Stefan_S said:
Do the Cadets help you enter the Army Regular/ Reserve Force as an officer?
As in, does having that Cadet experience on paper assist in the application, and acceptance of that said application?
As well as the experience gained during Cadets, does it assist in basic training?
In the end, will joining the Cadets help me in the long run if I would like to pursue a career as an officer?
I would say yes. If you did well in Cadets and optimized your experience. I would also say that in the case of the Army Cadets that the "old" cadet program was better then the current version for a number of reasons that have been nullified by the child soldier argument. I would also say it will help you as much as joining as an NCM as an officer.
In my case the Cadet program:
1) allowed me to walk in the recruiting centre with five summers of outstanding course reports and a solid letter of reference from a Res F company commander in my affiliated unit whom saw me grow over my years of cadet service. Having been on a handful of exercises with my affiliated reserve unit as a cadet I could talk to the recruiter with some confidence that I knew what an infantryman did and why I wanted to be one.
2) gave me a solid taste of the CF lifestyle. Chain of command, adherence to rank and direction, barracks living, care / wear / upkeep of the uniform, putting up with BS, and putting the team before self are skills that cadets take for granted that many new recruits struggle to learn.
3) it taught me high-quality drill, which I was able to polish during basic training, not worrying so much about the basics but concentrate on mastering the form.
4) it taught me how to shoot. Yep, I learned the fundamentals of marksmanship in the Cadet program. In the Res F / Reg F, even during basic training (and I have done it twice) you are too rushed and stressed to really learn to shoot. I learned, starting at the age of 13 on Saturday mornings at the old high school indoor range. Experienced shooter beside me most of the time drilling the basics into my brain. Plinking away with the .22 rifle weekend after weekend shooting hundreds of rounds until I became comfortable with shooting and became effective with the use of this rifle. The time spent on the FN C1A1 was not wasted either, but it was the .22 where I learned the principles of marksmanship.
4) it taught me how to navigate. We did lots and lots of navigation in cadets. Were tested on it in every level to include some advanced topics. We then taught it as senior cadets weeknight after weeknight and weekend after weekend. It helped a lot and during the numerous times the CF has taught me map and compass navigation, or when I have had to use it in real life leading troops since that time I have not been worried about it. I wished GPS was around when I was a cadet and learned how to use it then as opposed to later in life.
5) it taught me about the basics of leadership. I was able to use these theoretical and practical lessons learned in Cadets to grow as an officer in the Reg F. You will not find many other 16 year old young adults in Canada with 8-25 "subordinates" in the workplace.
6) it taught me about comms. I was pretty comfortable with the AN/PRC-77 when I left cadets including voice procedure and troubleshooting that old POS, which I was quite fond. I am not sure this skill set is capitalized on in the cadet program anymore with the advent of TCCCS.
7) it taught me first aid, a skill in cadets which we practiced all the time (inexpensive training I suspect). Comfort with this skills has helped me (and my casualties) after I joined the CF. Early exposure to first aid might have helped spawn my interest in joining the Medical Service.
That being said, it is not an automatic ticket to the top or something that should be flaunted. Just a skill set which should be tucked quietly in your back pocket.
MC
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