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Huron Expositor, 2005-10-05, Page 11The Huron Expositor • October 5, 2005 - 11 News Seaforth teen spends summer at cadet camp Kimberley Smith, 17, earns right to lead her own company after summer promotions Jeff Heuchert While most teenage girls enjoy spending their summers lying on the beach and talking with friends, that's not the case for 17 -year-old Kimberly Smith. Smith, of Seaforth, spent this past summer in Ottawa, at the Army Cadet National Summer Training Centre. In fact, this is Smith's third year with the Royal Army Cadets. Although Smith realizes the cadets don't seem like the best way to spend a summer, she says there are many things to look forward to. "I get to see places I would never be able to," she says. Smith hopes to take part in an international exchange with the cadets sometime in the next two years. This would give her the opportuni- ty to travel the world while repre- senting Canada. Smith was first introduced to the cadets back in Sept. 2003, when one of her friends asked her to join. Not knowing what to expect, Smith said okay. "My family was excited because this was something they didn't think I would do," she says. Smith began participating in cadet meetings weekly inside the gymna- sium at Central Huron secondary school, where she's currently enrolled. Here the cadets learned basic skills, such as map and compass reading, leadership through group activities, and the necessities for surviving in the wild. Smith also fired her first rifle, although it was only powered by air. She quickly became quite the marksman, and qualified for the air rifle team, along with four others. By the beginning of summer Smith had no intentions of giving up cadets and entered a six-week pro- gram at Camp Borden, a military training facility just outside Toronto. Here Smith would further her knowledge, on way to becoming a cadet leader, by the end of the course. Smith trained in many of the same areas as before. Physically the cadets were tested with rope bridges and climbing over walls. She shot single -round rifles again, submitted photo Cadet Kimberley Smith, of 3144 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Seaforth, helps cadet Gordon Trahan, of 2360 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Arnprior unload sleeping bags after an exercise at Connaught Army Cadet National Summer Training Centre in Ottawa this summer. but this time, real ones. ments that were expected of them This was also her first experience on a daily basis. with camping out. Smith slept in a Smith passed the course and was tent with nine others, something she promoted to sergeant by her com- says took time getting used to. manding officer. "After six weeks everybody was As September came Smith returned to her weekly meetings at Central Huron Secondary School. She now began being tested on everything she had learned to that point. The cadets use a star grading system, green being the lowest and gold the highest. getting on everybody's nerves." The tent was regularly checked along with the cadets' uniforms. "Dust off the bed frames, dust off our lockers, beds made proper, floors swept, and boots polished," says Smith, are just some of the require - By the end of the school year last June, Smith had her gold star. In July, Smith entered the training centre in Ottawa, ready to not just learn this time, but teach. Now as an instructive rifle coach, Smith was able to help teach marks- manship to the lower ranks of cadets and privates. She continued working on her own marksmanship, this time with a semi-automatic rifle. Smith admits she was initially taken back by the rifle's power. "I was scared at first, but after a while I got comfortable," she says. Smith says the days became rou- tine. "Up at 6 a.m., gym at 6:10 a.m., breakfast at 6:30 a.m., clean the tents at 7 a.m., class at 8 a.m., then lunch, and class until supper." Smith saysthe cadets usually spent the evenings enjoying a game of baseball, before lights out at 10 p.m. Although it seems hard to believe Smith says, "It's fun after you've been doing it for awhile." When the program finished this past August, Smith was promoted to warrant. Today, in the same school gymna- sium, two years after she first start- ed, Smith is in charge of her own company, running the drills. Smith's tenure with the cadets will end soon. Nineteen is the maximum age. She still plans to work her way to two more promotions before her time is up. First to master cadet and then chief cadet. Looking back, Smith is proud of the cadets' work in the community. They have helped with the poppy drive, Remembrance Day, and veter- an's parties, Even though Smith has enjoyed the experience, she has no plans to further her military career. She has no interest in fighting in any war. The cadets have left a lasting mark on Smith. "I'm now more comfortable speak- ing in front of my class at school, I'm more disciplined, and I have more respect for everyone," she says. Smith understands the cadets might not be fun for a lot of teenagers out there, but she offers this advice, "try it, you may like it, you might not."