Newest Cadet

A Bit Snow-Blinded

This is my newest not-so-little Cadet. He has been waiting three years to join the ranks of his big brothers.

Here they are dressed to go to their Kiska Dinner. This is the Cadet annual Christmas dinner. Cassidy, being only 12 years old a week ago, was the youngest Cadet. Because of this, tradition has it that he takes on the position of the Captain for the dinner. He wore the Captain's coat and beret and sat at the head table. He did not have to give orders, but at the end of the dinner he stood and said:

"I now stand down the Corp until January 8, 2009. You are now dismissed."

Cassidy has some pretty big shoes to fill. His oldest brother, Colt, has work extremely hard to bring himself up the top level of Regimental Sergeant Major. Colt worked through learning disabilities and did not let that stop him. While others managed to get assignments done in one fourth the time Colt did, Colt still proved himself more worthy of being the top Cadet. He beat out two other Cadets of equal rank to earn the lead position.

He took home three trophies at last summers year end parade. And I have had personal phone calls of such high commendations from his officers and adults in his Corp. When Colt and Dane joined Cadets three years ago, they had noone to help them 'do it right'. Other Cadets had big brothers or fathers who had military training, or were in Cadets themselves. Colt and Dane had to learn it all and earn it all on their own merit.

Cassidy has the bonus other Cadets had before him: he has two big brothers to teach him the tricks of the trade - how to polish boots to the point of being able to see his reflection, by simply using a blowdrier, a rag, and bootpolish; how to put a crease in his pants with soap, so that the crease will stand straight up. These are things that the older boys learned along the way.

So, Cassidy joins with two great Cadets and aims to be as good as his big brothers. But first we had to nearly shave his long hair off! The big boys have been waiting a long time for this. I was NOT going to have another bald boy. So, I simply had his hair cut so the front is reasonable and the back is nice and short.
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