Submitted
Golden Army Cadets joined the Invermere cadets for a day and overnight training last weekend.
Invermere Army Corps hosted 30 army and air cadets and staff from three East Kootenay Units from May 12 to 13.
The 552 Key City Air Cadet Squadron from Cranbrook and 3066 Army Cadet Corps from Golden joined the Invermere Cadets.
The primary training focus was orienteering, which is a “thinking” outdoor sport that combines a participant’s mental ability with physical ability.
In orienteering, participants navigate routes between isolated control points using a compass and a map.
The emphasis is on map reading and direction finding skills. Cadets participated in two orienteering courses around Invermere.
The first course proved to be extra challenging because people in the community moved a few of the control markers. Cadets hung in there and completed the course.
Following orienteering, leadership tasking, team building and “minute to win it” games took up the afternoon and evening hours.
Sunday morning was spent at Kinsmen Park. Assistant fire Chief Tom McNeil from the Invermere Fire Department spoke to the cadets about careers in fire fighting.
McNeil stayed to watch the stretcher obstacle challenge. Laid out on a canvas stretcher was our patient “EGG-bert.” The head was a glass pie plate, the body was one of the cadet’s kit bag. Just before the cadets began the course, we placed a raw egg in the pie plate and taped a tin bowl over.
The team would carry their patient up, over, around, and under obstacles in the quickest time, but without injuring EGG-bert, who is rolling around.
When all teams completed the course, Cpt. Rob Bott placed the egg between his hands and squeezed them together.
If the egg broke, it simulated an acquired brain injury. The last two teams managed to save their patient.
It was a successful training weekend and these units plan to continue working together in future training activities.
For more information about Army Cadet Corps or Air Cadet Squadrons in the East Kootenay, please contact Cpt. L. Bott at Cranbrookupar@gmail.com.
