Law enforcement in this country has been taking it on the chin lately as the result of some high visibility, controversial incidents that have been taking place in various parts of the country. In Lycoming County, law enforcement owns a good reputation and the respect of the citizens, this may be the result in part, of programs such as Camp Cadet, which this year is entering its 43rd year.

According to Camp Cadet’s website, “Camp Cadet is six days of being introduced to all aspects of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services with an opportunity to get to know police officers and the counselors on a personal basis. The Cadets are also exposed to competitive and learning activities outside the classroom that include Water Safety, Tactics, Crimes Scene Investigations, Firearms Safety, Bicycle Safety and Self Defense. They also get to tour the Little League Museum. The camp also provides the atmosphere of a police academy. Emphasis is placed on self-discipline, in an effort to encourage some form of regimentation in the personal lives of the Cadets.”

This program requires those attending to accept military-style discipline and to participate in events that include: Close order drill, marching, personal and barracks inspections.

Camp Cadet was originally held at Camp Susque, in northern Lycoming County, from 1976-1994. In 1995, Camp Cadet moved to the Little League Complex in South Williamsport. This move allowed them to run the girls’ and boys’ camps simultaneously and save on the ever-growing expenses of running two weeks of camp and staffing the camp.

The Mission Statement for Camp Cadet states: “The Program is designed to bring a better understanding between the youth of Lycoming County and its Law Enforcement officials. The goal of Camp Cadet is to provide an enjoyable experience that will be remembered by all cadets who attend and to create that lasting impression that police officers are their friends.

Now retired Pennsylvania State Police Trooper, Richard A. Reitz, brought Camp Cadet to Lycoming County in 1976.

According to Reitz, the concept for Camp Cadet was brought to Pennsylvania in 1970 by Captain James Barger, commanding officer of Troop A at Butler, who then had Trooper Al Vish start the program in the Butler area.

When Barger became State Police Commissioner in 1975, he encouraged Troop Commanders across the state to begin Camp Cadet programs in their respective areas.

Trooper Reitz was tasked in August 1975 by his commanding officer, Captain David Martin, to get the program started here.

Reitz visited Trooper Vish at Butler to find out more about the program, and by August of 1976, the first Camp Cadet in Lycoming County was held at Camp Susque, near Trout Run.

Reitz was asked how tough it was to get the program started locally and to garner the financial support needed for the program. He told Webb Weekly, “It was tough because Captain Martin did not allow me to stay overnight at Trooper Vish’s Camp to observe how counselors handled the various activities. The only thing I saw was about two hours of activities and how Trooper Vish and the counselors handled the discipline. But I did get a schedule of activities and set up our program the same as Trooper Vish’s.”

He then described the process of getting counselors for the fledgling Camp program. He said he didn’t get much support or help from the higher administration at Troop F. They did, however, make Trooper John Madey, Community Relations Officer for the Troop and Trooper Edward Martin, a member of the patrol unit available to him. He also asked the late Larry Strausser, a professor of criminal justice at Lycoming College, and asked one of his neighbors, James Smith, to handle First Aid and administer the meds and asked Mrs. Ludwig, a nurse from the Trout Run area, to check on the campers at lunchtime, to see if there were any health problems.

“Probably the hardest part was where were the finances for the new Camp Cadet program going to come from,” Reitz said. “Trooper Madey and I went to various community and service organizations, such as the Plankhorn Foundation, the Lycoming County Commissioners, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #49 and Eck’s Trucking as well as other organizations to seek funds. That first year the cost to run the program was $7,000, now the cost is about $20,000. We graduated 100 boys and girls in that first year of the program here.”

He said a major fiscal breakthrough for the program came when the Lycoming County Chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, (now known as Lycoming County Brotherhood Alliance), stepped up in 1977 and took a major role in helping to finance the program.

The program was restructured in 1979 and is currently operated through the combined efforts of all Law Enforcement agencies in Lycoming County. In 1986, Camp Cadet became a corporation, with the Board of Directors assuming the overall responsibility of the program’s operation.

Reitz was asked what impact Camp Cadet has had on the youth that attend it. He believes that the program has helped give the average camper a better understanding of what a policeman or other members of law enforcement and public safety community goes through on a day to day basis.

“They learn how to accept military discipline, for they know how to stand at attention when asked to,” Reitz said. “They learn how to make a bed with hospital corners. They learn how to march and keep their elbows off the table. Young people are looking for discipline if handed out properly, something that is missing in many homes today.”

He remembers well one at-risk youth who attended Camp Cadet and how the youth’s life changed for the better because of Camp Cadet.

“I can remember one boy who was having a hard time in life because his mother abused drugs and alcohol. His grandmother took him to her home. He attended Camp Cadet, played sports in high school and got good marks and then went to and graduated from West Point. He served his country in the Army, in the helicopter division. There have been many others who have told me, ‘Thank you for changing my life.’ Many of these have become local police, state troopers, FBI agents, fire and rescue personnel or teachers.”

According to Reitz, the impact of being involved with Camp Cadet is that it provides him “humbleness and a sense of satisfaction.” He said there are now 26 Camp Cadet programs in the state and four are located in the Troop F area.

“We are in our 43rd year, and I go each year to see how much the children enjoy being there,” Reitz said. We now get the children of parents who attended, as well as grandchildren. We have a wonderful staff of about 30 that helps give the Cadets an enjoyable experience.”

Because of Reitz’s tireless and dedicated efforts for Camp Cadet, a special award, bearing his name is given at each camp week, called the “Trooper Richard Reitz Award”.

One of the individuals who has helped make the success of Camp Cadet possible has been retired Lycoming County Deputy Sheriff, Tim Nelson. He has served as Camp Director for more than 25 years.

Nelson told of how he became involved with Camp Cadet.

“In 1990 I was in the 2nd or 3rd year of teaching The DARE program in the Jersey Shore Elementary schools as a Deputy Sheriff, and I asked my Chief Deputy if I could also get involved with Camp Cadet Program, and I’ve been there ever since,” Nelson said. “In 2000, The Board of Directors asked me, and I took the place of the director Trooper Mike Knight.”

Nelson described the changes in the program in the years since he became involved.

“The obvious change was when we moved in 1995 from Camp Susque in Trout Run to the Little League Baseball complex in South Williamsport. This allowed us to run both the Boys’ and Girls’ camp in the same week instead of the two separate weeks at Camp Susque,” Nelson said. “The dorms in the Grove and Little Leagues facilities were a perfect match for this and our program. Over the years we’ve been able to expand the number of presenters who come in and explain what they do in their specific professions. We also increased the activities the Cadets participate in each afternoon.”

He was asked about what impact the program had on the campers who have attended it.

“I believe it’s had a positive impact on those that attend and graduate. The immediate impact is that some Cadets want to come back and do it again next year. They can’t because we fill the camp each year with new students from Lycoming County. Those that we do ask to come back (Campers of the Week and Reitz Award Outstanding Campers) come back to help as Junior Counselors. And there are those that end up coming back as Senior Counselors that have either gotten into the Law Enforcement, Emergency Services field or something related to working with children. My experience in whether or not we’ve had an impact on the Cadets is down the road a bit. Our staff and I have had Cadets come up to us and tell us how much fun they had at Camp and what they learned from it. We also have had parents tell us what a difference the Camp made in their child and that they say they like what our program is about and does”.

Camp Cadet is being held this week at the Little League International complex.