Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 5, 2022 23:02:30 GMT 12
U.S. Air Force Cadets On Study Tour Of N.Z.
Fifty-one immaculate cadets from the United States Air Force Academy. Colorado, landed ait Christchurch airport yesterday from Australia to begin a five-day field study of the Dominion.
Although sightseeing plays a part in such a trip it is only a minor one. The cadets will only have one free day for sightseeing and shopping. For the rest of the week they will be touring military stations, attending briefings or prearranged educational visits to places of interest.
As the Australia-New Zealand journey is a pilot venture the six senior officers accompanying the cadets will be assessing the value of it. Already the trip commander (Colonel G. J. Cameron) says it has been highly successful and promises to become an annual event. Colonel Cameron said the field study projects demanded much of the cadets, who were briefed on the political and economic situation of each host country. While at Auckland they would receive briefings on New Zealand’s political structure, aspects of cultural and historic life, and the Dominion’s defence posture.
The average age of the visiting cadets, he said, was about 20 years. All are members of the academy’s graduating class of 1965. At the present time seven trips involving the 650 men in the class are taking place around the globe.
The group visiting Zealand left the United States on June 6 and will return there by June 29, when they will be sent to various air Force bases for two weeks on-the-job training and then given two weeks leave before returning to the academy.
As an indication of the keen competition to get into the academy Colonel Cameron said that for the graduating class of 1965, 66,000 applications were received, of which 755 were selected.
The cadets, who arrived by U.S.A.F. Hercules aircraft, are accompanied by a cadet squadron commander from the academy (Captain A. A. Marnello), a member of the faculty (Major J. Gatlin), a medical officer (Dr. J Blacker), and the project commander for all the academy's summer field trips (Major J. Riley). Colonel Cameron said he would like to see Australian and New Zealand Air Force officer cadets visit the academy in future. Already such cadets from several countries made annual visits there.
Today the cadets will visit the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Wigram, where they will be welcomed by the station commander (Group Captain J. D. Robins). The cadet in charge (Cadet B. Halliday) will then give the New Zealand officers a briefing on life at the Air Force academy at Colorado. After a tour of the station they will lunch in the officers' mess and later participate in a mixed sports programme.
PRESS, 24 JUNE 1963
Fifty-one immaculate cadets from the United States Air Force Academy. Colorado, landed ait Christchurch airport yesterday from Australia to begin a five-day field study of the Dominion.
Although sightseeing plays a part in such a trip it is only a minor one. The cadets will only have one free day for sightseeing and shopping. For the rest of the week they will be touring military stations, attending briefings or prearranged educational visits to places of interest.
As the Australia-New Zealand journey is a pilot venture the six senior officers accompanying the cadets will be assessing the value of it. Already the trip commander (Colonel G. J. Cameron) says it has been highly successful and promises to become an annual event. Colonel Cameron said the field study projects demanded much of the cadets, who were briefed on the political and economic situation of each host country. While at Auckland they would receive briefings on New Zealand’s political structure, aspects of cultural and historic life, and the Dominion’s defence posture.
The average age of the visiting cadets, he said, was about 20 years. All are members of the academy’s graduating class of 1965. At the present time seven trips involving the 650 men in the class are taking place around the globe.
The group visiting Zealand left the United States on June 6 and will return there by June 29, when they will be sent to various air Force bases for two weeks on-the-job training and then given two weeks leave before returning to the academy.
As an indication of the keen competition to get into the academy Colonel Cameron said that for the graduating class of 1965, 66,000 applications were received, of which 755 were selected.
The cadets, who arrived by U.S.A.F. Hercules aircraft, are accompanied by a cadet squadron commander from the academy (Captain A. A. Marnello), a member of the faculty (Major J. Gatlin), a medical officer (Dr. J Blacker), and the project commander for all the academy's summer field trips (Major J. Riley). Colonel Cameron said he would like to see Australian and New Zealand Air Force officer cadets visit the academy in future. Already such cadets from several countries made annual visits there.
Today the cadets will visit the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Wigram, where they will be welcomed by the station commander (Group Captain J. D. Robins). The cadet in charge (Cadet B. Halliday) will then give the New Zealand officers a briefing on life at the Air Force academy at Colorado. After a tour of the station they will lunch in the officers' mess and later participate in a mixed sports programme.
PRESS, 24 JUNE 1963
