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Editorial: Jeremy Hansen and the Cadet Program

November 2024 marks a historic moment for Canadians, as Canada will become only the second country to reach the moon. Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian astronaut at NASA, will be the first Canadian (and non-American) to journey to the moon since space travel began in 1961.
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November 2024 marks a historic moment for Canadians, as Canada will become only the second country to reach the moon. Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian astronaut at NASA, will be the first Canadian (and non-American) to journey to the moon since space travel began in 1961.

This marks the end of a fifty-four-year-long American monopoly on lunar exploration, which began with Apollo 11 - the first lunar landing. This mission, dubbed Artemis II, will send a four-member crew into space for a “lunar flyby”, lasting less than twenty-one days. It will be NASA’s second mission - their first with a manned crew - in the Artemis program, which aims to continue sending humans to the moon and beyond. While the other members of Hansen’s crew have all completed missions on the International Space Station, this will be his first trip into space, a giant leap from his days of flying gliders as an air cadet in London, Ontario.

Before his successful military career in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a fighter pilot, Jeremy Hansen was a cadet. Hansen joined the 614 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron in London, Ontario at the age of twelve and spent seven years in the air cadet program, earning his glider pilot wings and private pilot license all before the age of eighteen. His achievements as a cadet gave Hansen a great advantage in his application to the Royal Military College of Canada, from which he later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Space Science. Since then, Jeremy Hansen has accomplished many more feats in his career, aided by the discipline and self-confidence he credits to his time spent as an air cadet.

The Canadian Cadet program, which includes the three branches - Army, Air, and Sea - emerged in the mid-twentieth century with the goal of preparing young men to serve in World War II. The objectives of the Cadet Program have since shifted to focus more on teaching youth between the ages of twelve and nineteen about “leadership, citizenship, and self-confidence”. Cadets can grow in these areas through the various camps and expeditions available to them throughout their time in the program.

This includes unique opportunities like the Basic Paratrooper Course for army cadets and the air cadets’ Gliding and Private Pilot programs, which allowed Jeremy Hansen to develop his appreciation for flying at such a young age. Former cadets can be found in many fields, as the program’s alumni have gone on to excel and become household names. Chris Hadfield, a renowned astronaut, was once an air cadet, as was country singer George Canyon, and Lt.-Col. Maryse Carmichael, the first woman to fly with Canada’s Snowbirds. The first female navigator and commander of a Canadian Air Force Squadron, as well as biathlon Olympian Jean-Philippe Le Guellec, also participated in the cadet program, just to name a few. Clearly, the cadet program can have a positive and profound impact on the lives of current and former cadets. Jeremy Hansen is just one of the countless success stories to come out of the Canadian cadet program as it continues to shape the leaders of tomorrow.

Jordanya Edwards is a pre-med student studying biology at the University of Alberta.

Ben Turner is a student at Athabasca University and a Captain in the Canadian Reserves.

Peter Anto Johnson and John Christy Johnson are both medical students at the University of Alberta.