A Parade & A Competition

3045 Army Cadet Corps of Arctic Bay held its first Parents Night Parade of the 2022-2023 Training Year on October 26.  The original date was October 19, but I had to postpone it due to bad weather.  The delay gave the cadets an extra week to work on their drill and for me to review the Awards List again to make sure it was accurate.  A Parents Night Parade gives cadets the opportunity to demonstrate what they’ve learned and for administration (me) to publicly hand out badges, awards, promotions, and make announcements.  We hold four of these parades every training year.

The cadets & I arrived at the school gym an hour early to get everything ready.  Tables, chairs, flags, awards, and refreshments were brought out and placed in strategic locations.  We still used the official portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II because the official portrait of King Charles III hasn’t been released.  Come to think of it, I think it still needs to be done.  Even though Charles immediately became king after the queen’s passing in September, the coronation ceremony is still being planned.  Once that’s done, then an official portrait will be made and released.  I’m guessing at least a year will pass before 3045 receives a portrait of the king.

The cadets changed into their uniforms after the gym was turned into a parade square.  Uniforms are still on the way for the cadets who recently joined.  Everything was ready to go and the parade began at 6:30pm.

I didn’t have time to recruit a Guest Reviewing Officer (GRO) so it had to be me.  I inspected the cadets on parade and observed them doing a March Past.  The audience did the same.  I did a short welcome speech for the audience and commended the cadets for their dress, drill, and deportment.  I then moved on to the awards.

Level 1 Marksmen.

I started with the marksmanship badges.  Cadets shoot the Daisy .177 calibre air pellet rifle at paper targets.  There are four numbered levels; Level 1 is the lowest and Level 4 is the highest.  Successful earning of a badge depends on the result(s) of shooting a grouping target.  A grouping target consists of two large black circles and you’re supposed to hit the centres using 10 pellets (5 for each circle).  Cadets are aiming for accuracy and precision.  The best outcome is to hit the same spots five times.  (It’s possible).  I awarded two Level 1s, two Level 2s, one Level 3, and three Level 4s to eight happy cadets.  Cadets who reach Level 4 early in the year now have to maintain that level and are encouraged to advise/assist struggling cadets, if capable.  (They don’t lose the badge if their skill level drops).

Cadet receiving Silver PT Badge.

Newly joined cadets.

Next were the physical training (PT) badges.  One of the key pillars of the Canadian cadet program is physical fitness.  The corps holds a PT test at the beginning of every month, giving cadets the opportunity to improve the fitness, health, and earn badges.  There are 4 levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Excellence.  Achieving these levels requires meeting certain conditions, too long to list in this post. (Sorry).  I too participate in these tests even though I won’t earn a badge.  A commanding officer must lead by example.  I awarded two bronze, two silvers, and two gold badges to six happy cadets. 

I called three cadets to the front to publicly acknowledge them for attending summer camps this past summer.  The cadets completed courses in marksmanship, expedition, and drill.

The last group of cadets I called were the newly recruited cadets.  I wanted to formally & publicly welcome them to Canada’s most northern cadet corps.

I once again thanked parents, guardians, and community members for attending the parade.  The cadets & I posed for a group photo after the parade had finished.  Reception lasted for 15 minutes.  It took the cadets & I another 15 minutes to put everything away. 

The annual Fall Biathlon competition was held on Saturday, October 29.  The competition combines marksmanship & physical training, and gives cadets the opportunity to put their skills to the test for prizes & bragging rights.  The objective is to complete the shooting & running relays in the shortest amount of time.  I’m aware biathlon means skiing, but since there isn’t enough snow on the ground and the ice in the bay isn’t fully formed, running is the only alternative.  The cadets run a one-kilometre lap around the school in between shooting relays.  Cadet participation is voluntary, but encouraged.

The day began in the early morning at the school gym.  We turned the large open room into a three-lane air rifle shooting range.  This involved using tables, chairs, sandbags, flags, bowls, clipboards, stop watches, pylons, scorecards, and lots of lead pellets.  The cadets would be shooting metal plinker targets instead of paper targets.  To make things easier, each cadet would be assigned a dedicated lane and stop watch during their relay.  That way, all recorded times would begin at 00:00 and the clocks wouldn’t have to be paused if all the shooting lanes were occupied.  This also meant that more time would be needed to get all participating cadets through.  Past experience taught me the competition would last well into the afternoon.

Start Line.

To ensure fairness, I split the cadets into three groups: first years, second years, and senior cadets.  Cadets were given time to choose an air rifle, practice shooting, and stretch their legs.  Once everyone felt ready, I asked for volunteers to begin the competition.

Cadets who were waiting helped me keep score, time, and refill the bowls with lead pellets.  Everyone was instructed to stay clear of the gym doors because cadets would be coming and going at breakneck speed.

We took a break in the middle of the day for lunch.  Senior cadets boiled a large pot of water on a Coleman stove and used it to cook Canadian-made Individual Meal Packages (IMPs).  An hour was set aside for lunch.

The competition continued in the afternoon.  The remaining cadets completed their relays.  They were tired but relieved to be finished.  We spent the next 20 minutes putting everything away and cleaning the gym.  The cadets were formed up for a debriefing.  I congratulated them for participating in the competition.  The results & winners would be posted on Wednesday.  I gave the cadets 30 minutes to play sports in the gym.

A surprise greeted me a few minutes before I formed up the cadets for final dismissal.  A parent came into the office with a box containing a decorated birthday cake she made.  She said my mother ordered it for me.  The cake had a picture of a parachuting skydiver on it, referencing my recent accomplishment at Skydive Toronto in July.  My mother contacted Frank and he contacted the parent who runs a birthday cake business.  Thanks Mom!  I thanked the parent for making the cake.  I shared a part of it with the cadets and then took the rest home.     

 

Making Waves, Snow, & Ice

Arctic Bay is subject to bad weather from time to time.  The most common are blizzards, high winds, and extreme cold.  The surrounding hills & mountains do offer a substantial amount of protection, but unfortunately, nature always finds a way.  We got a good example on October 13.

Bad weather usually begins in the morning and then dissipates in the afternoon.  The other way around is rare.  Well, this time was one of those rare times.  There was wind blowing through the community in the early morning hours, but it wasn’t strong enough to warrant the closure of school.  However, the wind intensified that by lunchtime, the local school board decided to cancel afternoon classes.  I stayed for the afternoon to get ahead in my work, but first I walked down to the shoreline after lunch to document the weather.

The strong winds were coming from the south and blowing north towards the community.  The waves crested and crashed onto the shoreline as I took several pictures.  (The waves weren’t tsunami strong).  Grey overcast clouds hung low above the community.  Looking out into the bay gave the appearance that I was not in Arctic Bay, but somewhere down south, like Newfoundland or Nova Scotia.  I also imagined myself trying to surf the waves on a surf board . . . and ironing board.  I returned to my classroom after taking pictures and a few short video clips.  The winds died down the next day.

The first heavy snowfall arrived on October 15.  There was snow everywhere: on the ground, streets, porches, vehicles, boats, and roofs.  And it wasn’t melting.  It wouldn’t be long until the sounds of moving snowmobiles would be heard throughout the community.  I decided to wait a few more days and then get my skidoo moving.  I spent a good 20 minutes after school clearing the snow off my front porch, steps, and skidoo cover.

Snow comes first and ice comes second.  The bay and inlets slowly freeze and become solid by the end of October.  A large collection of ice and snow appeared along the shoreline on October 20.  I’m not an ice forming expert, but I think this large formation came from the sea and not from the bay itself.  When the bay freezes, the ice forms a smooth surface.  This looked like as if a collection of icebergs broke apart into many, many pieces, and then carried here by the currents.  Boaters wanting to hunt will have to leave the breakwater pier and navigate through this ice formation slowly & carefully.  If that’s not possible, they’ll have to start removing their boats from the water or risk having them frozen in place until next year.

Counteroffensives, Cleaning, & A Bonfire

“All warfare is based on deception.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The valiant soldiers of Ukraine’s Armed Forces perfectly demonstrated how the above statement still holds true in modern warfare by launching two simultaneous counteroffensives in the Kherson & Kharkiv regions against the occupying Russians.

The Kherson Counteroffensive began on August 29 and is still ongoing.  The end goals are to expel all Russian forces from the region and liberate the occupied city of Kherson.  Right now, it looks like this will be achieved and I hope this will be true.  The Kharkiv Counteroffensive started on September 6 and recently ended on October 2.  Ukrainian forces managed to liberate “over 500 settlements and 12,000 square kilometres” of land.  Deception played a key role in this stunning achievement.

In the weeks leading up to the counteroffensives, Ukraine publicly stated, on many occasions, that they would be launching a counteroffensive in the Kherson region.  Russian responded to these announcements by redeploying thousands of soldiers to that area.  Most of the troops came from the Kharkiv region.  Ukraine went ahead and began attacking on August 29, further keeping the Russians unaware that this was just a ploy. 

To be honest, I think everyone, including me, fell for this, because the Kherson region sits next to the island of Crimea.  Liberating Kherson will enable Ukraine to launch a future attack and sever the land bridge the Russians established between Crimea and the eastern occupied territories.  It only made sense for Ukraine to focus its efforts here.

Just a few days later, on September 6, the Ukrainian military launched its surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv and caught the occupying Russian forces completely off guard.  The element of surprise was so much that Russian soldiers fled in a mass panic, leaving behind much of their equipment and ammunition.  Some Russian units tried to establish defensive lines along natural barriers, but thankfully, these didn’t work.  Ukrainian soldiers were welcomed as liberators by civilians who described abhorrent conditions they endured under Russian occupation.  Torture chambers, execution sites, and mass graves have been discovered and are currently being investigated.  The counteroffensive concluded with the encirclement and liberation of Lyman. 

Ukraine’s government and military humourously thanked Russia for all the “donated ammunition and equipment” they left behind.  I’m sure it’ll all be put to good use in the fight for Ukraine’s freedom.  I also hope the success of this campaign will ensure NATO’s continued efforts in supplying Ukraine with all the resources it needs to liberate its lands from the Russian orcs.

Progress on the Kherson front is slower, but still in Ukraine’s favour.  The stunning success in Kharkiv must have left Russian forces demoralized.  They’re still fighting back, but in an organized withdrawal manner.  This is to prevent Ukraine from capturing more equipment, ammunition, and prisoners.  Even though Russia formally & illegally annexed the provinces of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk on October 2, it’s beginning to appear that Russian forces may fully withdraw from the western side of the Dnipro River and the city of Kherson.  I hope this happens.  It would be even better if Russia withdrew all its forces from Ukraine, including Crimea, and go back to recognizing the 1991 borders, but unfortunately, that’s not likely to happen anytime soon.

Keep fighting Ukraine.  Slava Ukraini!

Professional cleaners came to Inuujaq School on Saturday, October 1 to clean the air ducts.  I can’t remember the last time they were cleaned, so I assumed they were filled with dust.  My assumption was confirmed when I took a closer look at the air duct covers that were removed prior to the cleaning.  Expensive equipment laid all around the school and I saw three contract workers using them.  They managed to finish their work before Monday.  The air inside the school felt cleaner than before.

The cadets of 3045 Army Corps enjoyed an evening bonfire behind the airport on Saturday, October 9.  The corps has been holding bonfires at the woodpile behind the airport since 2013 when we began cleaning the shoreline.  The wood from the pile comes from discarded pieces that float from Arctic Bay to this shoreline during the brief summer months when the waterways are open.

I procured the assistance of the same RCMP officer who help me with the garbage cleanup in September.  We also acquired an ATV, trailer, and a red pickup truck.  Thanks, Frank!  A few cadets assisted me in buying the necessary food from the local Co-op.  Everything was ready to go when the day arrived.

Twelve cadets attended the event.  Attendance was taken and the bonfire supplies were loaded onto the trucks.  The cadets divided themselves between the red & RCMP trucks.  I drove the red truck.  The RCMP officer drove his truck and towed the trailer.  The ATV was attached to the trailer.  We arrived at the airport at 6:45pm.

The ATV was unloaded and the trailer was attached to the ATV.  The cadets transferred the supplies from the red truck over to the trailer.  There was still enough room for the cadets to pile into the trailer.  The senior cadet drove the ATV, trailer, and cadets down to the shoreline.  The RCMP officer & I walked.  The weather was relatively calm but cold.

The cadets built the bonfire while I organized the food on a circular table.  The table has been there for many years and will probably stay there for many, many more.  The food consisted of hot dogs, buns, marshmallows, granola bars, juice boxes, ketchup, and mustard.  Other supplies included flashlights, roasting sticks, paper towels, toilet paper, matches, Firestarter sticks, garbage bags, and two cots for seating.  The cadets got the fire started just after 7pm.

The fire slowly grew to an acceptable size.  The roasting sticks were handed out and everyone began roasting hot dogs & marshmallows over the open flames.  Tragically, some were lost in the fire, but this is to be expected.  I compensated by buying more than enough hot dogs & marshmallows for everyone.

Nighttime arrived and we were surrounded by darkness.  The cadets continued feeding the bonfire with pieces of wood.  The flames bathed us in light and kept us warm.  There was brief break in the clouds and we saw a full moon.      

The bonfire lasted until 8:30pm.  We smothered the fire with snow and loaded the remaining supplies onto the trailer.  The cadets were driven back to the trucks at the airport.  I was the last person to leave the bonfire site.  Leave no cadets behind.  The most senior cadet dropped off the ATV & trailer at an agreed spot while the RCMP officer & I drove the cadets home.  Everyone made it home safely by 9:15pm.