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Youth test mettle at Camp Cadet

By Matt Churella 4 min read

CRESSON -- More than 40 youth got an eye-opening experience this week as they took part in the Cambria County Camp Cadet program held at Mount Aloysius College. The camp, hosted by the Pennsylvania State Police and manned by troopers, shows participants not only what it takes to be a police officer, but also provides a firsthand look at other public service careers.

Cadets arrived Sunday afternoon, were introduced to the daily drill, the rules and what to expect during the week. They learned that inspection of their quarters would be made and beds were to be neat.

Campers who might not be early risers at home, especially during the summer months, found the life of a cadet begins early, as reveille and showers started off their days at 6 a.m., followed by breakfast at 7:30 a.m.

In the hours between morning showers, evening showers and lights out at 10 p.m., campers built confidence as they completed close order drills, tested their mettle on the obstacle course and learned CPR and first aid, along with the importance of gun safety.

The youth, all ages 12 to 15, also took part in learning sessions ranging from computer crime and polygraphs to state police aviation and mounted units, fire and emergency medical services and self defense.

It's a jam-packed week, organizers said, emphasizing that it's not a boot camp; instead, it's geared toward kids who are interested in law enforcement, military and first responder careers.

Being a cadet for the week is a sought-after position, said Trooper Bruce Mulhern, who noted about 100 applications come in, but only 48 kids can be chosen due to space constraints.

Those who don't make it are encouraged to reapply the following year, he said.

Lucas Biter, a 14-year-old student in the Forest Hills School District, was selected for this year's camp.

He became interested in Camp Cadet after his brother went through the program last year.

"I thought it would be really interesting, so I decided to give it a shot," Biter said. "I learned that there is a lot more than meets the eye about the state troopers, and there's a ton of experiences that I can take along with me later in life."

The camp is staffed with a dozen instructors and four "senior cadets" -- youth who went through the program the previous year and were invited back to be mentors.

Trooper Frank Lasinsky said he and the other instructors hope the cadets build "100 percent confidence" in themselves after completing the program.

"The first couple days, they're taken out of their element and put into a very chaotic environment," Lasinsky said. "They're still trying to figure out the rules and do what they're supposed to do. The senior cadets are a good role model for them. That's why we brought them back because they were the best of the best last year."

Skyler Wilson, 16, was the top female cadet in last year's program because of her observed leadership skills and performance in physical fitness tests.

Wilson, now one of this year's senior cadets, said she learned to push herself in the program last year.

"I learned to never back down," she said. "You never know what you're capable of until you try it."

Wilson said she encourages other youth to participate in Camp Cadet in the future.

"It's an amazing experience that you don't want to take for granted," she said.

Lasinsky, who participated in Westmoreland County's Camp Cadet program in 1988 before becoming a state police trooper, said the program is designed to be interesting and rewarding.

The instructors try to expose the cadets to the many different aspects of first responders, the criminal justice system and the military, he said.

"There's a lot more to it than just being a policeman," he said. "Any of our kids who have an interest in something involving first responders, there's usually something here that they find pretty interesting."

The Cambria County Camp Cadet program concludes with a graduation ceremony Saturday morning.

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