301 Army Cadet Unit Echuca cadets Elijah Beriman, Lucy Pilgrim, Cade Bruffell, Cameron Woods, Matthew Collins and 2024 National Cadet Under Officer Jack Paterson. Photo: Emily Donohoe
Photo by
Emily Donohoe
Echuca-Moama is a thriving community that is only growing. One of the many reasons people love the region is the multitude of groups they can be a part of.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
To help you find the right group, check out our ‘Why not join ...’ series each week, where we focus on a community group.
In today’s edition, Emily Donohoe speaks to 301 Army Cadet Unit Echuca.
With a history in Echuca stretching back to the 1880s, Army Cadets provide young people with opportunities to lead and learn in a supportive, structured environment.
From the age of around 12, a young person can join the 301 Army Cadet Unit.
Here, they will begin training, which involves marching, camouflage, first aid skills, navigation and community engagement, such as through Anzac Day services.
As cadets progress, they learn more skills and take on more responsibility, including field engineering, drill movements and leadership experience.
Beginning his experience at the 301 ACU Echuca, Jack Paterson participated in a range of camps and development courses, eventually working his way to the position of National Cadet Under Officer in 2024.
The NCUO position is the highest rank a cadet can be promoted to nationally.
In this role, Jack has been able to co-ordinate projects and secure resources for the Echuca unit, as well as nationally.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to take part in a few cadet initiatives that we’ve put forward,” Jack said.
“One I’m most proud about is that I put forward this initiative to hold a regional remote cadet forum.
“That was a working group that I established of about 20 or so regional and remote cadets from across the country.”
At home, Jack secured a laptop for the cadets to use for their learning and leadership.
He has also been able to attend national activities, including the Adventure Training Award, Cadet Team Challenge and Drill Competitions.
Jack feels that his experience in cadets has provided he and his peers with valuable life skills to take forward.
“At the end of the day, we’re a youth development organisation that’s trying to instil the values of the Australian Army in young Australians, but also to give them valuable life experiences,” he said.
“Those values, of course, being courage, service, integrity, respect and excellence.”
301 ACU Echuca cadets in 2020 supporting the Moama Australia Day ceremony.
Officer commanding 301 Lt (AAC) Dean Rudeforth emphasised the independence encouraged by the cadet program, with peer-led activities and leadership.
“We’re only adult supervision,” he said.
“We’re just there to make sure they don’t get lost, and if they do get lost, then they have to find their way back.
“Let them go through with the mistake to learn from it.”
Learning skills like navigation and field engineering provides cadets with the opportunity to find their way back, like at their twice-annual camps.
This includes a week-long camp at the Puckapunyal, where their cadet education and problem-solving abilities are put to the test.
Outside of the annual camps, the unit meets every Wednesday at the Bobdubi Barracks on Ogilvie Ave for parade night.
From 6.30pm to 9.30pm, cadets will participate in theoretical and practical lessons.
These lessons can involve camouflage and concealment; navigation, distance-gauging and observation practice.
Young people can get involved with the 301 ACU Echuca by heading online to cadetnet.gov.au/
Adult volunteers are also welcome to support the cadets, with a variety of backgrounds welcome to take on the role.
This position presents similar opportunities for higher leadership and access to courses.
Adults should also go through the CadetNet site to apply.
20°C