March 2022 – Richard Osmond

Sgt. Osmond works with youth aged 12 to 18, assisting with class instruction, and has been volunteering since 2008, when he was stationed in Ontario. In nominating Sgt. Osmond for the Volunteer of the Month series, Lieutenant (N) Dwayne King said Sgt. Osmond attends the cadets’ regular training night, assisting with class instruction of youth aged 12 to 16.
“Utilizing his own knowledge and networking with colleagues, he has brought forward some new ideas while impressing his own professional standards to all cadets and staff,” stated Lt(N) King in his nomination form.
 
“I was a cadet myself, actually here in Gander,” said Sgt. Osmond. “A couple years after I joined the service I wanted to give back.”
 
Sgt. Osmond grew up in Gander so being stationed here has been a sweet homecoming. He says working with the kids is extremely gratifying and being able to share his own knowledge and experience is rewarding.
 
“Being able to see where these cadets are as a person after you’ve been working with them for years and seeing the change and growth is fantastic,” he said. “I still keep in contact with a few of the cadets I worked with in Ontario and some of them have gone on to join the military as well, so that’s good.”
 
Most recently, Sgt. Osmond’s 13-year-old son has joined the cadet corps, and while he doesn’t work directly with his son’s group, he says it is special to be able to share the experience with him.
 
This Sea Cadet Corps is part of the larger Canadian Cadet Organization that is open to all youth aged 12 to 18 and provides positive influence and direction to youth of the community.