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View Full Version : hey, gunner!!!!!



threenorns
September 20th, 2001, 12:06 AM
you know i've always said the girls are going into cadets, right? they start this tuesday!

caiti originally wanted air cadets because she wants to "do that jumping-out-of-plane-with-the-big-square-thing thing" . she was also intrigued with the idea of learning to pilot a glider and getting her civilian pilot's license. she kind of turned off it when she discovered the heavy emphasis on math, though, and when she found out that air cadets only fly the planes, she was quite disgusted.

nik, i thought for sure would go for air cadets because of the international exchange with japan, but she also opted for army because she's more interested in the skills they teach (St John's First Aid certification, computer skills -- like she needs it, bushcraft, survival training, parachuting and military jumping, rock climbing, kayaking, and so on). they'll also be taught to drive -- caiti before she's 14 and nik ASAP, and they'll have their military driver's license; only good on DND property, though: off-base, they still have to follow civvie law. the good news is that it counts as a driver's course, so they'll get the shortened probationary periods and the reduced insurance.

it's FREE, too, which is a blessing because there's no way in hell i could ever afford even rope for rock-climbing, let alone lessons for driving or kayaking or whatever!

(btw, for anyone thinking this is a a result of the world trade tragedy, far from it: nik was 4 when i first told her she'd be joining cadets when she was older, only we were living next to the governor-general's horse guards at the time and that's the one i thought she'd be in. she has neurological conditions that tend to leave her scattered and unfocussed and i really think the discipline and coping techniques she'll learn, as well as the boost to her self-confidence, will do her (AND her sister!) a world of good!).

gunner
September 20th, 2001, 06:32 PM
good for the girls! give 'em both a hug for me and sorry i can't be there to deliver it myself. i agree that the discipline will be good for both of them. we used to have something like your cadet programme down here, the high school "junior reserve officers training corps" or "jrotc" sub to the college level "rotc" which does lead to a commission in the regulars and some government help with college costs but "jrotc" has been almost completely scuttled by the 60s types that have taken over the educational establishment here, the same ones that have until now mocked and reviled the services and, over the last eight years, damm near emasculated and starved them out of existence. "makin' mock of uniforms that guard you while you sleep/ is cheaper than those uniforms/ and they're starvation cheap." best of luck to the girls and to andre too as he goes to join the regulars.