Commanding Officer's Corner

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Wow... 104 Cadets at 5 Squadron

Well, I'm glad I didn't offer to eat my hat if there were over 90 cadets on the parade square at Annual this year. Because if that were the case, I would have started looking for a good recipe for "Air Force Wedge Cap". As of this afternoon I'm pleased to report that 5 Cyclone Squadron has 104 cadets on strength. This is outstanding news for those cadets looking to go to Wonderland next summer, but even better news for the Squadron as a whole.

If you are one of the 30+ recruits that have shown up on our doorstep since the beginning of September, I thank you for accepting the challenge to join the best youth program in Canada. As you go through the cadet program you will find that its filled with some incredible experiences and challenges. Sure, it may seem like a lot of drill and classes at first but I encourage you to stick with it. Soon, you'll find yourself standing in a flight as part of a team. Soon after that you might find yourself responsible for a few cadets. Not long after that you may be in front of the band, flag party or even one of the flights and from there you can even be the Chief. Yes, you can be in charge of this 100 person-strong cadet unit.

Every one of those NCO's out there started off just where you are now. However all of them are going on to do great things. Tomorrow it could be Pilots wings, or perhaps you could be a survival instructor. Maybe leadership or aerospace technology is of more interest? The cadet program can offer you all of these things. However its not all fun and games. There is hard work and study to be done in order to achieve greatness. Ask any one of the senior cadets on the parade square. What you see on Tuesday night is only the result of their hard work and sacrifice.

However each one of them will tell you that it was worth it.

What does the future hold for you after cadets? Well for Jim Carrey it was a career in Hollywood as an actor and comedian. For Colonel Chris Hadfield, it was on to become a fighter pilot, and later pilot of the Space Shuttle. In 2013 Colonel Hadfiled will go on to make history once again as the first Canadian to Command a spaceship as commander of the International Space Station. His career started off as a cadet. His first aviation experience was earning his glider wings at CFB Trenton in the 1970's.

So what does the future hold for you? Endless possibilities. Our motto at 5 Cyclone "Today's youth, Tomorrow's leaders" is no mistake. Welcome to the beginning of what can be an illustrious career.

Nathan James
Captain / Capitaine
Commanding Officer / Commandant
Escadron 5 Squadron