PolAris

During this Blues meeting, several cadets promoted:  Cadet Rachel Anderson promoted to a SMSgt  Cadet Michael Bradley promoted to a A1C  Cadet Isaac Petersen promoted to an Amn  Cadet Luke Holman promoted to a Captain

C/Amn Karlie Therrien on Drill and Character Development

“I’ve been at the squadron for two and a half years now. Each meeting has taught me many essential things, things we as cadets can still use in our everyday lives. It may not seem like it, but let’s take something as simple as drill, you know, left face, right face, about-face, you get the drill, right?

Some people may think drill isn’t “important,” But drill is exceptionally crucial in a team. Whether you are in a flight, squadron, platoon, or battalion, drill is the foundation of discipline. You’ll mess up; yes, it can be confusing, but once you get it down, it’s a part of you, and it’s one of the most amazing feeling when you get it right, like a snap of your fingers, and when you can hear the beat of everyone’s boots hitting the ground in sync with your fellow cadets.

Why drill is essential;

• Helps in developing leadership skills and command voice. • It teaches adherence to standards. • It helps develop muscle memory. • It teaches you to listen. • You begin to appreciate the attention to detail and see how small things make a big difference. • It teaches you professionalism and, most importantly, teaches cadets how to work as a team.

When you hear a command like “left face” you simply do it without overthinking it. It’s okay to mess up as long as you try and take it at your own pace. If you need to ask one of your fellow cadets, I am confident they would be more than happy to help. Everyone who tries and puts in their best effort will succeed. After watching a squadron drill, you can see that everyone is a team at the end of the night. You develop a sense of pride

in yourself, and that pride translates into success in other areas of your life.

Character Development inspires cadets to embrace the Air Force Core Values as the foundation of their lifelong development with the character of a leader. It provides experiences, tools, and collaborative, inspirational settings to foster character and leadership development for cadets. A lot of people have taught me a lot of important lessons about character. Character Development is one of my personal favorite meetings because you can learn so much if you listen. And it’s incredible how everyone contributes no matter the rank, and you will be included.” – C/Amn Karlie Therrien

C/Capt. Holman moved to Texas earlier this month, we hope he has moved in quickly and safely. We will miss him as one of our senior cadets and a good friend. Stay Safe!

C/SMSgt Rachel Anderson