Heather Latter
The 908 Rainy Lake Air Cadets held their 13th-annual ceremonial review last Wednesday night at the Memorial Sports Centre auditorium, handing out a number of awards while recognizing the squadron’s achievements of the past year.
“What a fantastic demonstration of drill and dress this evening,” enthused Lt.-Col. Rebecca Evans, the reviewing officer for the event.
“Congratulations on the standards you have achieved and the collaboration you have shown in preparing for this year’s parade,” she told the squadron.
“It’s apparent you have come together as a strong cohesive team, each contributing to your combined success.
“As with all effective military teams, you have depended on each to make your mission a success,” Evans added.
“You divided your tasks to make sure everything was achieved, and you worked towards leveraging each other’s strengths and helping each other when needed.”
Lt.-Col. Evans also noted without the strong active partnership of the Royal Canadian Legion Br. #29 (Fort Frances) and Br. #99 (Emo), the cadet program here wouldn’t be possible.
“It is precisely this strong community support and spirit that makes the cadet program a success across Ontario and throughout the country,” she remarked, also thanking the cadets’ families for their support, as well the staff and community sponsors.
“Keep up the great work,” Lt.-Col. Evans encouraged the cadets.
“Another year of training is coming to an end, and you should feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction in your achievements here today and through this year.”
“I am thankful for all the hard work my cadets and staff have done in the 2015/2016 training year,” echoed Capt. Dawn Gray.
“As my first year as commanding officer of [the] 908 comes to a close, I am reflecting on how the year went,” she said.
“We had cadets compete in the biathlon competition, and receive second place for junior males and second place for youth girls,” she noted.
“We had a cadet compete in the “Effective Speaking” competition and receive amazing remarks about her speech, we had a team compete in the Zone 27 marksmanship competition and finished in second place, and one cadet received third place for junior boys,” she added.
Capt. Gray also noted the local squadron recently attended the 2016 NOA Northwestern Band and Drill competition in Thunder Bay—and came home with a near clean sweep of the top awards.
The squadron won three team category awards: top drill without arms, top drill with arms, and the Gold Boot award for best-dressed team.
Meanwhile, WO1 Nicholas Piotrowski was hailed as the top drill team commander without arms.
“Our scores are then put in with the teams from the North Bay competition and we won Northern Ontario area’s best-dressed drill team and WO1 Piotrowski tied for first place for top drill team commander without arms,” added Capt. Gray, noting there were 23 units in the North Bay competition and eight teams in Northwestern Ontario.
“I am very proud to call this group my cadets,” she enthused.
“[The] 908 has become home for me and I look forward to the next chapter.”
Following the awards ceremony, the drill team performed its silent routine without arms and with arms while the cadets shared their interactive displays.
Awards
•Perfect attendance—LAC Trey Beninger, LAC Nicholas Gray, LAC Cameron McFayden, Cpl. Aaron Scheibler, FCpl. Jonathan Danielson, and WO1 Nicholas Piotrowski;
•Best uniform—LAC Trey Beninger and LAC Cameron McFayden (tie) (Level 1), Cpl. Aaron Scheibler (Level 2), FCpl. Jonathan Danielson (Level 3), and Sgt. Anthony Gill-Roisin (Level 4)
•Team awards—LAC Nicholas Gray, LAC Cameron McFayden, LAC Logan Nugent, Cpl. Aaron Scheibler, FCpl. Jonathan Danielson, FCpl. Courtney Sinclair, Sgt. Aiden DeGagne, Sgt. Elizabeth DeGagne, Sgt. Anthony Gill-Roisin, Sgt. Hunter Ottoson, FSgt. MJ Nyberg, FSgt. Andrew Roth, FSgt. Sara Selman, Taleah Gerhard (formally WO2 Gerhard), and WO1 Nick Piotrowski;
•Most active participation—Cpl. Aaron Scheibler and FSgt. Sara Selman;
•Fort Frances Legion Community Service Award—Sgt. Anthony Gill-Roisin;
•Top marksman award—FSgt. Sara Selman;
•Aviation excellence award—WO1 Nicholas Piotrowski;
•Recruit of the Year Award—LAC Cameron McFayden;
•Top Level Two Cadet Award—Cpl. Aaron Scheibler;
•Top Level Three Cadet Award—FCpl. Courtney Sinclair;
•Top Level Four Cadet Award—Sgt. Elizabeth DeGagne;
•Warrant Officer’s Shield Award—Sgt. Elizabeth DeGagne;
•Top overall cadet—WO1 Nick Piotrowski; and
•Lord Strathcona Medal (LSM) is the highest award which can be bestowed upon a cadet in recognition of exemplary performance in physical and military training—WO1 Nick Piotrowski
Capt. Gray also presented a decorated propeller to WO1 Piotrowski as a token of appreciation for his hard work and dedication to the squadron, as he graduates and moves on to pursue his post-secondary education, and to Taleah Gerhard, who recently aged-out of the program.
“For the last two years, I have had the opportunity to watch WO1 Piotrowski grow into an amazing young man,” Capt. Gray said.
“He has become a great role model to all who are fortunate enough to train under him.”
“It’s the best decision I made to join when I was 12 years old,” said Piotrowski.
“The program has a lot of offer if you put the effort in.”
Piotrowski said he’s been able to take advantage of opportunities he never would have been able to without being involved in air cadets.
For instance, last summer, he participated in the Power Pilot scholarship during a seven-week stint at the Discovery Aviation Academy in Sudbury and became a licensed pilot.
He plans to continue with his private pilot’s licence (PPL) and hopes to return to Fort Frances after he completes his post-secondary education.
“I love it,” Gerhard, who aged-out 19 years old on May 6, said of the air cadet program.
She will continue to volunteer for the squadron until fall, when she leaves to study music at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.
“It’s a place where I can just be myself,” Gerhard noted. “Everyone gets along and drill is really fun.
“It really helps you learn new skills that are important in the future.”
Meanwhile, Rick Mortensen, chairman of the Northwestern Ontario Provincial Committee of the Air Cadet League of Canada, presented the Air Cadet League Long Service medal to FSgt. Andrew Roth for having been in the cadet program for four years.
Steve Sinclair offered up Challenge Coins to:
•Cpl. Scheibler and Sgt. Gill-Roisin (two years of service);
•FCpl. Danielson, FCpl. Sinclair, and Sgt. E. DeGagne (three years of service);
•Sgt. A. DeGagne, Sgt. Jarvis, Sgt. Ottoson, and FSgt. Roth (four years of service);
•FSgt. Nyberg and FSgt. Selman (five years of service); and
•WO1 Piotrowski (six years of service).
“A challenge coin is a small coin or medallion, bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members,” Sinclair explained, offering up a brief history of the coins dating back to WWI.
“Traditionally, they are given to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale,” he noted.
In keeping with the history and tradition of the challenge coin, Sinclair said the intention is to build community and reward cadets who have demonstrated commitment to the squadron.
Finally, the following cadets were promoted:
•LAC to Cpl.—Trey Beninger, Nicholas Gray, Logan Nugent, Cameron McFayden, and Brett Ogden;
•Cpl. to FCpl.—Aaron Scheibler;
•FCpl to Sgt.—Jonathan Danielson and Courtney Sinclair
•Sgt. to FSgt.—Elizabeth DeGagne, Aiden DeGagne, Conal Jarvis, and Hunter Ottoson; and
•Sgt. to WO2—Sara Selman and MJ Nyberg
