Recently (April 28-30) eleven of our students, Ian Bundas, Seif Elnahas, Justin Gagne, Sebastien Powless, Ethan Xie, David Avayou, David Cheung, Cameron Hewitt Hunt, Duncan Larmer, and Mykola Toews participated in a joint exercise at CTC Blackdown. There were regular and reserve units and all army cadet units from the Niagara region were invited.

The boys arrived at Blackdown after a long school bus ride slowed down by traffic, and construction. Tent assignments meant that RLA boys were intermingled with other cadets right from the beginning and their adventure began with a late night getting to know their schedule and their new tent partners.

Their tents had concrete floors, beds, lockers, and electricity, but they can say they slept in tents…

Reveille 0600hrs had them out doing stretches, then MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) and off to training. The morning was mainly classes on basic map & compass then climbing in and out of military trucks and a very large signals truck – which even had the wifi the boys were missing. Lunch was hay boxed in and the cadets ate indoors.

Staff readied an arc, handed out extra rain ponchos to those cadets (from other units) who were ill prepared – there is no bad weather, only poor clothing choices!

In the afternoon the cadets were loaded into the backs of military trucks, transported into the training areas and used their map and compass skills to navigate from one location to another as they searched for parts that had “fallen off” a truck.

Supper was MRE’s and the cadets’ enjoyed snacks and a movie.

Sunday reveille was 0630hrs, so the boys got up at 0610hrs – who knows? Gear was stashed, breakfast was hot hayboxes and there was a large quantity of food consumed due to calories burned on Saturday.

The rain continued.

Morning training was with staff from the Canadian Rangers who taught them things like fire starting and search & rescue techniques.

The bus ride was much faster coming home. Wet clothing (all of it) was sent to laundry and many “thank you’s” expressed, as well as hopes for the next exercise….