Master Warrant Officer Riley Heyden, front left, with the 2537 North Saskatchewan Regiment Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps. Battlefords Unit. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Community Leaders

New award for senior cadets in leadership role

Dec 4, 2019 | 2:16 PM

Kids in the cadets now have something new to look forward to when they stay with the program from beginning to end.

Outgoing Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) cadets who exit the program when they have reached age 19 – the maximum age for cadets – who also show their merit will be honoured with the Leading to the Future RSM Award.

Capt. Brenda Cookman, Commanding Officer of the 2537 North Saskatchewan Regiment Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps. Battlefords Unit, created the award.

“A lot of our senior kids don’t get the credit that they deserve,” she said. “We just assume because they are at the top they know they are the best and should be getting the award.”

But, Cookman added, often younger cadets are awarded instead, so this recognition helps make up for that.

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“This is an award that is specifically for our RSM’s, especially the ones that stick with us right until they are 19. It doesn’t happen very often,” she said.

Outgoing RSM Cassidy Cookman and previous RSM Shayne McInnes both were honoured with the award at a recent ceremony in Battleford.

Capt. Brenda Cookman, left, honours previous RSM Shayne McInnes with an award.

The Commanding Officer said McInnes was given the award as the first recipient, even though he had what is known as aged out in June of 2018, “because he really helped set the tone for our future RSMs.”

Cassidy Cookman was the second recipient because of her current status and qualifications while meeting the criteria of the award.

To be considered for the award, candidates need to have met two primary requirements – they have held the RSM position and they be on parade the last Tuesday before turning 19 years of age.

Riley Heyden, left, took over as Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), left, while Cassidy Cookman, right, is leaving the RSM position since she has finished the cadet program. Cookman was also awarded during the ceremony. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

The local cadets corp. also saw a change of appointments.

Riley Heyden took over as Regimental Sergeant Major from Cassidy Cookman, while Ross Brogden replaced Heyden as the Company Sergeant Major (CSM).

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW