So...
You think you might want to join the Sea Cadets?
FIRST, SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU...
The first question is your age.
If you are between 10 and 12, then you are the right age to be a Navy "Leaguer". This program is similar to the Sea Cadet program, but it is tailored to younger youth and takes into account the physical and developmental abilities for this age group. The Navy Leaguer program feeds into the Sea Cadet program.
If you are between 13 and 18, then you are the right age to be a Navy Sea Cadet. However, if you are a high school senior this year, you may find that there won't be enough time during your final year to gain much benefit from the program.
The second question is one of time.
We meet two full days each month, usually the second and fourth Saturdays, beginning at 8:00 A.M. and ending at 4:30 P.M. Additionally we participate in other events and outings throughout the year. While we make allowances for school athletics, jobs, and family responsibilities, there is an expectation that our cadets will respect their commitment to the Sea Cadet program and will attend meetings regularly.
OK, SO YOU THINK YOU WANT TO JOIN...
You and your parents or guardians first need to stop by on one of our drill days, to see what we do for yourselves. Please join us either in the morning between 9:00 A.M. and 11:00 A.M. or in the afternoon between 1:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. Plan to spend about an hour with us for a tour and interview.
Our drill location is the Navy Operational Support Center, which is located on Swan Island, adjacent to the Coast Guard Station. Map directions to Swan Island are available below.
GUNG HO AND READY TO GO!
If you want to, you can download the three forms that will be required from you in order to join the Sea Cadet program. These three forms are:
NSCADM 001 - NSCC or NLCC APPLICATION FOR ENROLLMENT- This form gives the basic information on the youth applicant and his/her parent/guardian/s.NSCADM 020 AND NSCADM 021- PHYSICAL HISTORY and PHYSICAL EXAM- Youth Applicants must have these forms filled out by his/her family doctor prior to becoming a Cadet. THIS MUST BE DONE BEFORE YOU CAN BE ENROLLED.
Required Physical
All Leaguers and Cadets need to have a current physical. If you have had a school sports physical in the past year, then your doctor need only sign off on this fact - you won't need to repeat the exam.
You WILL need to provide a copy of your shot/immunization record, or else record that information on the NSCADM-021 form.
COSTS...
The Sea Cadet program requires an initial enrollment fee of $200. This covers the $53 enrollment fee required by National Headquarters (which is an annual fee), and a uniform fee of $147, which covers the cost of the initial uniforms. The yearly annual cost for each cadet's membership is $100. We provide Leaguers and Cadets with most of the uniforms. $50 of this fee will be returned when issued uniforms are returned when the cadet graduates or otherwise leaves the program. However, some items will have to be obtained on your own, such as shoes and boots, socks, and PT clothing.
ADVANCED TRAINING...
Training is essential to the Sea Cadet! Without attending summer training (starting with Boot Camp or Leaguer Orientation), it is impossible to make rank! And, you WANT to make rank! The training cost is between $170 and $240, depending on the length of the training. Cadets and Leaguers arrange for your own transportation to and from the training site. Lately, Boot Camp (Recruit Basic Training) has been held in Boise, Idaho, at the National Guard Base, but we also had Cadets attend basic in Florida and California. There are literally hundreds of trainings offered every summer, plus a few in winter, over the break in school. These start the day after Christmas, and last for 7 days.
Once Basic Training has been completed, then any and all trainings are open to the qualified Cadet. These can be anything from SEAL team training (we had two cadets graduate from this demanding three-week training this summer), Flight line operations, FAA ground training, at-sea training aboard ships, MAA training, Hospital Corpsman training, surgical nurse training, Amphibious operations... The list goes on and on. For those ambitious cadets, we even offer exchange programs in over a dozen other countries around the world!
The Naval Sea Cadet program is like no other program in the nation! You are under no obligation to join the military service, however, should you decide to do so, you can enlist at an advanced pay grade, and have seniority as well.
I hope that we have answered your initial questions here. Feel free to email me at RO@PortlandSeaCadets.Org with additional questions. I look forward to meeting you in person at a future drill.