Cadet champions

Reason to celebrate: CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy shares in the joy of the victorious WA team after the CA Cadet Team Challenge. Photo by Bill Cunneen, Army newspaper

By Pte Shannon Joyce

TOMORROW’S military and community leaders have pitted their skills against one another at Holsworthy Barracks in the second annual CA Cadet Team Challenge.

In a vigorous day of competition, 64 cadets from eight Australian Army Cadet (AAC) regions worked together in state teams for the honour of being named the champion region. The WA team won the challenge on 48 points, with SA a close second on 45 points and South Queensland third on 42 points.

RSM WO1 Jon Morgan, of AAC headquarters, said the senior cadets aged 16 and up went through a selection process in their home state for a place representing their region.

“Because the teams have come together from the same region, it doesn’t necessarily mean they know one another,” WO1 Morgan said.

“As strangers, they’ve had to work out each others skills, weaknesses and strengths, and how best they can work as team to win the challenge.”

The competition tested a range of abilities, including navigation, bushcraft, .tness, observation courses and general military knowledge. Each team was also assessed on drill, dress and bearing for the Regimental Sergeant Major-Army trophy, won by the SA team.

CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy was impressed by the initiative and teamwork shown on the final endurance challenge.

“It would be nice if you all joined the army, but I know that some of you won’t,” he said in an address to the cadets.

“What’s important to me is that you have worn the uniform, you’ve got the sense of what it means to belong, to be able to extend yourself, and to be able to achieve. If the cadets are about the Army and community, I’m pretty con.dent about the future of Australia.”

AAC WO1 Gene Norton, Company RSM of the SA team, said his team members were pushed physically and mentally in the .nal endurance challenge.

“The challenge has developed well from last year and the standards of cadets are a lot higher. I think next year’s competition will be even better,” he said.