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The first day of cadet training
 | | Capt. Jane Smalley teaches cadets how to “square corners” with the bottom sheet. |
Cadet 2nd Lt. BrandiiRe’Ann Davis 09.JAN.08
This
article describes the activities of “Day One” of the 2007 Winter
Encampment from the perspective of 15-year-old Cadet 2nd Lt. Davis. The
Texas Wing, Civil Air Patrol conducts two encampments a year primarily
for the beginning cadet, ages 12-15; instruction is conducted by older
cadets and supervised by adult mentors. The camps are held at Camp
Swift in Bastrop.
CAMP SWIFT — Encampment started as the cadet
staff arrived between 8 a.m. and noon at Camp Swift on Dec. 26. We were
briefed and assigned duties. Directing traffic, taking pictures,
posting signs on doors, and helping other cadets with material items
are only a small list of all the things we had to do. In short, we had
to prepare the place for the cadet basics to arrive from all over
Texas, as well as from Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina,
and Vermont.
They came later that day beginning at 1 p.m.,
creating a long line of uniformed young persons, each flanked by a
bundle of belongings. They had brought everything they would need for
the week, including bedding, uniform items, compasses, personal
toiletries, and shoeshine kits. First thing, after saying their
goodbyes to their families, they piled their luggage to stand in line
as they waited to sign in.
When it was their turn at the
in-processing desk, they presented their paperwork, then went on to
their assigned flight station to receive a T-shirt of the right color
for their flight (the smallest unit formation, usually no more than 15
cadets). As they returned to the sunny day outside and retrieved their
baggage, they started looking for their barracks building — which at
times was difficult in the confusion of the moment. Soon, to their
great relief, they would find the right place that would be “home” for
the following five days and the bunks they would sleep in.
Cadets
got right to it, unpacking and trying to make their bunks using the
white twin-size sheets they had brought along (no fitted sheets
allowed). But making the bed properly would demand “squaring of the
corners” for a lasting, neat appearance, and they would learn that
later in the day. Not long afterwards, the flight sergeants rounded up
their cadets in formation and took them to encampment introduction.
There, they were introduced to staff members and told what was expected
of them, including this expectation from Col. Frank Eldridge,
encampment commander: “You do your best and we will help with the rest.”
When
everything was said and done, members of the Standards Evaluation Team
(SET) showed the cadets the proper way to wear the uniform, followed by
the prescribed way to make a bunk. This was very important because they
would be graded on how they did it.
Afterwards, the flight
sergeants and commanders collected their cadets and marched them onto
the grassy field for group formation. After an eternity of being in
formation (about half an hour), cadets fell in for physical training
(PT). Push-ups, sit-ups, stretches, and runs were the drill for this
activity. They will do this every day, since they’ll need it to pass
their next physical fitness achievement test.
At evening
formation, immediately following PT, the cadet commander, Cadet Maj.
Rojas, disclosed the order in which the flights would eat their dinner.
Dinner at last! After a long day of settling in, the cadets enjoyed
their lasagna, broccoli, French bread, salad, and minuscule piece of
cake. Even though they were not allowed to talk to each other, the meal
tasted just fine.
But the day had not ended yet. The cadets
would still have firearms training, followed by an aerospace education
class. As with every course of instruction, safety was a major concern
and every precaution was taken to prevent accidental injury. The cadets
finally got personal time.
For those who wanted it, Chaplain Maj. Ron Whitt conducted a 15-minute devotional at 21:15 in the mess hall.
Mercifully,
at 23:00 hours, staff called lights out for all personnel, bringing the
successful first day of encampment to an end. A good night’s sleep
would do wonders for their ability to perform during day two. - Cadet Public Affairs Team
 
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