COVID-19 has been a challenge for everyone, for Polaris Battalion and TS Trident US Naval Sea Cadets it has been no different. For a year, the cadets met virtually on Zoom trying to stay connected. The program lost almost half of the youth because staying connected was hard.

That all changed in January of 2021. The program moved back to meeting in person at the Cambridge Armory. Things started slowly while they worked to figure out smaller pods of cadets and social distancing. January and February offered small groups meeting off-site that included wood working, welding, outdoor survival and rocketry.  

March brought the unit back to the Armory one day for the whole unit. April found them using the Cambridge pool to administer the swim qualifications tests, and May included a Senior Farewell to three seniors and a passing of the torch from one Unit LPO to another. Yes, the program is back and excited to keep sharing new ideas, new ways of learning and new adventures.

Coming up, 18 cadets and three staff will be attending trainings in Florida, Wisconsin, and Iowa, plus more attending virtual trainings for those who may not be able to travel. These trainings include Boot Camp, Master at Arms, Petty Office Leadership Academy, and Naval Intelligence. Other types of trainings offered are Naval Sea Warfare, Sub School at Pearl Harbor, SEAL, SWIC and EOD, sailing, SCUBA, River Safety, Space Camp and many, many more.

 

As Polaris Battalion and TS Trident move into a busy summer, the units kick off the summer with participation in Memorial Day weekend events and will likely participate in a few parades, including the Isanti Rodeo and Jubilee Days Parade.

The summer feature for Polaris Battalion and TS Trident, though is the Cars, Cadets, and Vets Car Show on June 19, located at the Cambridge Armory. The show begins at 9 a.m. and runs through noon. Cars will park in the round giving a unique way of viewing them. Trophies will be presented in six categories including Best in show, Best Truck, Best pre-1964, Best 1965-1980 muscle car and best 1981 – present, along with Cadets Choice; first, second and third runners up. 

Along with the show there will be a dunk tank to dunk a cadet - and there are many cadets that want to be dunked. There will be camo face painting, some opportunities to try line heaving and there will be a large portion of Military Green Camo pants, tops and jackets, for sale. All proceeds from the show will go to the Isanti County Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, Polaris Battalion and TS Trident. 

Polaris Battalion and TS Trident are so excited to be back and meeting in person. For anyone looking for more information about participation in the car show, or Polaris Battalion and TS Trident please contact us at pa_polaris@yahoo.com.