Kirsten Larsen
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 23/99) - Being the top-ranking cadet in Yellowknife's Army Cadet corps is more than just holding a rank. It's a job that requires Melissa Rowe to put cadets at the top of her list even when she's not on parade.

Chief warrant officer Rowe has been with the cadets since she was 12 years old. She is now 18 and has responsibilities that are comparable to the demands of a regular job.

In charge of an entire company of cadets, Rowe's duties as chief warrant officer begin prior to parade nights.

"You parade on Wednesdays but there's still your uniform that has to be done, the outlines for my classes have to be made up and I have other responsibilities as well."

Rowe has to know ahead of time that her company and cadet instructors will be attending the parade so she can organize cadet duties, and ensure all the instructors will be available to teach the evening classes.

"On Mondays I make calls to find out who is coming to cadets on Wednesdays and who is not and who is sick," said Rowe. "If someone (a cadet instructor) is absent, I have to cover for them or find someone."

Whenever there is an event on the weekend such as shooting practice, fund-raising or a company function, Rowe is the one who pulls the cadets together to ensure the events go as planned.

Rowe's position in the chain of command requires her to be the liaison between the cadets and officers which makes her a valuable consultant for the officers to get an idea of what the cadets want.

"I put my input into what I think the cadets would like," said Rowe.

"I help plan exercises, I give recruiting ideas -- anything I can help on."

Although Rowe doesn't get payed for the job, there are perks that come with rank and responsibility. In cadets, the more responsibility a person can handle and is given, the better chance they have for promotion, awards and opportunities to have the experience of a lifetime.

Rowe's efforts have gained her a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity -- travelling to Germany and training as a cadet with the German army on an exchange program.

"We got to go to different military bases all over Germany -- at least six different bases," said Rowe. "Germany doesn't have cadets, so we had to train with their soldiers -- these 20 to 30-year-olds that could run forever, so the pressure was on us quite a bit. We had the same standards on everything and did what they did, from firing weapons to physical fitness."