By Ryan Melanson
Participant Cassidy Carlson, from La Ronge, Saskatchewan, said she wasn't afraid to get a little wet and deal with a frantic damage control scenario at Damage Control Training Facility (DCTF) Kootenay for an introduction to the way sailors fight flooding on a ship at sea.
“It's intense. That's what we're here for,” she said, adding that she enjoyed the hands-on parts of the experience.
“The program has really opened things up and given me a better view of the different jobs I might be able to do. I'm interested in anything that involves serving and helping people.”
DCTF Kootenay conducts crucial training that all sailors must complete before being trusted as a member of a ship's company.
The recruits entered the simulated flood tank to experience one aspect of that training.
Instructors said the group did a good job by following the instructions they were given, working together and staying calm as the water in the simulated ship space slowly rose up past their waists.
They emerged from the tank soaking wet and tired from the exercise, but they were all smiles.
“The point isn't to make it easy,” said Lieutenant (Navy) Daniel Chamberlain, the acting Division Commander during the visit.
“If they come away feeling like they worked hard and accomplished something, that's what we want.”
A group of 15 Indigenous youth from across the country have been in Halifax for the past three weeks getting a crash course in life as a member…
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