Local squadron recognized

Details

Published on Thursday, December 10, 2015

By John Drinkwater

The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

On Dec. 3, the Neepawa-based # 9 Squadron of the Air Cadets received a pair of awards from Air Cadet League of Canada (Manitoba) Squadron Liaison Bill Zuk.  F/Sgt. B J Rossnagel was recognized as the highest scoring cadet in the 2015 Basic Leadership Course. 

The squadron also received the Captain Kenneth Young Memorial Award, which recognizes the most proficient rural squadron in Manitoba. The award is named after Captain Kenneth Young, a RCAF pilot who was killed in a helicopter crash at CFB Rivers (now closed) on June 10, 1970. 

His family has commemorated his life’s work with young people through the annual recognition of the “most proficient” rural air cadet squadron. As a former air cadet, he had risen through the ranks in his Kelowna, BC. cadet squadron and later, as an air force officer, continued to actively work with youth. In particular, he was involved in hunter safety programs, junior rifle clubs and with the Air Cadet League of Canada (Manitoba).

At the time of his death, he was the Senior Air Cadet Liaison Officer at CFB Rivers, supporting eight rural squadrons. In that role, Captain Young was always impressed with the effort and commitment that was involved in rural squadrons completing their training programs and being able to compete with their urban counterparts on an equal basis.