Cadence • Issue 11 • Fall • 2003
March past: continued from page 9
gt Michael Dilliott, a cadet with 23 (Optimist) Air Cadet Squadron in St. Catharines, Ont., is arguably the first Canadian cadet ever to visit a Luftwaffe — a German Federal Air Force base.
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Cadet visits Luftwaffe
In Germany on a three-month international student exchange, Sgt Dilliott asked his ‘host parents’ if there was any possibility of visiting a base, even though traffic through the Luftwaffe is restricted. With persistence and some luck — a colleague of his host mother is the secretary to the German Minister of National Defence — Sgt Dilliott was invited to visit the Luftwaffe at Rheine. The base is the home of Jagdgeschwader 72 — an air combat war games squadron removed from active duty and practising combat manoeuvres in the F4 Phantom multi-strike fighter with squadrons from all over Germany.
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Sgt Dilliott toured the base, attended briefings and visited the control tower, mission planning centre, war room, supply-hold and maintenance hangars. He visited armoured F4 cells, where the aircraft were dug into the ground and covered with armour and grass. He also watched several missions and with an instructor, flew the F4 Phantom simulator for half an hour before landing safely.
“There are no German cadets and the Germans think Cadets is impressive — especially Air Cadets,” says Sgt Dilliott. “The Germans I spoke with particularly admire Canadian cadets for becoming active in building their own lives at such a young age.” b
horizon
“Training” is the theme of the winter issue of Cadence. ver the last couple of years, officers from across the country have been working hard with staff at the directorate of cadets to address issues raised by local and cadet summer training centre staffs. During that time, efforts have been aimed at stabilizing and enhancing cadet training.
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In our next issue, we will provide some updates on advances in local and summer training in the sea, army and air cadet training programs. We will also have an update on the CIC military occupational structure change management program, with some answers to what’s being done and where CIC training is going.
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Copy deadlines are October 15 for the winter issue, published in December, and Feb 4, 2004 for the combined spring-summer issue, published in May. The theme of the spring-summer issue will be CIC officers as members of the Canadian Forces. To avoid disappointment, notify the editor well in advance regarding planned submissions.