LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - From competitions to see who could pack up their equipment the fastest to stealthy reconnaissance missions, it was a weekend of fun with a purpose for Fort Simpson cadets.

Lt. Steve Nicoll, left, reviews with Lance-Cpls. Charles Blondin, Darius Sabourin, Phoenix Martineau, Tristan Thurber-Tsetso and Michelle Lafferty how to build a model out of available materials during the second day of the Fort Simpson Cadet Corps' field training exercise. - photo courtesy of Nathalie Lavoie

Seventeen members of the 2860 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, along with three staff, spent their long weekend participating in the corps' hot weather field training exercise at the Shale Creek gravel pit approximately 50 kilometres outside of Fort Simpson. The purpose of the exercise is to test the cadets on the skills they've learned during the year, said Lt. Steve Nicoll, the corps' commanding officer.

Junior cadets were tested on orienteering and radio procedures while senior cadets were given the opportunity to display their leadership skills. In addition to grading specific tasks, everything the cadets did, from setting up their shelters to following safe practices, was tested, said Nicoll.

Most of the testing, however, was built into games in such a way that the cadets were too wrapped up in the activities to notice it was happening. Junior cadets' orienteering skills were judged during a reconnaissance competition.

The young cadets had to use their compasses to navigate to a position where the senior cadets had built objects out of flagging tape and sticks in the bush. They had to carefully observe without being seen and then return and build a model to report their findings. The cadets enjoyed sneaking up even if they weren't particularly stealthy about it, said Nicoll.

"They had fun."

For Cadet Master-Cpl. Ernest Tsetso, one of the highlights of the weekend was the crash base drill. Without warning the cadets had to pack up all of their equipment and be ready to move their camp as quickly as possible. The competition called for organization, teamwork and co-operation.

Tsetso's section, one of three that the cadets were divided into, won the drill by being ready the fastest. The whole platoon was ready in 15 minutes to receive new co-ordinates, find their way there using compasses and set up their camp again.

Tsetso also enjoyed the ration packs that the cadets ate for every meal. Each section was responsible for preparing their own food using a camping stove and a pressure cooker.

"The food was good," he said.

For Cadet Warrant Officer Jennifer Gast, the most senior cadet on the exercise, playing "capture the chicken," a version of capture the flag played with rubber chickens, was a high point.

Even in the games, however, the cadets were fulfilling one of their program's core components, physical fitness.

"There's hardly a minute of the day when they aren't moving," Nicoll said.

Overall the exercise showed that the leadership levels within the corps among the cadets have noticeably increased over the past few years. Cadets are now transferring these skills to their schoolwork and to their other extracurricular activities, he said.

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