The cadets of 3045 Army Cadet Corps competed in the annual Fall Biathlon competition on October 25. The corps event sees cadets run & shoot metal plinker targets in the shortest time possible. I know biathlon (usually) means skiing, but the bay isn’t frozen in October, and it’s too dangerous to cross country ski up & down streets. Participation is voluntary & cadets compete for prizes & bragging rights. The visiting captain from the Regional Cadet Support Unit (RCSU) Northwest (NW) assisted me in running the event.
We arrived at the school gym at 9am and got to work turning the large room into an air rifle range. Tables, chairs, backboards, flags, air rifles, lead pellets, metal plinker targets, shooting mats, flags, and spotting scopes were brought out from storage and placed all over the gym. I retrieved scoring sheets, stop watches, clipboards, and pens from the cadet office. Everything was set by 9:30am.
The captain & I held a briefing with the cadets, going over the day schedule & safety rules. The cadets were then given time to stretch, select their air rifles, and practice shooting the plinker targets. Canadian cadets use the Daisy Avanti 853c air rifle. Three practice relays were held.
Cadets were divided into three groups according to their training years to ensure fairness. The groups were Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3+. A Year 1 relay consisted of running twice & shooting three times. The other two groups had to run three times & shoot three times. A max of three cadets would complete their relays at the same time because there were only three shooting lanes. Technically, we could accommodate more, but that increases the risk of cadets having to wait to shoot, meaning pausing & continuing their times. Also, it’s easier on the judges to have all competitors begin at 00:00. If they begin after that, you must do (tedious) math to figure out their total time. Time penalties were given for missed targets, but they varied based on the assigned group.
The first three cadets began their relays several minutes after the practice relays ended. The remaining cadets assisted the captain & I on the range. Cadets shot 15 pellets in total. The running course was 1km around the school. When a cadet finished their relay, I asked for another to volunteer.
Lunch
began at noon and lasted an hour. Meals
were prepared and delivered by the local hotel.
RCSU NW provided funding. The menu
consisted of sandwiches, cookies, and canned drinks.
The competition continued after lunch. Only a few cadets needed to complete their relays. All relays were completed after an hour. We then spent the next 30 minutes cleaning up the gym and putting everything away. I collected all the score cards, placed them in a large envelope, and put it in the cadet office. I would review them the following day and have the final results ready for the next training night.
The cadets were given an hour to play sports while the captain & I focused on corps administration. We periodically checked to make sure the cadets were getting along. At the end, the cadets were formed up for a debriefing. I congratulated the cadets for competing and thanked the captain for his assistance. The cadets were dismissed for the remainder of the day.
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