Lieutenant Caroline Visser officially took command of the 2781 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in a ceremony at Timberlane Barracks on Wednesday, October 2.
“I have been acting commander since January, and I will command the corps for the next three years,” said Visser. “That means that the buck stops with me. It’s a lot of responsibility, and a lot of paperwork, but it is so rewarding.”
Visser came from a military family, but didn’t become involved with the army cadets until 2013.
“My ex-husband was involved, and I was asked to come in and help with administration,” she said. “I’m an administrator, so I said, ‘Of course I can do that.’ One thing led to another, I got my commission a year later, and here I am today.”
The Canadian cadet program is the largest federally funded youth program in Canada. There are three branches – Army, Navy and Air Force – all of which are represented in Powell River. The programs are partnerships between the Department of National Defence and the civilian Cadet Leagues of Canada.
“Our program is designed to teach valuable life and work skills while having as much fun as possible,” said Visser. “Cadets are always supervised, and the entire program, from uniform to activities to trips and camps, is completely free.”
The cadet program is open to youth between the ages of 12 and 18, but it is not necessary to start at age 12.
“If we have someone who wants to join at 15 or 16, we’ll put them in an accelerated program so they can quickly join us on the activities and exercises,” said Visser. “I now have a full officer cadre as well, so I have the staffing to handle as many new cadets as are interested in joining.”
Visser points to the assumption of command ceremony as an example of the kind of work and dedication cadets learn.
“The cadets performed a march past and full drill, advance and review, with colours and honour guard,” she said. “They usually don’t have to do that until the end of the year, so they’ve been working hard the last few weeks to be ready for the ceremony. They performed flawlessly, and I am so proud of them.”
Visser is passionate about what the cadet program brings to participants.
“This is a leadership and physical fitness program first and foremost,” she said. “I see these young people become comfortable with themselves. They stretch their boundaries and achieve things they never thought they would be able to, and knowing that I helped to make that possible is an amazing feeling.
2781 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps meets Wednesday nights at Timberlane Barracks, 5401 Timberlane Avenue. For more information, call 604.483.3993.
“We’re not making little soldiers, there is no requirement to go into military service, but we are creating the leaders of tomorrow,” said Visser. “They can be a leader in their family, in the community, or in the country, but whatever path they choose, we’re giving them the skills to do that.”
