Civil Air Patrol's cadet program is a traditional military-style 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. This program is similar to that of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) primarily because the Air Force JROTC program was 'cloned' from the CAP Cadet Program in the 1960s. However, there are several key differences between the two programs.

The current CAP Cadet Program was designed by John V. "Jack" Sorenson who held the position of Civil Air Patrol's Director of Aerospace Education in the 1960s. This program is composed of four phases (Learning, Leadership, Command, and Executive) each of which is divided into several achievements. Achievements generally correspond to grade promotions while phases are tied to levels of responsibility. The Cadet Program operates at a local unit (squadron) level with weekly meetings and weekend activities but also has national and wing-sponsored events, including week-long and multi-week summer activities, of which encampments are an example.

One of the features of the CAP Cadet Program is that as Cadets progress, they are given additional responsibility for scheduling, teaching, guiding and commanding the other cadets in their units. They also assist their Senior Staffs in executing the Cadet Program. It is not unusual for a Cadet officer to command an encampment of hundreds of junior Cadets.[citation needed] This, coupled with the fact that Cadets may also participate in CAP Emergency Services missions, sets CAP's Cadet Program even further apart from other cadet programs.

In CAP, cadets are given ample opportunity to lead and to follow. They not only hold leadership positions at squadron and wing activities, they also are often involved in planning these activities. Cadets may complete paperwork, command other cadets, and teach at weekly meetings and weekend and summer events. When someone says something about the Cadet Program, they are talking about what the cadets do, not what the senior members tell them to do.[9]

Organization

The Cadet Program is overseen and administered by senior members who generally specialize in the Cadet Program. At the squadron level, the Cadet Commander's chain of command passes through the Deputy Commander for Cadets before reaching the squadron commander. There are 'Director of Cadet Programs' positions at all command levels above squadron. In addition to the Deputy Commander for Cadets, squadrons also have a Leadership Officer, a Senior Member whose job is to see to the military aspects of the Cadet program, such as uniforms, customs and courtesies.

Cadets have a grade structure similar to the United States Air Force enlisted and officer ranks (excluding those of general officers). A Cadet starts as a Cadet Airman basic and then 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. The only exceptions to this rule are the promotion to Cadet Airman and Cadet Staff Sergeant which have no aerospace test. For some achievements, an additional test of drill proficiency is required. The achievements and their corresponding grades are listed in the table; the C/ prior to each grade is read as 'Cadet', so C/AB is read as "Cadet Airman Basic".

The milestones in Civil Air Patrol's Cadet Program are the Major General John F. Curry Award, Wright Brothers Award, the General Billy Mitchell Award, the Amelia Earhart Award, then General Ira C. Eaker Award and the General Carl A. Spaatz Award. As of mid-2005 fewer than 1600 Spaatz Awards have been earned since the first was awarded to Cadet Douglas Roach in 1964. Cadet Roach went on to an Air Force career and later was a pilot on the USAF Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team.

Each milestone award in Civil Air Patrol confers upon a cadet various benefits. Upon earning the Mitchell Award and the grade of Cadet Second Lieutenant, a cadet will automatically be given the rank of Airman First Class (E-3) upon enlisting in the United States Air Force or (E-2) upon enlisting in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, though the rank may only be worn after successfully completing Basic Training. Along with being awarded the Earhart Award and being promoted to C/Capt a cadet may attend International Air Cadet Exchange.

According to the CAP National website, the percentages for cadets receiving the milestone awards are as follows:

  • Mitchell 12%
  • Earhart 5%
  • Eaker 2%
  • Spaatz 0.05%

Cadets that transfer to the Senior Member side between his or her 18th birthday and 21st birthday receive the rank of Flight Officer (if the highest cadet award earned was the Mitchell), Technical Flight Officer (if the highest cadet award earned was the Earhart) or Senior Flight Officer (if the highest cadet award earned was the Spaatz). If a cadet decides to transfer to the senior side after his or her 21st birthday, they are eligible for the rank of 2d Lt (if the highest cadet award was the Mitchell), 1st Lt (if the highest cadet award was the Earhart), or Capt (if the highest cadet award was the Spaatz).

Activities

The following are local activities common throughout the Civil Air Patrol program.
For nationally-sponsored activities, see National cadet activities of the Civil Air Patrol.

Orientation flights

Cadets under the age of 18 are eligible for ten orientation flights in CAP aircraft including five glider and airplane flights. Cadets over 18 years of age can still participate in military orientation flights. Some CAP wings have flight academies where cadets can learn to fly. The USAF and Army also frequently schedule orientation flights for CAP cadets in transport aircraft such as the KC-10 Extender, C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III or, in the case of the Army, UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

Encampment

Civil Air Patrol's core cadet activity is the encampment. Tyically a week-long event, cadets are put into an intense, military-structured environment with physically and mentally demanding tasks and required classes and activities. These classes include aerospace education, Air Force organization, cadet programs, and drug demand reduction. Activities include the classroom courses, physical training, and drill & ceremonies. Encampments are usually held at the wing (state) level and when available, usually on military installations with military support.

Region Cadet Leadership Schools

The Region Cadet Leadership Schools (RCLS) provide training to increase knowledge, skills, and attitudes as they pertain to leadership and management. To be eligible to attend, cadets must be serving in, or preparing to enter, cadet leadership positions within their squadron. RCLS’s are conducted at region level, or at wing level with region approval.

Non-Commissioned Officer Schools/Academies

Held in many wings, Cadet NCO Schools are designed to teach basic leadership principles to cadet leaders during their earlier positions in the Cadet Program.
 

Cadets and the military

CAP members do not incur any military obligation. However, the U.S. Congress stated in the Recruiting, Retention, and Reservist Promotion Act of 2000 that CAP and similar programs "provide significant benefits for the Armed Forces, including significant public relations benefits."[10] CAP cadets who go on to join the Air Force can enter as an Airman First Class (E-3) if they have earned the Mitchell Award. Most cadets choose not to go on to military careers; among those that do, many choose branches of service other than the Air Force. CAP cadets that do enter the military perform statistically better during recruit training and at the various service academies than their peers without CAP cadet experience.

Scores of former CAP cadets have gone on to become military leaders, many achieving notability, including: Lt Shane Osborne, pilot of the United States Navy EP-3E Aries II aircraft which collided with a Chinese fighter in April 2001; Capt Scott O'Grady, whose F-16 was shot down over Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995; Lt Col Eric A. Boe, NASA pilot and Director of Operations, Russia; Commander William Oefelein, NASA astronaut and STS-116 pilot; and General Michael E. Ryan, former Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Major Nicole Malachowski, a former CAP cadet from Las Vegas, Nevada, had become the first woman pilot to join the USAF Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team, serving as #3 on the team from 2006 through 2007. Other notable former cadets include Jack Sarfatti, a theoretical physicist, and Kevin 'Kojak' Davis, a United States Navy Blue Angels pilot.[11] Some former cadets became more infamous than famous, including Lee Harvey Oswald, David Ferrie, Barry Seal, and James R. Bath, as well as David Graham and Diane Zamora, of the "Texas Cadet Murder" case, which later became a made-for-TV movie.[12][13]

Cadet Oath

Cadets ascribe to the following oath during their membership:

“ I pledge that I will serve faithfully in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program, and that I will attend meetings regularly, participate actively in unit activities, obey my officers, wear my uniform properly, and advance my education and training rapidly to prepare myself to be of service to my community, state, and nation. ”

One requirement for promotion in the Cadet Program is the ability to recite this oath, verbatim, from memory.

Cadet Honor Code

The Air Force Academy Cadet Honor Code - "I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and live honorably, so help me God." - is mentioned in Cadet Program materials and some units use it as an additional standard of behavior, however, it is not an official part or requirement of the CAP Cadet Program and even varies from unit to unit.