A life less ordinary
This is a great time to get involved with Cadets. As the lockdown restrictions come off and external activities are coming back, we plan to end this year with a bang!
Rotorua Air Cadets go bowling
The last Parade Night of every term is usually time to let our hair down. 29 Squadron hosted a bowling night at Motion Entertainment and invited RDCU and 75 Squadron to join us.
The invitation to attend was also extended to family, and we took out 5 lanes to settle who was the best on the night.
During the game some wonderful hot food came out on shared platters and our sneaky plan to slow down the cadets with the insanely hot jalapeño poppers seemed to have some success.
Thank you to the families and Cadets of 75SQN for joining our annual event.
Here are some photos of the night:
Rotorua Air Cadets selected for Officer training
Over the school holidays, three of 29 Squadron’s NCOs are going for further training to become officers. LAC Belt was selected for the Junior NCO course, while CPL Swinburne and CPL Coveney have been selected for the Senior NCO course.
Hosted at Whangaparāoa and Whenuapai military bases in Auckland, our cadets will spend a week on-base receiving training in leadership, squad handling, and building skills and confidence in oral presentations.
These courses are fully funded by the New Zealand Defence Force. To be selected is a recognition of hard work and dedication.
Congratulations to LAC Belt, CPL Swinburne, and CPL Coveney. We know you will do well.
Air Cadets Rotorua thanks its volunteers
Although well-supported by New Zealand Defence Forces, Cadet Forces is completely run by volunteers. All its officers, the support committees, and everyone else that helps out from time to time is what makes Air Cadets tick.
Thank you.
Thank you for your selfless dedication to ensuring young people get training, challenges, and victories along the way to becoming more confident, upstanding, and successful young adults.
We always need more volunteers.
If you like the idea of Cadets, or you used to be a Cadet and you like the idea of coming back and helping run 29 Squadron for Rotorua’s youth, then please get in touch.
Volunteers!!! You ROCK!
If can’t do, you train #CadetsRotorua
While we await NZCF HQ permission to be allowed to host and attend external exercises, Rotorua Air Cadets are taking the opportunity to train, train, and train some more.
Recent topics covered Firearm Safety, Code of Conduct, and Leadership training.
Four of our non-commissioned officers (NCOs) will soon live on-base at the Tamaki Leadership Centre in Whangaparaoa where they will receive Junior and Senior non-commissioned officer leadership training.
These courses are eagerly competed for at unit level as Cadets get to add experiences not available to anyone else.
29 Squadron is always looking for people interested in taking the Air Cadet journey with us. Watching young people grow is extremely rewarding.
Rotorua Air Cadets keep on keeping on
All through the Covid-related restrictions, 29 Squadron kept up Parade Nights and education via Zoom and Google Classroom.
Cadets were challenged to develop a digital programme and they didn’t disappoint. Many virtual parade nights didn’t stop at the usual 9:15 pm as cadets craved the experience.
No 29 Squadron ATC returned to our unit during Level 2 with strict distancing and hygiene rules, and now that we are at Level 1 we are operating in a way that almost feels normal.
Our Cadets were suffering serious cabin fever. They returned wanting to be challenged. Catching up with mates in the ‘real world’ took on a new importance.
We are now hanging out for New Zealand Cadet Forces HQ easing the final operating restrictions which will allow our cadets to go back to attending field exercises, camps, and cadet social events.
NZDF Seasprite tour
After visiting Rotorua’s Volcanic Air before the lockdown, it is interesting to get a sensor tour of one of our eight SH-2G(I) aircraft operated by the NZDF.
And here’s a bonus vid from 6 Squadron:
We Shall Remember Them #StandAtDawn #AnzacDay2020
29 (Rotorua) Squadron Air Training Corps was scheduled to perform their annual support role at Rotorua’s Civic Service today.
Instead, we gathered with our families in or near our homes.
We Will Remember Them
Anzac Day tomorrow morning #StandAtDawn #29SquadronATC
Tomorrow morning, at 0600 HRS, 29 SQN Cadets will observe Anzac Day individually. The national initiative by the NZDF and RSA, #StandAtDawn, will see cadets at their letterboxes while streaming Last Post, observing a minute silence, listening to the Ode of Remembrance, and the National anthems.
Rotorua Cadets challenged to get fit(ter)
The New Zealand Cadet Forces have posted a six-week exercise schedule to stop our cadets from returning as well-developed couch potatoes once the lockdown ends. Click here to access the NZDF exercise plans, including a phone app!
April is normally one of our busier months with cadet fitness being tested during parades, marches, and of course standing perfectly still for hours during the Anzac parade honour guard. (Try it for 10 minutes to see how hard that is on the body)
Speaking of Anzac Day:
As the notice says, more details to come.