over the last 14 years working with youth to help
develop their instincts,” Donnison said.
Individual accomplishments mean quite a bit to Donnison when it comes
to “his kids”.
“My
job gives me extreme pleasure, even if it just saves one child from feeling
miserable or terrible about themselves.
To be a cadet we have a motto,’Esprit de Corps’, be proud of
everything that you do. Many
youth today have low-esteem and little or no confidence, he said.
Donnison thinks any youth could benefit from joining cadets.
It builds self-confidence and esteem and gives leadership and
independence skills, he said.
“Pretty
soon you are away from your mother’s apron strings you have to know how to
survive. We try and let the
cadets do their own teaching and learning.
It gives them that leadership quality that we need in our young
people today: independence.
He
said cadets also have fun. “Some
practice nights can get like school, yet the weekend exercises totally
overthrow that notion. If you
want to have a lot of good fun, then stick it out.”
In the summer the cadet corps held camps, exchange programs and
camping trips. In the winter
cadets cross-country and down hill ski, build igloos and snow fences.
At the end of the day a snowball fight always starts and of course
the leaders have to get involved.
Donnison
said one of the most exciting fringe benefits of cadets is the chance to
travel overseas. Even at the age
of 17 cadets have the opportunity to go to
Germany
,
England
and
Wales
.
The fun is endless but you do have to work for it, he said.
“To get the best chance of going on all the trips and getting all
the privileges is to attend 90 per cent of all practices, have good academic
skills at school and in the corps, pass all exams, then you have to be
recommended by me.
“A
lot of children don’t have the opportunity to even get out of
Moose Jaw
, whereas we can take
them, at little or no cost to their parents.”
There is no cost to the parents with government funding equipment,
uniforms and ammunition. The
rest of the money comes from fund raising.
“I
go to garage sales and pick up things cheap.
The cadets got 30 pairs of cross-country skis last year because of my
stinginess. This year I went to
schools, begged, borrowed and pleaded for used computers, and I got enough
to set up a course which two of my senior cadets, who are complete whizzes
with computers, will be running.
Yet
another one of the cadet activities is going on recruiting drives.
Every September and January they will be found in the mall and around
Moose Jaw
finding more youths to
join. Interested person can call
692-6989 for sea cadets; 692-0551 for army cadets; or 692-7707 for air
cadets.
Printed
Moose Jaw This Week
September
3,1991
1992
CITY
CADET EARNS TRI-SERVICE SPOT FOR BIATHLON
Jay
Hastings was 11-years-old when he had one of those parent-child disputes.
“My mom put me in army cadets and I didn’t want to go.
The first time we went to cadets I was arguing with her all the way
down.”
She said: “you’re
going, you’re going, and I said: No, I’m not, No, I’m not.”
At first, says Hastings, now a grade 10 student at Vanier Collegiate,
he didn’t like cadets because others who joined with him were getting
promotions and he wasn’t “Then
I went to camp and did well” and caught up.
Last week,
Hastings
placed second out of 300 biathlon competitors at a tri-services (army, air
and sea) cadet camp in
Camp
Dundurn
. The second place earned him a
chance to compete in the national tri-cadet biathlon at
Camp Petawawa
Ontario
.
Competitors skied
cross-country on an 8.4 kilometer route, doing laps on a 2.4 kilometer
course through bush, hilly terrain and firing five shots at each target
after each lap. If one target
was missed, they had to do a penalty lap. ”I didn’t have to do any
penalty laps.”
He has competed in the
biathlon ever since it was introduced to cadets’ five years ago.
They said: ”You’re going to get a lot of cross-country skiing and
you get to shoot a rifle. I
think that drew me in.” Today,
he enjoys everything about cadets, the drills, going out in the weekend,
dressing in combats, and the map and compass” expeditions.
He is training to become a leader, instructing other cadets, and may
instruct at on e of the many summer camps across
Canada
. “I like it but I don’t
want to do this for the rest of my life.
(He plans to attend university.)
He was captain of the fifth place team in the biathlon.
Other team members are Jason Loke, Crystal Daschuk, Keith Foord and
Denis Deschamps.
Printed
Moose Jaw
This Week Feb.25, 1992
THIS
CADET IS A REAL STAR
Sgt
Crystal Daschuk of
Moose Jaw
is a “gold star”
army cadet. Forty-six cadets
from across the province descended upon
Moose Jaw
recently to take their
nationally set tests to win their gold stars.
With an average mark pf 91.8 Daschuk received the highest mark in the
province for her gold star.
Daschuk
says she was “shocked” at how well she placed.
“I’ve been studying hard for the test for ages and I thought I
might place in the top 10 if I was lucky.
After all, she said,” I knew those I would be competing against.
I guess it all depended on how much they studied.
Cadets’
train at four levels to get their green, red, and silver stars, then
finally, their gold star, says Lyle Johnson.
“
Crystal
received the highest
mark and therefore won the top award, the Armstrong Trophy.
Daschuk received her trophy and award at the graduation parade at CFB
Moose Jaw recently from reviewing officer and base commander Col. Terry
Humphries.
CRYSTAL
DASCHUK
"Crystal
can now choose just where she wants to attend summer camp this year – a
leadership and challenge course at Banff or the Maple Leaf Exchange program
in England,” Johnson said.
LYLE
JOHNSON
“I’ve
applied for the Maple Leaf program in
England
,” Daschuk said.
“I’ve also put in for
Banff
.”
At
Banff
she would know a few of the cadets whereas in
England
she won’t known
anyone. “But the Maple Leaf is
a good program and I would get to see the country.”
Daschuk
has been with the army cadets for four years now and can stay on until she
graduates. She got into cadets
as something to do. “It was
really hard the first two weeks but it kept getting more and more
interesting. “ She plans to
attend military college afterwards.
To
win this award Daschuk had to give lectures, write exams about fundamental
training, methods of instruction, map use and practical tests in small arms
firing. “Basically this is our
senior year in cadets.” And
she said, all fourth year cadets get gold stars.
Other
Moose Jaw
cadets receiving gold
stars this year were Sergeants Jay Hastings, Keith Foord, Christian Morris,
and Warrant Officer Kevin Lariviere.
Printed
in The
Moose
Jaw
Times Herald on
April
30,1992
ARMY
CADET HONOR THEIR FINEST
White-water
rafting, mountain climbing, rock climbing, rappeling and target shooting
should be enough for any teenager. But
no, after having lots of fun at the Royal Canadian Army Cadet summer camp,
Master Warrant Officer Crystal Daschuk scooped up three awards at the Moose
Jaw Schools Cadet Corps Annual Inspection Friday.
She picked up the Gold Star Award for the best cadet in the fourth
level of training, the award for the best female target shooter and the
Royal Canadian Legion Medal of Excellence.
The Legion medal is the
most prestigious provincial army cadet award.
A maximum of six are awarded each year, based on the cadet’s
achievements, extra- curricular activities and involvement with the corps.
A few weeks ago Daschuk won the award for the top cadet in the
province after receiving 91.8 per cent in the gold star test.
During the annual
inspection attended by 100-or-so people, not only did 10 cadets receive
awards but the corps as a whole, received praise from reviewing officer Maj.
Brad Hrycyna, from Saskatchewan District Headquarters.
“I’m very impressed with your dress and deportment,” he said.
“Your drill is very good especially that of the drill team.
Well done.” The
precisely timed 4 minute 50 second drill went well.
During the routine, which involved 120 beats a minute – for a total
of 580 beats – not a beat was missed.
“Your
displays show initiative and imagination,” Hrycyna added.
These displays covered everything from first aid to camping to the
corps’ history. Hrycyna said
much of the credit for the corps’ performance is due to the staff.
“You’ve obviously been well prepared by the staff.”
He encouraged the cadets to join the Royal Cadet Army Corps’ summer
camps to have a good time and learn useful skills.
Master Warrant Officer
Kirby Lariviere won the Commanding Officer’s trophy for his dedication and
contributions to the corps. This
is the third year in a row he has received it, setting a record for the
corps. This is the seventh year
the 18-year-old has been in the cadets and hopes to become a regular member
of the armoured corps. “I like
going to the camps, meeting new people and going on exercises.”
Warrant
Officer Jay Hastings picked up the Strathcona Trust Award, for receiving the
most benefit from involvement in the army cadet program, and the award for
the top male target shooter.
Lance Cpl. John Lalonde and
Warrant Officer Christian Morris received awards for being the top cadets in
the field exercises. The top
attendance award went to Lance Cpl Peter Harris from
William
Grayson
School
, who only missed one meeting because of the chicken pox.
Cadet Joey Muise won the Green Star for being the best cadet in the
first year of training. Cpl Kris
Lesniewski earned the Red Star for being the top cadet in the second level
of training.
Cpl Kevin Klassen received
the Silver Star for being the most proficient cadet in the third level of
training. Gold Star certificates
were given to cadets who passed a weeklong series of tests including written
exams, practical exams and tests of teaching ability.
Master Warrant Officers Daschuk and Lariviere, Warrant Officers
Hastings and Morris and Master Corporal Keith Ford received these
certificates.
Printed Moos Jaw Times
Herald
May 19,1992
GOLD
STAR CADET
PERHAPS
FIRST FEMALE SNOWBIRD
TOP
ARMY CADET IN SASK. WANTS ARMED FORCES CAREER AS A PILOT
Saskatchewan
’s
top Army Cadet instructor has her eyes set on a career in the skies –
perhaps as the first female member of the Snowbirds. Crystal Daschuk of
Moose
Jaw
who just recently earned the title of a gold star army cadet over 45 of the
best in the province knows that a goal is a tall order. “I know it
wouldn’t be easy,” says grade 10 Peacock student. “The big thing is:
Oh yeah, you’re a girl. You can’t do that.” She has faced and beaten
that attitude already. That kind of patronizing attitude does not bother her
because “it comes with the uniform.” “On these gold tests, we had to
do a physical test. We had to run four miles,
do sit-ups, push-ups and stuff. I beat most of the guys, except in running I
beat half of the guys. Some will act like jerks about it, saying you can’t
do
it and you have to show them up. Then there are the guys who know you can do
it.”
When
she graduates, she plans to attend a military college, get a degree, perhaps
in oceanography, join the forces and become a pilot. “With all the
military cutbacks and everything, you’ve got to be really good to get into
the military now.” She has a special motivation to become a pilot. Her
father, Serge Pilote, now posted to
Europe
,
was a member of the 1987-88 Snowbirds’ ground crew. “They used to come
to the house all the time. They still do. They’re great guys.”
Joining
army cadets just before she turned 12 on a suggestion from her mother was
hard but she has no regrets. “It’s what you make of it. If you’re
going there Thursdays just to put something on your resume, of course,
it’s going to be boring.” Aside from broomball, she does no other
activities “except for anything to do with cadets.” She is a member of
the Drill team and the biathlon team and also volunteered for the shooting
team but not enough others were interested. In her tests at Canadian Forces
Base Moose jaw for the coveted gold star instructor badge, she averaged 91.8
percent and qualified as
Saskatchewan
’s
candidate for the Maj. Gen Howard award for the best gold star army cadet in
the pacific region. Tests included master of instruction, field crafting and
firearms, map and compass, map and compass practical and a practical lecture
in drill. She credits former cadet Chris Ehman with teaching her about map
and compass.
On
the school honor roll last year, her marks have “kind of slipped” to
74-75 percent – a result, she says, of studying too much for the gold
star. Winning the gold star means she can instruct at summer camp again,
“if I want to.” She has applied for three learning situations – The
Outward Bound mountaineering camp in
Wales
,
the Maple Leaf British cadet camp in
Europe
and the cadet camp at
Banff
,
Alta. “I like to be doing something. I like drama the best of all my
subjects because you get to participate. You don’t have to sit around and
listen to some boring teacher and fall asleep.”
Printed in the
Moose Jaw
This Week, May 1992
1993
CITY
CADETS EARN GOLD STARS
Four more cadets in the
1856 Moose Jaw School Cadet Corps are sporting gold stars on their sleeves
– and placed high to earn them. Out
of 45
Saskatchewan
cadets completing the week-long Gold Star course at 15 Wing
Moose Jaw
, Ryan Kingston was third; Gerry Heilman, 12th; John Namcarrow, 15th;
and Mike Yorkston, 16th.
Gold stars indicate cadets
have passed a course allowing them to instruct other cadets in their unit.
“They test you on the basics from map and compass to field
craft,” say Heilman. “We
have a class lecture where we taught other gold stars as practice, and
we’re marked on that,” said
Kingston
. “There was a PT test,”
said Yorkston, “ and to qualify we had to do a four mile run in 32
minutes, 50 push-ups, 10 chin-ups, 40 sit-ups.
We were all in the top five and we passed the push-ups, chin-ups, and
sit-ups.
“Our corps is one of the
best trained corps and (we have) more determination.”
Difficulty during the week”depended upon what you know,” said
Nancarrow,”If you know a lot it’s fairly easy,” Multiple choice
questions made exams a lot easier, said Heilman.
Passing mark at every level of the course was 70 per cent.
Many of the cadets stay up
at night preparing uniforms and studying Nancarrow said.
Some nights. It was “more like
two o’clock
“ until bedtime.
Kingston
said the long days,
7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
, were hardest.
“You sit down right after breakfast and they give you the tests and
automatically the sweat starts to pour.”
Two of the four cadets plan to take advantage of the gold star
benefit – a wide choice of summer cadet camps.
Yorkston
plans on parachutist training at Petawawa in pursuit of a goal to join
Canada
’s
First Airborne.
Kingston
plans on attending cadet camp at
Banff
.
Nancarrow plans on attending militia basic training camp.
Heilman is moving to
British
Columbia
.
Printed Moose Jaw This Week
May 4,1993
CADET
INSPECTION CAPS YEAR OF HARD WORK
For
Moose
Jaw
army cadets the annual inspection and parade is a satisfying culmination of
an entire year of hard work. They
put their training to the test Friday as cadets of 1856 Moose Jaw Schools
Corps went on display at the armoury. Lt.Col
Don Calfas inspected thirty-four cadets between the ages of 12 and 18 years
old in front of more than 100 onlookers.
“This is something the cadets aim towards during the course of the
year,” said training officer Lyle Johnson.
They have been working towards this event exclusively for the last
four or five weeks. Johnson said
the cadets know inspection day is their day to shine.
While they also participate in Remembrance Day activities and other
events, inspection is the only time when the cadets are the whole show.
“They
are evaluated for their performance so they really try to put their best
foot forward. They try to do
their best because this is their chance to show their parents and friends
what they have been doing here all winter long.”
The inspection activities and parade help to build self-confidence for
the cadets, Johnson said. And it
gives them a chance to display the art of grace under pressure.
The group parading on Friday performed admirably, Johnson said.
“It went very well. There
were nerves out there. We knew
and they knew it, but they weren’t showing it.
Awards were also given out following the inspection.
Third year cadet Cpl. Dave Harding was named top cadet in the field,
and was also presented with the Commanding Officer’s Award.
To cap it off he was also named top cadet in the third-year class.
First- year cadet Trent
Belisle, was top cadet in his class, as were second-year James Huber, and
fourth-year cadet Ryan Kingston. Sgt. Mike Yorkston was given the top
attendance award.
Printed
Moose Jaw
Times Herald
May 17, 1993
ARMY
CADETS DEMONSTRATE AWARD-WINNING TRAINING
Moose
Jaw Schools Army Cadet Corps pulled a year’s worth of training together
for one night of demonstrations and displays at the annual inspection.
Lieut. -Col. Don Calfas was reviewing officer. Calfas was impressed with the
demonstrations and displays, but especially by what he saw during
inspection. “Your dress and deportment are excellent,” he said. “You
have given me some insight into how a night like this comes together,”
Calfas said. “I’ve watched you train and was not sure you would be ready
– but you were and you have my congratulations.” Cadets performed three
demonstrations for Calfas, parents and guests. The drill team under command
of MWO Jay Hastings was put through paces at the halt, March and for memory.
Four cadets also field stripped their rifles. Two were blindfolded but had
little trouble tearing down and rebuilding the rifles. The third
demonstration took guests outside for a look at what might take place on a
weekend outing – right down to an injury and the proper first aid
techniques.
MOOSE
JAW SCHOOLS CADET CORPS AWARD RECIPIENTS
...standing,
left, WO Ryan
Kingston
, Cpl Dave Harding, Cpl James Huber, Trent
Belisle with Capt. Tony Donnison, commanding officer, seated
Cadet
Trent Belisle received the Green Star Trophy; Trooper James Huber, the Red
Star trophy; Cpl. Dave Harding, the Silver Star trophy; and Sgt. Ryan
Kingston, the Gold Star trophy. Harding won the Commanding Officer’s Award
for leadership, morale and valued contributions to the corps. He also earned
the Top Cadet in the Field award. Moose Jaw Public School Board of Education
attendance award was won by Vanier Collegiate. Awards for perfect attendance
went to
Cadet
Mark Anthony, Cadet Sherry Hastings, Cadet Ashley Stubel, Cpl. Dave Harding,
Cpl. Peter Harris, MCpl. Kris Lesniewski, Sgt. Mike
Yorkston,
WO Keith Foord and MWO Jay Hastings.
Moose Jaw School Cadet Corps commanding officer, Capt. Tony Donnison was
honored at the inspection. Calfas presented Donnison with the Canadian
Decoration (CD) for 12 years of exemplary service.
Promotions
were also announced. MWO Hastings became Chief Warrant Officer Hastings; WO
Foord became MWO Foord; Sgt. Kingston became Warrant Officer Kingston; Sgt.
Yorkston became WO Yorkston; Mcpl. Lesniewski became Sgt. Lesniewski; Mcpl.
Clinton Ebert became Sgt. Ebert; Tpr. Huber became Cpl. Huber; Cadet Trent
Belisle became Trooper Belisle and Cadet Jeff O’Keefe became Tpr.
O’Keefe.
Printed in the Moose Jaw
This Week
May 25, 1993
RYAN
KINGSTON
IS
EN ROUTE
TO
ENGLAND
...he prepared for the trip earlier this week
MOOSE
JAW CADET SELECTED FOR EXCHANGE TRIP TO
ENGLAND
Moose
Jaw
army cadet Ryan Kingston is the only
Saskatchewan
cadet on an exclusive exchange trip to
England
.
He joins 17 other Canadian cadets.
Kingston
,
16, left Friday morning on a five-week junket which will take him first to
the army base in Petawawa, Ont., and then to numerous cadet camps in
England
.
He’s hoping the trip will give him a chance to enhance his military
training, see some sights and learn a new culture. Warrant officer Kingston
earned the right to go on the trip by getting the third highest score in the
province in the gold star cadet exams at 15 Wing
Moose
Jaw
.
The two cadets who placed ahead of him went on other exchange trips.
“I’m really looking forward to the trip,”
Kingston
said while packing his duffle bag earlier this week. “When my (Commanding
Officer) called and asked if I wanted to go I jumped at the chance…I think
I really did jump.” Most of the cadets who are going on the trip to
England
are planning careers in the military,
Kingston
said. He’s no exception. He says the cadet system in
England
is similar to the British army. That similarity in training should give him
an advantage when he joins the Canadian Forces in a few years. “In
Britain
cadets are based on military tactics – they want you to be prepared for
the army,”
Kingston
said. “Here it’s more citizenship and leadership.”
Kingston
said he’s also looking forward to seeing the place where the Canadian
Armed Forces system originated. “We have lots of the same traditions as
they do and it will be nice to see where those all started.”
Kingston
,
who attends Peacock Collegiate, said he would like to go to the Royal Roads
military college in Victoria, BC., when he graduates high school. He may
join the militia for a couple of years beforehand as well. This will be
Kingston
’s
first trip outside
North
America
.
He has traveled with the cadets before, to the
Yukon
and to
Vernon
,
BC., for camps. However, this one will certainly be a new experience. “We
can’t travel in uniform in
England
because there is a risk that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) will see our
uniforms and shoot at us,” he said. “In
Canada
we have to travel in uniform. Over there it will be blazers and dress
pants.”
Printed in the
Moose Jaw
Times Herald
July 03, 1993
CADET SUMMER CAMP
Cadet
Ryan Kingston spent the summer overseas taking part in realistic training
camp experiences. He also had the chance to see some
tourist
sites and shows off his souvenirs, including a T-shirt from the Hard Rock
Café.
RAF
base security tighter than home
Summer
exercises put cadets in training
The
first glimpse that 18 army cadets from
Canada
,
including Ryan Kingston of
Moose
Jaw
,
got this summer of an English military base was spooky. On a bus after a 38-
hour overseas flight, the cadets went to a Royal Air Force base at Uxbridge.
“The first thing we saw was metal poles with sharp tips,” says
Kingston
,
“They were about 15 feet high. On top of that was horizontal barbed wire
with spikes and razors all over. That’s the fence around the entire base.
When you get to the gate, there’s bars in front of you. There’s two
guards inside a little bunker. They both have weapons. One has an LSW (light
support weapon) which is a machine gun. The other one has an SA-80, which is
a semi-automatic. Then when you go around the corner, there’s another
guard…he checks your passes and he has a weapon too.” The Irish
Republican Army (IRA) is one reason for the tight security. “Sometimes
there are competitive drills or ceremonies there and there are lots of
personnel at the base,” he said. “If the IRA find out about that, they
try to get into the base.” Even cadets in local arcades found suspicious
people with Irish accents trying to “tap” them for information on the
base. “We were told not to leave our bags lying around because the bomb
squad just blow it up. They don’t even ask. That almost happened to a few
of us.” Even in the Uxbridge barracks, combination locks were used to seal
off one wing from another. Failure to use the locks resulted in charges
being laid. Security at
Camp
Petawawa
where the Canadian cadets did orientation training is tighter than Canadian
Forces Base Moose Jaw, but nothing like
England
,
he said. Before the cadets moved onto what
Kingston
found was realistic training, they did their tourist bit, visiting
St.
Paul
’s
Cathedral, museums and the Hard Rock Café in
London
.
One of
Kingston
’s
most prized souvenirs is a T-shirt from the London Hard Rock Café, which is
decorated with mementos from rock music stars. The cadets moved from camp to
camp every week, with each week becoming more intense and more realistic. At
one camp they did the log run. A team of 10 cadets, equipped with three
ropes and six handles, runs a log through water for a mile. His team of
Canadians placed in the top three. “As soon as you do that, you do another
assault, climbing walls, jumping tank traps and going over a suspension
bridge.” One competition was to build rafts out of barrels and logs and
move them across a pond. One day, cadets were separated into groups of three
and turned loose in the bush with the comment: See you in two days.
“Everything was out there, the enemy, smoke, bullets firing. It confused a
lot of people. It gets really realistic. It’s not like kids playing: I got
you. No, you missed me. They have umpires. Sometimes the umpire turned his
back, or said he had to go to the bathroom. If you were smart, you took off.
There we were sneaking, running through the bush with our backpacks on and
they were trying to catch us. It was nerve-wracking.” On patrol, the
cadets were “ambushed”. The cadets used blank ammunition on these
occasions, something that Canadian cadets can’t do because of firearms
regulations. The English elite Special Air Services force was the enemy, out
to hunt down, and ‘shoot’ patrols of four or five cadets on one ambush
exercise. “There were two Canadian patrols,” he said. “None of them
got caught. One of them, not ours, was fired on. Both British patrols got
caught.”
Kingston
said they met the Special Air Services force members. “They were very
intelligent. They knew a lot about what’s going on in the world. And they
were tough. One guy ran with an 80-pound back pack and 45 pounds of webbing
and a big knife.” The 16-year-old Peacock student has two years left in
cadets. “Usually, you’ve only got a year left when you go on this
course.” The course was practical for him, he said. He plans to attend
military college on an officer training program.
Printed
in the Moose Jaw This Week
September
14, 1993
ARMY
CADETS BEST IN PROVINCE
BEA
LETT INSPECTS AWARD-WINNING CADET CORPS
...with Lieut. Ron Hammond (left)
and Capt. Tony Donnison (back)
Capt.
Tony Donnison Commanding Officer of 1856 Moose Jaw Schools Cadet Corps RCAC
(Royal Canadian Army Cadets) had trouble making himself heard on the parade
grounds – his voice betrayed his emotions.
