Royal Canadian Army Cadets

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The Royal Canadian Army Cadets (RCAC) is a federally-sponsored program for young Canadians. The cadets are between ages of 12 and 18, and may be males or females. The cadet movement is a partnership between the Department of National Defence and the Army Cadet League of Canada. The cadet programme is lead by a group of commissioned Canadian Forces officers, called the Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC).

The goals of the RCAC movement are

develop in youth the attributes of good citizenship and leadership
promote physical fitness
stimulate the interest of youth in the sea, land, and air activities of the Canadian Forces

There are ten main study and application topics in cadets:

PO 401 -- Drill
PO 402 -- Fundamental Training
PO 403 -- Bushcraft
PO 405 -- Map and Compass
PO 406 -- Marksmanship
PO 409 -- Instructional Techniques (Silver and Gold Star only)
PO 410 -- Public Speaking
PO 411 -- Leadership
PO 412 -- Citizenship
PO 413 -- Physical Fitness

Cadets not only attain ranks, but may also attend government-run cadet summer training centres (CSTC) at Canadian Forces bases, as well as various other inter-corps opportunities. They progress in their cadet careers through star levels: green, red, silver, and gold, and eventually aspire to complete the National Star Certification Exam, and to become a Master Cadet.

Contents

1 Summer training
2 Rank structure
3 Partnership with Canadian Forces
4 See also
5 Notes
6 External links

Summer training

Throughout the summer, the opportunity to delve further into the Army Cadet program allows teenagers to fully develop the skills they learned throughout the regular training year, at their Local Headquarters. Camps range from 2 weeks to 6 weeks, and should they later gain enough experience, they may go on to become staff cadets, which would take them into 7 weeks of the summer.

The camps range as follows:

Cadet -- Basic (2 Weeks)
Cadet -- Basic Marksman (3 Weeks)
Cadet -- Basic Military Band (3 Weeks)
Cadet -- Basic Pipes and Drums (3 Weeks)
Cadet Leader (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader -- Marksman (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader -- Military Band (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader -- Pipes and Drums (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader Instructor -- Adventure (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader Instructor -- Drill and Ceremonial (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader Instructor -- Marksman (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader Instructor -- Military Band (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader Instructor -- Pipes and Drums (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader Instructor -- Physical Education and Recreational Training (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader Instructor -- Rifle Coach (6 Weeks)
Cadet Leader Instructor -- Pioneer and Adventure (6 Weeks)

Once a cadet has completed a Cadet Leader Instructor course and has passed the National Star Certification Exam (NSCE), he or she may work at a camp as a staff cadet or, if their NSCE mark is high enough, may choose to participate in one of the advanced camps or exchanges, such as:

Advanced Military Band
Advanced Pipes and Drums
Army Cadet Leadership & Challenge
Federal Republic of Germany Exchange
Outward Bound: Wales/Scotland
Basic Military Parachutist Course
Australia
Maple Leaf Exchange
Other various exchanges under the ACE (Army Cadet Exchange) Program

Rank structure

Similar to the Canadian Forces, the Rank Structure may very in name depending on which type of Corps, though the actual grading, or value of the rank remains the same.

Rank badges for the Royal Canadian Army Cadets

From lowest to highest:

Cadet - A person who has just joined the cadet program.
Private (Pte) (1-bar chevron) - Depending on the type of Corps, a Private may go by the following traditional designations:
*Sapper (Engineers)
*Trooper (Armour)
*Gunner (Artillery)
*Guardsman (Guards)
*Lance Corporal (or Lance Bombardier)
*Fusilier (Fusiliers)
*Rifleman (Infantry)
Corporal (Cpl) (2-bar chevron) - In Artillery Corps a Corporal uses the title Bombardier.
Master Corporal (MCpl) (2-bar chevron with maple leaf) - In Artillery Corps a Master Corporal uses the title Master Bombardier.
Sergeant (Sgt) (3-bar chevron with maple leaf)
Warrant Officer (WO) (Tudor Crown) - In Guards Corps, a warrant officer uses the title Colour Sergeant.
Master Warrant Officer (MWO) (Tudor Crown with Wreath)
Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) (Canadian Coat of Arms)

Different appointments can also be held throughout the ranks:

Section 2I/C
Section Commander
Platoon or Troop 2I/C
Platoon or Troop Commander
Squadron (SSM), Battery (BSM) or Company Sergeant Major (CSM) (Usually a MWO, but in smaller Corps it can be a WO.)
Quarter Master Sergeant
Chief Clerk
Training NCO
Drum Major
Pipe Major
Drill Sergeant Major (DSM) (Usually a MWO)
Regimental Sergeant Major (Usually a CWO, but in smaller Corps it can be a MWO)

The availability of ranks and appointments is determined by the number of cadets in the corps. In certain Corps, cadets may also attain Cadet Officer ranks, even though they were removed from the standard Cadet rank structure several years ago.

Officer Positions in the cadet program are filled by members of the Cadet Instructor's Cadre (CIC) and other members of the Canadian Forces. Officer Ranks Include (from lowest to highest):

Officer Cadet (OCdt) - A thin gold bar.
2nd Lieutenant (2Lt) - A thick gold bar.
Lieutenant (Lt) - One thick and One thin gold bar.
Captain (Capt) - Two thick gold bars.
Major (Maj) - Two thick and one thin gold bar.
Lieutenant Colonel (LCol) - Three thick gold bars.
Colonel (Col) - 4 thick gold bars.

Officers in the Cadet Movement can hold various appointments at the specific cadet unit. These positions include:

Commanding Officer (CO)
Deputy Commanding Officer (DCO)
Training Officer (TrgO)
Supply/Logistics Officer (SupO)
Administration Officer (AdminO)
Operations Officer (OpsO)
Standards Officer (StdsO)
Troop/Platoon Commander (Pl Comm)
Unit Human Rights Advisor (UHRA)

There are also various other positions that officers can hold either at the area, regional or at the national level.

Partnership with Canadian Forces

Along with the Sea Cadets and Air Cadets, the Army cadets make up a program funded primarily through the Department of National Defence. A funding level of $160 million per year (2004 figure) is distributed between the three elements, and is used to purchase uniforms for the cadets, provide opportunities for survival outings as well as provide summer training centers.

The Cadet program has historically been an effective recruiting tool for the Canadian Forces. While it is not mandatory for former cadets to join the CF, some choose to do so anyway. The Cadets have historically been a unique instrument for inculcating regimental pride as well as basic military knowledge in prospective recruits. For example, one of the youngest battalion commanders in the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Ernest Payson "Tommy" Thompson of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, had been an enthusiastic Army Cadet before the war. After leaving cadets, he became a lieutenant colonel and battalion commander at the age of 23.Tyler, G.C.A. The Lion Rampant: A Pictorial History of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada 1910-1985. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, 1985. In the 1970s and 1980, some cadets were permitted to train with the Regular Force in West Germany.

(CF Europe was) a plum course for cadets who were selected on the basis of high standing in their province on the "Gold Star" exams. The cadets were treated as full members (soldiers) of the regular infantry section that they were posted in. In my case I was in the first section of 2 Platoon, Mike Company, 3RCR which was call-signed as 12A. We were just like the rest of the guys and pulled all the same duties, good, bad and otherwise as anyone else. In my case, my youthful enthusiasm led to me volunteering to be the Carl Gustav gunner for our section, so sometimes I got to do some of the anti-armour ambush work with my number two... There was always a lot of talk about the "balloon going up' and the threat briefings that we all attended on Warsaw PACT and NATO forces certainly encouraged that sort of chatter. As the song says in those days "... our arms were heavy and our bellies were tight!"Sheldon Clare, serving with 2618 Corps (Rocky Mountain Rangers). [canadiansoldiers.com gallery of Army Cadet photos taken during NATO training in 1980.]

In recent years, partnership with the CF in regards to military training or exchanges has been hindered by the fact Canada is "party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict."[Childsoldiers.org]

Notes

External links