| Cadet Programs |
If you want to do something with your spare time that really
matters…
If you want to learn new technical skills that will help you in
the future…
If you want to become a leader and grow stronger and smarter…
Civil Air Patrol’s cadet program could be for you!
 Cadets
spend thier spare time with like-minded guys and girls, ages 12
to 21, doing volunteer work that really helps the community. At
Civil Air Patrol’s weekly meetings, they learn teamwork and
leadership skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
The Cadet Program recognizes and rewards cadets every step of the
way, with rank, ribbons, and respect. In Civil Air Patrol, hard
work gets you something, whether it is the right to wear a Ground
Team medal or the privilege of attending a special meeting, activity
or training course as the Civil Air Patrol representative. The system
offers you a variety of avenues and to reward your efforts. What
you get out of Civil Air Patrol depends on what you put into it.
As cadets progress through CAP’s multi-level cadet training,
they learn the principles of aviation and aerospace flight. They
learn about rocketry and physics through hands-on experiments. They
can even get a taste of military life, and learn about military
history, customs, drills and inspection. You could end up in one
of the top squads in the nation if you advance to the most elite
competition for CAP cadets, National Cadet Competition.
CAP offers national cadet encampments with activities in emergency
services, engineering, technology, physical fitness, teambuilding
and flight training. You can even visit foreign countries through
the International Air Cadet Exchange.
Thanks to good preparation and valuable scholarships, many CAP cadets
go on to careers in the aviation and aerospace industries. Some
pursue technical degrees and others go on to one of the nation’s
prestigious military academies. Each year, at least 10 percent of
the freshman class at the U.S. Air Force Academy is made up of former
CAP cadets. |
Civil Air Patrol's cadet program is a traditional military
cadet program. CAP cadets wear modified versions of Air Force
uniforms, hold rank and grade, and practice military customs and
courtesies. They are also required to maintain physical fitness
standards and are tested on their fitness and their knowledge
of leadership and aerospace subjects for each promotion.
The current Cadet Program is composed of four phases (learning;
leadership; command; executive), each of which is divided into
several achievements. Achievements generally correspond to a grade
promotion while phases are tied to a level of responsibility.
The Cadet Program is executed at the local unit (squadron) level
with weekly meetings and weekend activities, along with national
and wing sponsored week- and multi-week long summer activities,
of which encampments are an example.
Cadets have a rank structure similar to the United States Air
Force enlisted and officer ranks. A cadet starts as a Cadet Airman
Basic and is promoted as he or she completes each achievement.
To complete an achievement, a cadet must pass a physical fitness
test as well as two written tests; one for leadership and one
for aerospace education.
|
|
Parents' Guide (Download
PDF, 720k)
This brochure explains the basic goals and policies of the CAP
Cadet Program. The contents include:
- Welcome
- Overview of the Cadet Program
- Cadet Activities
- Cadet Membership
- Partnering with Parents
- Testimonials
|
|
About
Us / News / Calendar
/ Photos / Members
/ Contact Us
About Us
