CAPNYNEWS ONLINE

By: C/1Lt Heather Nelson, CAP
HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA - 4 June 2008. With the presidential elections only a few months away, many Americans are focused on domestic issues, one small group of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets from upstate New York have been thinking internationally. The CAP cadets, all from Mid-Eastern Group of New York Wing, recently took a weekend trip across the border, they were there to visit another young group of cadets who are native to the area.

This was the second time the two groups got together for a joint activity. The first time I had the honor of planning the event. The first program started as a proposal to get to know a squadron from the Canadian equivalent to CAP known as the Royal Canadian Air Cadets (RCAC). I was charged with planning a fun weekend for approximately 40 young adults, the challenges were formindable; more than a month of pre-planning ensured that everything ran smoothly. The trip was set for 28-30 September 2007 and the work mounted as the date approached. The cadets had quite a packed weekend, including a tour of Stratton Air National Guard Base (their home for the weekend,) a C-130 tour, a trip to the Empire State Aerospace Museum, and a tour of the USS Slater, a WWII Destroyer escort vessel, now a floating museum anchored in Albany, NY.

The event was a great success and the cadets really bonded in the short time they were together through participation in multiple activities such as team sports and a drill competition. Our CAP leadership thought the program was so successful that they decided their cadets should go to Canada and learn more about that country and the RCAC program. After months of planning, the group embarked on the six-hour drive to Hamilton, Ontario to spend the weekend with their new friends from 62 Grimsby Phantom Squadron.

They were greeted at the Squadron HQ by their cadet host families and were quickly shuttled off for some much needed sleep prior to the start of a busy day. All the cadets rose early in the morning and began the weekend by touring the US Slaters Canadian equivalent, the much larger HMCS Hiada, a personal tour of the Canadian War Plane Heritage Museum followed by a pool party at the home of one of the Canadian officers. Before leaving to go back home the CAP cadets got an up close and personal look at Niagara Falls from the boat The Maid of the Mist. It was basically like having front row seats to an amazing natural wonder, reflected c/SMSgt Jessica Plummer of the Vedder Composite Squadron.

Both the CAP and RCAC cadets thoroughly enjoyed the trip and were hoping it wouldn't be the last time they saw each other. Because of the outstanding feedback that the officers received from each country, they decided to meet up again in the future, this time, it would be the Canadians' turn to come visit the New York Wing. This trip will take a different tact and possibly more along the lines of an Emergency Services based offering and a look at one of CAPs major missions sometime around Columbus Day 2008.

Colonel Robert Hoar the cadet programs officer for the squadron said he would love to get surrounding groups including those from Long Island involved in the next trip so even more NYWg cadets could take advantage of this valuable learning experience. Officers from both programs were very impressed with the cadets' attitude and how much they bonded together in the short time they were with each other and are excited to see this event expanding.

NYW NEWS ONLINE