Kevin McBain
of The Clarion

The Kindersley Royal Canadian Air Cadet Lloyd Sparky Ament Squadron closed out another year on June 3 with their annual ceremonial review.

This year, they held the event on main street in Coleville.

Special guest Scott Wooding inspects the cadets with commanding officer Capt. Brian Hahn.

The cadets were in fine form for the day, which showcased a bit of what they learned over the past year. Several awards and promotions were handed out to reward many of the cadets for their hard work and dedication.

This year, the squadron boasted 26 members between the ages of 12 and 19.

They were kept busy with their weekly parades held on Thursdays at the Kindersley and District Museum, and attending various sports weekends, a survival weekend and much, much more.

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For about a dozen cadets, the year is not over – they will be off to summer camps.

“It was definitely a good year. We have a great bunch of kids,” said Danit Vass, training officer. “We definitely had a great bunch of kids.”

The group is led by commanding officer Capt. Brian Hahn, who works with Vass, supply officer Monte Sheppard, and officer cadet Sheila Kehrer.

Each year, a special guest is invited to the final parade to inspect the cadets and pass along some wisdom.

This year’s special guest was Scott Wooding from Okotoks, Alta. He’s a retired major and now a doctor.

The squadron is now off on its summer break until Sept. 7, when they will, once again, hold registration.

Vass extends an invitation for young people to give it a try.

“I joined air cadets because it’s a non-judgmental program. You don’t have to be the fittest person or the smartest person, it’s open for everyone,” she said. “The program teaches discipline and opens up a great number of possibilities for you.”

She adds that there are so many things that a cadet gets to do and see that most people will never get to, such as survival camps,

FSgt. Taylor Sim accepts the award for best overall cadet from Capt. Danit Vass.

gliding, helicopter rides, tours of military bases, going to shooting competitions and music camps. It’s a great way to get your pilot or glider licence as well.

So on Sept. 7, why not register. The program is worth giving a try.

The following is a list of award winners:

  • Top attendance: FCpl. Rebecca kehrer and FSgt Preson Greenstein.
  • Top marksmanship: FSgt. Alysa Mills
  • Most promising first year: Dillon Balanik
  • Most improved: FSgt. Preston Greenstein
  • Cadet volunteer: FCpl. Emily Winter and FCpl Richard Fuhr
  • FCpl and below: FCpl .Emily Winter
  • Sergeant and above: Wo2 Aaron Keith
  • Best overall: FSgt Taylor Sim
  • Cadet’s choice: FSgt Alysa Mills
  • Lord Strathcona Medal: FSgt Alysa Mills.

The following is a list of promotions:

  • AC to LAC: Callum Ambler.
  • LAC to Cpl: Conrad Bevan.
  • Cpl. to FCpl: Daniel Bazin, Paige Cormons, Emmy Fuhr, Richard Fuhr, Rebecca Kehrer, Sidney King and Emily Winter.
  • FCpl. to Sgt.: Connor Dionne, Emily Garland, Damian Klesh and Caleb Olsen.
  • Sgt. to FSgt.: Preston Greenstien, Alysa Mills and Taylor Son.
  • FSgt. to WO2: Aaron Keith.
  • Long service awards: Four years – Preston Greenstien, Alysa Mills and Taylor Son. Five years – Aaron Keith. Seven years – Soren Hahn.

The squadron would like to extend thanks to sponsoring Legion branches from Kindersley and Coleville; all of the businesses and individuals who donated for raffle prizes; and for all those who donated towards the air cadet squadron to keep them going and keep the costs at a minimum for the cadets.

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