For Pierre Breckenridge, wife Pascale and daughter Cassandra, serving with the Sault-based 2310 Royal Canadian Army Cadets has been a family affair.
In fact, Pierre and Pascale met through their involvement with cadet units.
“We actually met at Ipperwash at a cadet camp,” Pierre told SooToday.
Pascale joined a cadet unit in Quebec as a teenager and served for a period of time with the Governor General's Foot Guards in Ottawa before marrying Pierre.
She moved to the Sault and has served with 2310 ever since, currently holding the rank of major.
Daughter Cassandra, after completing her basic training and officer training, was recently promoted to second lieutenant with 2310.
She won a number of provincial and national biathlon titles as well as shooting medals as a cadet.
“It was a natural progression for her to become a coach in shooting and biathlon. She’s very intelligent and in her third year of nursing,” Pierre said of Cassandra.
“She’ll be the first in our family to get her commission scroll from the King. Pascale’s and mine were from the Queen,” Pierre said.
Pierre, now 60, is a recently retired Algoma Steel emergency services worker and also serves as Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25's 1st vice president.
Being involved with an army cadet unit is a part-time commitment but, as reported earlier, the Breckenridges have served with 2310 for a combined total of 101 years.
“It’s a long history when I start reflecting back on it, but it seemed to go by pretty quick,” Pierre said, reflecting on his own career with 2310.
“I started in 1975. I was 12. I spent six years as a cadet, then the rest of the time, 41 years, as a Cadet Instructor Cadre officer. I got a lot out of the program and I wanted to give something back.”
“Primarily it’s a youth movement focusing on leadership, citizenship, physical fitness and of course they always try and stimulate interest in the Canadian Armed Forces,” Breckenridge said, describing what being an army cadet involves.
The group offers training in shooting skills, biathlon as well as musical training for the unit’s band.
2310 meets on Monday evenings at the Sault Ste. Armoury.
A person can join the cadets at 12 but must leave by the age of 19, staying on to become an adult officer if he or she chooses.
Breckenridge reached the rank of major during his career with 2310.
He pulled back from his formal duties with the unit in 2019 but still volunteers for the group, now serving as an Area Elemental Advisor making recommendations to army cadet units in the Sault, Elliot Lake, Blind River and Manitoulin Island.
“We had some service people on my mom and my dad’s sides of the family. I had a great uncle who served in the Second World War, so that inspired me to join the cadets, but the person who inspired me most was Reg King. He was our training officer when I first joined and then he became the commanding officer,” Breckenridge said.
“To me, he demonstrated those values that we try to instill in young people, of loyalty, integrity, service to others, teamwork, being dedicated to something greater than yourself.”
“For sure one of the highlights of my career was taking my Canadian Forces parachuting course in 1988,” Breckenridge said.
“That was by far a highlight. It was something that interested me as a young cadet and then the opportunity came up when I became an officer, so I took the course and passed and so as a result I was able to achieve my parachuting qualification.”
“A lot of people asked me ‘what’s wrong with you, throwing yourself out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft?’” Breckenridge recalled with a chuckle.
“I have to say to any person seeking thrill or adventure that it is one of the ultimate things. It is very exhilarating.”
“We jumped out of a Hercules so you get that prop blast when you go out the side door so you get thrown back considerably, but we also got to do a couple of ramp jumps out the back door, and that’s like being on a huge water slide,” Breckenridge said.
In June, the Breckenridge family will join 2310 as the unit celebrates its 75th anniversary.
“Our family has believed in the program and have wanted to give something back,” Breckenridge said.
The 2310 anniversary celebrations will include a meet and greet on June 2 at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25’s temporary home at the Marconi Club, followed by various other activities June 3 and 4.
“So many people know so little about the cadet program in spite of a lot of advertising and recruitment efforts. They don’t know its benefits and that it’s free of charge, the fact that it’s backed by the Canadian Armed Forces and that its officers are trained to a certain national standard,” Breckenridge said.
“It gives them a sense of belonging, challenges them in a safe way to conquer their fears and pursue their interests. For me it’s been an inspiration to see a 12 or 13-year-old person come into the program as shy and reserved and develop and mature into a self confident person,” Breckenridge said.
Time spent serving as a cadet opens doors, he added.
“We’ve had many of our local cadets go on to the reserves and the regular Forces. Employers like cadets. They see that cadets can stick with something for a number of years, get oriented towards a schedule, a routine and take direction while working as part of a team. Some cadets have helped run a group of 150 people and there’s not that many young people that can say they have that experience,” Breckenridge said.