# Cadets on Ship



## Klinkaroo (2 Jul 2008)

Just out of curiosity I have seen a few cadets around base here in Esquimalt on board ship. Do they ever go on the MCDVs? I used to be a cadet myself but our unit didn't do much, I was just curious to what they do when do they come on board? Do they hand out with the BOSNs mainly or will I get to see them in the Z Drive compartement 

BTW Don't slam please, did a search and it turned up nothing and thought I could start an interesting thread.


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## Neill McKay (2 Jul 2008)

Klinkaroo said:
			
		

> Just out of curiosity I have seen a few cadets around base here in Esquimalt on board ship. Do they ever go on the MCDVs? I used to be a cadet myself but our unit didn't do much, I was just curious to what they do when do they come on board? Do they hand out with the BOSNs mainly or will I get to see them in the Z Drive compartement
> 
> BTW Don't slam please, did a search and it turned up nothing and thought I could start an interesting thread.



Sea cadets get occasional opportunities to sail in naval and Coast Guard vessels.  While aboard they may just observe the goings-on, or they may work as supernumeraries in various departments, doing watch-on-deck work, etc.

Some deployments are organized at the national level and open to X-number of selected cadets from each region.  Others may be arranged with an individual cadet unit, especially if the unit is affiliated with a ship (as is often the case when a cadet unit shares the name of an operational ship).


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## x-grunt (4 Jul 2008)

Ah, it's good to read that cadets still get this opportunity. I had the impression Cadets have been largely demilitarized these days. I had seen nothing about any cadets of any element being attached to any military unit for an EX or deployment anymore.  20-30 years back  Senior Sea Cadets had opportunities to go to sea and worked in their trades or rotated departments. Sea Cadet communicator trade also did watches at RCC's sometimes. Army Cadets used to go on local Reserve EX's or sometimes got sent to West Germany and did a couple of months working alongside the Regs. No clue what what Air cadets did.

Times change - is this similar to what cadets do these days?

I really hope so. Back in the 70's I had the privilege of being deployed on both CCG and CF ships, spending in total 6 months at sea, mostly deployed overseas. Two of us even did a two week Cross-Pol tour from HMCS Assiniboine to the USS Coontz during a NATO deployment.

It was a fantastic experience for a kid. Every ship seemed to have a couple of cadets as part of the crew. I worked my trade and most of the crew had no clue we were cadets, until the time came to man the side or some such (when it became quite obvious who we were, dressed in full rig instead of CF green). No one cared, as long as I pulled my weight. Good times.


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## tabernac (4 Jul 2008)

Yup, there are still deployments for sea cadets. I had the opportunity to deploy aboard REGINA (IIRC) for a few weeks, transiting from Esq to Jpn, then to HK. Had to turn it down due to Diploma exams. It would have been an amazing experience.


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## Neill McKay (5 Jul 2008)

x-grunt said:
			
		

> Ah, it's good to read that cadets still get this opportunity. I had the impression Cadets have been largely demilitarized these days. I had seen nothing about any cadets of any element being attached to any military unit for an EX or deployment anymore.  20-30 years back  Senior Sea Cadets had opportunities to go to sea and worked in their trades or rotated departments. Sea Cadet communicator trade also did watches at RCC's sometimes. Army Cadets used to go on local Reserve EX's or sometimes got sent to West Germany and did a couple of months working alongside the Regs. No clue what what Air cadets did.
> 
> Times change - is this similar to what cadets do these days?



To a certain extent, but it sounds as if there was more of it when you were a cadet.  Nowadays it's mostly in the form of small groups of cadets rotating through departments rather than anyone working in his or her trade.  The current sea cadet trade structure doesn't lend itself very well to working in one's trade aboard a ship as most trades have no direct application to ship operations: sailing, gunnery, music, shipwright (gunnery is drill and ceremonial and outdoor adventure training, shipwright deals mainly with repairs to small boats).  The bosn and marine engineering trades are more ship-oriented, but the marine engineering trade is extremely small and is focused on the systems found aboard a YAG leaving the bosns as the bulk of "sailorly" cadets.  There is no longer a communications trade although there are comms qualifications available to cadets.

There's some of that still going on with army cadets, especially in cadet units that have a strong relationship with an affiliated CF unit.  But the army cadet programme is less able to work in its element that way: there are obvious civilian applications to marine and aircraft training so these can easily be offered to cadets, but "hard army" training for youth seems not to go over very well.

I can't say anything knowledgeable about the air cadet programme's relationship with the air force, so I'll leave that to others to comment on.


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## Klinkaroo (12 Jul 2008)

I must agree with everyone here that it's a great experience for them. I find it sad that it is happening less often this is probably one of the best sources of recruitment because they get to see what it is all about and I personally think they are alot more likely to sign the dotted line when they are old enough.


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## Acer Syrup (22 Jul 2008)

I got to go for a deployment when I was a cadet. We were mostly posted to the deck department. We got worked into the watch routine. We pretty much did it all. Lookout, lifebouy, helm. Plus if we had any interest in another department, we could spend time there. I spent a lot of time in the ops room and flight control.


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## Eye In The Sky (22 Jul 2008)

While on Base Duty, I bumped into a dozen or so Cadets who were spending a month on the Atha-B here in Halifax.  That was about a month ago, and their supervising "person" (they were in civies and he introduced himself as "Billy" or whatever his name was) said they were living onboard and working with the different departments to expose them to the Navy life more.


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## gwp (22 Jul 2008)

There are presently four senior Royal Canadian Sea Cadets in HMCS Oriole with a CF CIC officer as escort for July-Aug.


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## blacktriangle (26 Jul 2008)

Man EVEN THE CADETS ARE HAVING MORE FUN THEN ME...  ???


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## NL_engineer (26 Jul 2008)

popnfresh said:
			
		

> Man EVEN THE CADETS ARE HAVING MORE FUN THEN ME...  ???



You want to go on one of the navy's boats  ;D


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## childs56 (27 Jul 2008)

I went on a Trip from Esquimalt to San Diego aboard the Saskatchwan, and then sailed on the Huron from Halifax to Esquimalt. One of the best expeirances in my life.


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## gwp (5 Aug 2008)

gwp said:
			
		

> There are presently four senior Royal Canadian Sea Cadets in HMCS Oriole with a CF CIC officer as escort for July-Aug.


Front page of Esquimalt LOOKOUT
http://www.lookoutnewspaper.com/archive/20080805/Lookout_Newspaper_31.08.pdf


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## BinRat55 (5 Aug 2008)

Eye In The Sky said:
			
		

> While on Base Duty, I bumped into a dozen or so Cadets who were spending a month on the Atha-B here in Halifax.  That was about a month ago, and their supervising "person" (they were in civies and he introduced himself as "Billy" or whatever his name was) said they were living onboard and working with the different departments to expose them to the Navy life more.



Truth. Our Corp had a unique opportunity to tour the Atha-B in St. John's on our year end trip. We were told there were about 12 positions EVERY summer (for the whole summer, with the exception of NATOs) for senior cadets - certain criteria applied of course, but what an opportunity. It got a few of our cadets thinking - especially after they found out what they got to do!!!


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## Klinkaroo (5 Aug 2008)

Thanks for the post from the lookout.

I was on the plane Saturday with the officer the traveled with them. Must have been a great experience for them


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## Rheostatic (5 Aug 2008)

N. McKay said:
			
		

> I can't say anything knowledgeable about the air cadet programme's relationship with the air force, so I'll leave that to others to comment on.


I'd say interaction with the Air Force is relatively low, nation-wide, since Air units are concentrated in a small number of locations. However, the flying scholarships and regional gliding programs make up for this, in my opinion. Many of the flying staff include CIC with reg force experience and reg force members awaiting training.


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## Snafu-Bar (5 Aug 2008)

My nephew is in the cadets here in hamilton, and he gets to do some stuff aboard the Haida, and last summer went to BC for 2 weeks of base time. He also took a ride on the Halifax from hamilton to St kitts not long ago.

 Cheers.


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## Klinkaroo (5 Aug 2008)

Darn when I was in cadets my unit never did anything like this. Honestly when I was in cadets other then the small 10 foot sailboats or the whalers I never touched a boat in all my time in sea cadets. We never toured a ship, god we never even went to the base in halifax.... Anyways not complaining anymore but it probably would have helped with their recruiting problem they are having right now... IMHO

Klink


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