New Brunswick cadet training camp provides leadership opportunities to youth

Air, sea and army cadets from all over the world are gaining valuable leadership experience, pushing their limits and forging lifelong friendships at Camp Argonaut at CFB Gagetown.

Cadets from Canada and abroad are at the training centre this summer taking part in expedition, general cadet training, leadership, and fitness and sports programs.

Zachary Barnes, 18, is working as the top staff cadet at the camp as the Regemental Sergeant Major (RSM) and is overseeing hundreds of staff and training cadets. Barnes says it’s an honour to hold the position after years of attending the camp as an army cadet.  He says getting the job is something he never imagined happening because no one else in his immediate family has participated in cadets.

“I thought it was going to be a kind of one-week-a-night kind of thing and I’m here every single summer and I’m loving every second of it,” Barnes said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I thought it was going to be a kind of one-week-a-night kind of thing and I'm here every single summer and I'm loving every second of it," Barnes said.

READ MORE: Vernon’s cadet camp booming this summer

Camp Argonaut Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Mackay says the camp offers a variety of courses and activities for cadets — including fitness training, expedition courses, and pipe and drum training. Lt.-Col MacKay says the camp also teaches leadership and the necessary skills young adults need to succeed in every aspect of their lives.

“The smiling faces tell me that they are enjoying themselves. What it also tells me is that they’ve gained confidence in whatever activity that we’re doing with them, and they gain the confidence that ‘I can do this,'” Lt.-Col MacKay said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: <span class="st">"T</span>he smiling faces tell me that they are enjoying themselves. What it also tells me is that they've gained confidence in whatever activity that we're doing with them, and they gain the confidence that 'I can do this,'" Lt.-Col MacKay said.

There are 12 cadets currently on-exchange from the United Kingdom, including Jakeem Addman, from London.

Addman is part of the Expedition Instructor course and completed 18 days out in the field, followed by a solo trip into the wilderness.  He says it’s helping to prepare him for the future by teaching him leadership skills.

READ MORE: Eastern Canadian cadets train in Nova Scotia to get glider pilot licences

“We’re learning how to teach other people, so it’s going to be really helpful when I join the army — when most of us join the army,” Addman said.

This is the first year the camp has offered courses to all three aspects of the cadet movement — air, sea and army, making it a ‘tri-service’ camp.