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Light snow and -3°C
Light snow and -3°C
Former commanding officer Robert W. Briggs left, leads the cadets down Seguin Street.
PARRY SOUND - In commemoration of its 60th anniversary, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets 295 Squadron requested Freedom of the City from the town on June 5 and then changed its commanding officer.
The Air Cadets install a new commanding officer every three years through a ceremonial parade, so the troops have a chance to see the new leader.
Replacing Major Robert W. Briggs CD is Captain KJ Hill CD. As commanding officer, Mr. Hill’s duty is to oversee the cadet’s dress, discipline and administration of the facility.
Mr. Hill is no stranger to life in both the Air Cadets and the Armed Forces.
“In Parry Sound High School I went through the Army Cadet program, which was in the high schools at that time,” said he said. “I held every rank in it except, cadet squadron sergeant-major. I went from the rank of staff sergeant to cadet-lieutenant and then cadet-major. I commanded the last parade that the Army Cadets had in Parry Sound.”
In the late 1960s, Mr. Hill joined the Regular Force in the Armored Corps and, following his training, he was posted to the Fort Garry House in Calgary, Alberta. After serving in Cyprus on a United Nations peacekeeping tour, Mr. Hill was promoted to corporal in 1973 and then to captain in 1980.
Retiring from the Armed Forces in 2000, Mr. Hill became involved with the 295 MacPherson Squadron the following year.
“I came in one night and had a talk with Major Briggs, he wouldn’t let go, conned me into joining up,” said Mr. Hill with a laugh. “I started working here as the training officer. I did that for a year and then [Major Briggs] decided that I was going to become his deputy commanding officer. I did that for a year and then when his term was up, I was the next one in line.”
Mr. Hill plans to run the squadron as it was in the past, with the higher ranking cadets teaching the younger ones.
“When I was in cadets, we virtually ran the whole thing,” he said. “In high school we only had three commanding officers. That’s the direction I’m going to start this squadron moving in, to get back to what they should have been doing all along and what they used to do in the past.”
During his time as commanding officer, Mr. Hill has to train his successor up to his standards before he can step down in three years time.
“I’ve already got my sights set on my replacement and possibly his replacement,” said Mr. Hill. “So, for the next nine years, this thing should operate the way I want it to.”
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, on June 5, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets 295 MacPherson Squadron requested Freedom of the City from Parry Sound. Freedom of the City is an honour granted to military units that’s dated back to the middle ages when the cities were surrounded by walls. After the towns people got to know their local defense force army was granted freedom of the city, the go-ahead to enter the town at will. Today, it’s an honour that is given to units that perform services for a particular city.
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