The marksmanship team takes aim during shooting practice at the cadet range Monday night. Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source
A team of five Lloydminster air cadets have taken it up a notch, advancing to level three in marksmanship, which is just one level away from nationals.
The 186 squadron cadets will pack up their rifles and head to Edmonton April 12-14 to compete against 19 other teams.
Ethan Samarin said he joined the cadets in 2022, after reading Chris Hadfield’s autobiography.
“He mentioned it (air cadets) in his book, so I looked it up and that’s when I decided to join,” said Samarin, adding he loves marksmanship.
“I already like hunting and I just like getting better at shooting each time I come here,” said Samarin.
“I think it’s awesome, especially for people with lower incomes because there’s not a lot of cost associated with being in cadets.”
His teammate Yshy Maroto became involved in air cadets because she had never tried shooting before and wanted to give it a go.
“I came in here blind; I didn’t know how to shoot anything. I learned a lot, the breathing techniques, the trigger pull,” Maroto said, adding instructor Gordon Stefanuk has taught her a lot.
Stefanuk, who has been a civilian instructor since 2020, has a background in marksmanship himself.
“I like the competitive scoring aspect. When I was younger, I was on the national team, so it kind of helps in that way—I can share the knowledge that I have for shooting,” he said.
Even though they use air rifles, safety is still of utmost importance to the team.
“We shoot air rifles, but they are actual rifles. They can do damage, so there’s a big safety aspect,” said Stefanuk.
“The competitive aspect of the team I really, really enjoy and seeing the progression of the cadets.”
“Like any shooting sport, you first try and hit the target, then you try and get better on the target and then you start hitting more into the center.”
The team gathers on Monday evenings to focus on shooting, but there are other activities to participate in through cadets as well.
“When they’re not shooting, we have a flight simulator in the corner and they fly that. We do gliding too.
“You can get your pilot’s licence through the cadets, so there’s lots of activities for that. And there’s a large component of leadership.”
Air cadets is open to youth ages 12-18 and is cost-free. If interested, you can register online at 186aircadets.ca.
