Desirée DeCoste
Beaver Staff
Local Napanee teenager Petty Officer Second Class (PO2) Javier Quej-Keogh of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps 224 has joined the 2019 staff cadets of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ontario this summer.
It is located on the grounds of the Royal Military College of Canada campus on the shore of Kingston’s Navy Bay.
The training centre offers a range of dynamic training opportunities from introductory to advanced levels in sailing, music, seamanship as well as drill and ceremonial courses.
PO Quej-Keogh has been in the cadet program for six years and has attended summer training courses at both HMCS Ontario and Blackdown Cadet Summer Training Centres.
“I wanted to be in cadets because all my family was in cadets,” added PO Quej-Keogh
This year marks PO Quej-Keogh’s second year as a PO in the Logistics department.
PO Quej Keogh speaks very highly of the cadet program saying it’s great because they get to meet new friends, enjoy their time and learn new things.
Among the new things he has learned is leadership which he hopes to continue improving upon both in and outside of cadets.
“The Napanee Sea Cadets have prepared me a lot more then any corps I know,” PO Quej-Keogh told the Beaver. “I know my officers very well so their easy to talk to and easy to ask questions to.”
When in his hometown of Napanee PO Quej-Keogh volunteers with local baseball teams as well as his cadet unit.
He hopes more people will join cadets as it’s free, it’s fun, and members get to go to summer training and get paid, get experience, get to meet new people and learn things they normally wouldn’t learn in school.