Why Cadets are offensive?

[cameron_highlander]

Gee-golly, great to hear something nice about cadets from some of you in other topics. Its just a shame cadets seems to be held in such low regard by some. So, I ask the more vocal folks who dont seem to like cadets to PLEASE tell us ‘little kids‘ what exactly you dont like about us and maybye what would increase your opinion of cadets. Or is what was said before just idle insults with no actual substance? I just find it offensive that some people seem to dislike cadets for no actual reason except for the ‘we‘re better then you‘ approach. SO, please give me an idea of what is so darn annoying about cadets.

 

[D-n-A]

seeing little kids wearing combats 3x their size, carrying BB guns scares me...

 

[dano]

I don‘t think it‘s the, "we‘re better then you approach" in most case‘s anyway.

It must be the "You‘re the Wannabe" approach.
But, hey... Regulars say the same thing to the Saturday night warriors.

 

[D-n-A]

Saturday Night Warriors? uh...

It‘s weekend warriors, an who parades on a saturday night? As far as I know, Reserve units parade thursday nights.


Anyways, some cadets come off as cocky, an wannabe GI Joes/Rambos, an some think there better than real soldiers an think they outrank us..

 

[dano]

Haha.. I was using my fathers 70‘s army reserve terminology.. Hah.

 

[Yes Man]

Its the universal flow of ****, you will learn about it in @sstrophysics. Basically everyone gets **** and they pass it on to the next guy. Regs to Reserves, Reserves to Cadets, Cadets to Civilians, and Civilians back to the Regs. Its a never ending cycle, it goes in one way comes out the other then makes its way back around again.

 

[fleeingjam]

I used to think cadets we all just cocky kids but come to think about thought full cadets like the one thats started this thread are the ones that are are future. If we discourage them we discourage just about all the public so for god sakes do Canada a favor and stop the cadet slaughter...like im sure many of these guys were probably in cadets before too in which case they shouldnt even be talking..any ways 2332 Piper good job askin people why and always keep hope.

 

[Infanteer]

Since you‘ve decided to throw your weight around Piper, I‘ll respond.

The reason I am not the biggest fan of the cadets is that I see the military as too vital of an institution to be dolled out as a youth program.

The role of any military force is to inflict violence on behalf of the state, a profession I take very seriously. The fact that the Cadet movement doesn‘t see take this into account with its militaristic grounding to me indicates that it presents a farcical and inaccurate image of the military.

Not your fault, kids. Just don‘t like the whole package.

What‘s wrong with the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, anyways?

 

[wongskc]

I have to agree with Infanteer‘s assessment in that the cadet program of today is does very little to show kids what a military career can offer. I suppose this has been the case since the 1960s when the war-fighting-training element was removed from the cadet mandate. The air cadets were originally brought into being to begin training of aircrew who were still underage and most likely, still going to school so that we could send reinforcements into the fight quicker. As for the army cadets, I‘ve seen archived photographs of them practicing platoon and company sized attacks circa 1911. Now that it‘s just a glorified babysitting program, I think it‘s lost a lot of it‘s appeal and use.

I remember cleaning out my squadron‘s LHQ a long time ago and coming across training material left over from the 1970s when there used to be an MP course for us kiddies. All the senior cadets we really bitter that we don‘t have anything like that anymore.

 

[cdhoult]

I don‘t really agree that cadets has lost its appeal and use.

What are the aims of the movement again? I think we meet them fairly well. One of the aims is to STIMULATE an interest in the forces, and many of you seem to want to be in the forces, so cadets has done something (If nothing else, cut some time off your first incentive pay)

It‘s only a babysitting program if you, as a senior cadet, allow it to be one. If you think a cadet is there and not acting like a cadet, call them on it. If they say, "My parents make me come" then tell them that either they need to talk to their parents, or get the officers to. Because there is no point in someone being there if they don‘t want to.

If someone ‘wants‘ to be there, but isn‘t acting like a cadet, again, call them on it. Sometimes it‘s all that‘s needed.

It‘s use is still there. My unit, and all the units I‘ve been a part of, continue to produce amazing citizens, and great leaders. Maybe they can‘t fire a C-7 at the age of 14, but does that really matter?

16? Want to join the military? Go join the reservers. You don‘t need to turn cadets into it. We have our roots in the forces to an extent, but the curreny purpose, beyond stimulating an interest, isn‘t that military related. So stop trying to make it that.

CH

 

[1feral1]

My view of cadets, in Canada and Australia.

First off, my Army Unit sponsors the Australian School Cadet (Army) 233 RCU (Regional Cadet Unit)located out of Kogarah, Sydney.

They get much assistance thru our Q Store, and we often help them out. Even their drill is better than ours!

This RCU is very good, with great attendance, bringing 13-18yr old young ‘potential‘ soldiers for the Army.

It keeps them busy, out of trouble, and gives them something to look forward to on Friday nights, when they parade.

Here, youth are taught personal discipline, leadership, national pride, and team work. They do community service, and volunteer for many things.

They go on their camps, where they are taught feidcraft, Australian survival subjects, and other typical cadet lessons, etc.

233 RCU had sent a contingent to Gallipoli in 2002 to see where the our first ANZACs fought, and gave birth to the legend.

I have respect for ther cadre staff, and them in whole. We even take some out bush with us from time to time, putting them on the gun line, and they endure daily life with the Gunners.

I have a lot of time for them, and I know they do get in the way at times, but they are worth the effort.

As for the RCACC back in Canada, I remember so well the old battledress of 2350 RCACC (10 Fd), and the 155 RRR RCACC, back at the Regina Armouries, and the Militia soldiers it bred, followed by many making life long careers in the CF regular force.

Like any organisation, they have their ‘loosers and theives‘ but I know many of the same here in the Army, and back in the CF, who were nothing but a waste of rat packs too. So you‘ll find sub-calibre people anywhere you go, but overall from what I have seen and experienced, they were okay.

So, give the Cadet movement a break, the are worth the investment.

BTW, I never was in the Cadets.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[Excolis]

remember the chain. most cadets that are interested join the reserves, then join reg....if there was more support from the reservists towards the cadets, maybe the recruiting numbers would be higher... cadets are not stupid people, they are acctually very smart. and by the reserves always looking down on the cadets, it turns them away.... a bad attitute gets no one anywhere.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Gee golly, remind me to not let my kids anywhere near boy scouts

 

[Pikache]

Unfortunately my few experiences with cadets isn‘t very positive.

Those who I‘ve came contact with seemed way too immature, even taking into account that they are just teens. Talked to few of them one time and they were way out of it.

Now I know they don‘t represent the cadets as whole and some of the best troops in my unit had cadet experience, but I can only comment on what I‘ve seen.

 

[Excolis]

very true.. there is always good and bad.... but from where i am, it is mostly good....

 

[shaunlin41]

I think that the problem is not the cadets themselves but the people in charge of them.
What I mean is that the cadet program is too slakass with little in the way of structure and disipline. An example of this is the other day I was paintballing and there were four cadets wearing thier cadpats, combat boots, the full works. This to me is horrible were they not taught to respect the uniform?. p.s how the **** did they get cadpats? anyways, when I did my reg basic the former cadets were some of the worse recruits because of the "bad habits" they picked up and the lazy ways combined with the cocky attitude that accompanied them. They had a hard time getting alone with the rest of the platoon. So I think we must look at the people involved and ask why the cadets are this way and what can be changed to better the program and the future soldiers. Of course this is a generalization of cadets and does not apply to all.

 

[chrisf]

Originally posted by 2332Piper:
[qb] Thanks for the responses, I just was curious reading the other posts from other forums. Just a comment directed at Infanteer (sorry if its spelled wrong, just remember we aren‘t meant to be mini-soldiers anymore. Cadets provides a environment in which you can learn many valuable lessons etc for the rest of your life and some other neat stuff too, in a military-like atmosphere so those of us who want to join up to do the real thing can get a little taste without the binding commitment of the reserves
(because at 16 we all know that theres already alot to do). And I used to be in boy scouts, trust me, the difference is HUGE and cadets is a much better atmosphere the provided by boy scouts. [/qb]

The binding commitment of the reserves? Wasn‘t aware there was any sort of binding comittment... if you‘re not happy, you leave.

On the subject of boy scouts, I was a scout, I rather enjoyed it, learned plenty, and didn‘t pick up any bad habits. Not to say that all cadets pick up bad habits, but as several other people also mentioned, some of the worst recruits are ex-cadets (And some of the best recruits, but it‘s a mix).

 

[GrahamD]

It‘s use is still there. My unit, and all the units I‘ve been a part of, continue to produce amazing citizens, and great leaders. Maybe they can‘t fire a C-7 at the age of 14, but does that really matter?

When I was in sea cadets in the early 90‘s, they used to take us to the shooting range for a day every couple of months or so. I don‘t recall what model of rifle it was, but they looked like they were at least 50-60 years old. I was 13 and 14 while I was a cadet.
I quit only because I had to travel 1.5 hours each way to attend our wednesday night meetings.

Perhaps because my cadets program was run in CFB Masset, and about 90% of the participants were military brats, it seemed VERY military oriented.

I was under the impression that it wasn‘t geared so much to spark and interest, but rather to help develop military bearing in induviduals who were already interested in making the transition to the CAF.

 

[bagpiper]

There are alot of people saying that they don‘t like cadets because they seem immature and what not, I know for a fact this is true but I am guessing that there are most likely some immature people in the reserves and in reg force. Just because there are a few stupid people in cadets doesn‘t mean we are all stupid. I know I am not only speaking for myself when I say that I try my best in my cadet training because I want a career in the military and I am still to young for reserves yet, but when I am old enough and qualified (next year) I will be joining. Cadets also offers todays youth a chance to develop many skills they need now and that they will need later in life. I would have a hard time listing all the valuble skills I have learned in cadets even in my short period of time being one. I know there are many flaws in the cadet system but you can‘t balme them all on the cadets themselves. Remember there are many flaws in any organization. Please don‘t judge the people in cadets badly because of a few bad apples and a flawed system.

 

[Slumsofsackville]

I learned more about survival in boy scouts, then cadets. I like Boy scouts better then cadets.