As a former Apprentice Soldier, I have nothing but admiration for the RCN Raven Program.
The Raven Program is designed to build bridges between aboriginal communities and the CF, as well as ensure aboriginal youth are aware of potential job opportunities within the CF and DND.
The program, now in its sixth year, is open to aboriginal youth (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) from across Canada. The program, which ran from July 13 to Aug. 28, included youth ranging in age from 16 to 25 from all Canadian provinces and territories.
“It takes a lot of courage for them to leave their homes and communities, to travel across the country, and to spend seven weeks out of their summer in a military culture they know nothing about,” says Warrant Officer Tom Woodruff, instructor for Raven Program. “The pride in their faces and in the faces of their families at the graduation parade is overwhelming.”
This year’s Raven Program began with a four-day culture camp, followed by a six-week basic military recruit-training phase. Cultural teachings of respect for self and others were the foundation of the cultural camp, which encouraged participants to explore the meaning of discipline through holistic perspectives of mind, body, spirit and emotions. During the basic military recruit-training phase, participants learned more about the CF, as well as skills such as safe weapons handling, navigation, seamanship and first aid. The group also participated in a day sail aboard the maritime coastal defence vessel HMCS Whitehorse.
These types of programs are a valuable asset to the DND and perhaps more of them along the lines of the old army apprentice program should be set up. The three cadet corps , army , navy and airforce do their bit in training our youth but both they and the Raven program are in limited numbers overall.
THese types of prgrams would definetely give the youth of a today an alternative to Gang Life or being addicted to virtual gaming. Canada's youth needs to ressurect the programs of the past and refresh them and use them.
On the Libyan front Gadaffi is still on the losse. I do not think NATO should be proclaiming a victory as of yet. Tribal culture defies Western Logic, and he is protected by his Tribe.
Please show support to our Troops and their families.
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
