A local Air Cadet squadron recently received prestigious recognition for their hard work and dedication to the community, and to improving themselves and their world.

675 Bow Valley squadron in Oxbow is no stranger to receiving accolades, and another was handed out Thursday evening during a ceremony. They received the Saskatchewan Premier's Commendation of Achievement, honoring their contributions and accomplishments.

"It is an honor and a privilege to be able to be handed such an award," expressed Lieutenant Mark Neuman, who also handed off the reins of the Commanding Officer position in the same ceremony. He nodded to the teamwork between the organization's civilian committee, the local legion, staff, and the community as the factors making it possible.

"I'm very appreciative to have been involved and a part of that experience."

For Lieutenant Greg Swallow, it was a great way to start his tenure as Commanding Officer for the squadron, him having been officially given the helm of the group from Neuman that night.

"Everything we do here is for the cadets. The fact that we were recognized for that is a real honor," he said.

"We've got a good group in this corner. We've got Carlyle's squadron close, we've got Estevan's squadron nearby, and we constantly work together with all these people to make sure that everybody is getting as much out of the program as they can."

The choosing of the the top units in the province is conducted by the Zone Training Officers, who send in their recommendations. One group is picked from each element...Sea, Army, and Air...and the best of each are presented an award.

"It's always nice when one of the smaller centers rise to the top, because it just shows the excellence in this program across the province," stated Greg Lawrence, the Provincial Military Liaison, MLA for Moose Jaw-Wakamow, and government Whip.

He himself was an Air Cadet, making his way through the ranks of Estevan's Wylie Mitchell squadron to eventually join the Royal Canadian Air Force Reserves and instruct with the Snowbirds. For him personally, he expects great things from the Oxbow cadets.

"They have some good, strong leaders coming up. I know the work that these guys put into this program, and I can really appreciate the time that they put in."

"I'm really impressed with what I saw. I've been to a lot of ceremonies over the years, and being this was their second week, it was pretty impressive. They set a high standard," Lawrence noted.