The
United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) is a U.S. Navy-based youth organization that serves to teach persons 13 to 17 years old about the sea-going military services, community service, citizenship, and an understanding of discipline and teamwork. A younger version of the NSCC, the
Navy League Cadet CorpsThe Navy League Cadet Corps is the younger version of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps .Cadets in the NLCC range in age from 11 through 14. The mission of the NLCC is to train cadets so that they are prepared for the NSCC...
(NLCC), exists for youths between the ages of 11 and 13.
The NSCC was founded in 1958 by the
Navy League of the United StatesThe Navy League of the United States, commonly referred to as The Navy League, is a national association made up of former members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Merchant Marine, and civilians interested in supporting the...
at the request of the Department of the Navy.
The
United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) is a U.S. Navy-based youth organization that serves to teach persons 13 to 17 years old about the sea-going military services, community service, citizenship, and an understanding of discipline and teamwork. A younger version of the NSCC, the
Navy League Cadet CorpsThe Navy League Cadet Corps is the younger version of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps .Cadets in the NLCC range in age from 11 through 14. The mission of the NLCC is to train cadets so that they are prepared for the NSCC...
(NLCC), exists for youths between the ages of 11 and 13.
History
The NSCC was founded in 1958 by the
Navy League of the United StatesThe Navy League of the United States, commonly referred to as The Navy League, is a national association made up of former members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Merchant Marine, and civilians interested in supporting the...
at the request of the Department of the Navy. In 1962, the USNSCC was
charteredA congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code....
under
Title 36 of the United States CodeTitle 36 of the United States Code outlines the role of Patriotic Societies and Observances in the United States Code.*Subtitle I—Patriotic and National Observances and Ceremonies*Subtitle II—Patriotic and National Organizations...
as a non-profit youth organization with an emphasis towards the sea-going services of the United States. The law was amended in 1974 to allow female participation in the USNSCC.
In 2000, the US Congress found that the Naval Sea Cadet Corps and related programs "provide significant benefits for the Armed Forces, including significant public relations benefits". Although under no obligation, a sizeable percentage of cadets go on into the military. Members may receive an advanced paygrade of E-3 if they join the Navy or Coast Guard, and E-2 in the Marine Corps or any other service, due to the training they receive which is almost identical to the real Navy (like the correspondence course "Basic Military Requirements", which is exactly the same for the USNSCC and the Navy). This means a pay jump on other entry-level members and moves former Sea Cadets through the ranks at an increased pace. Former Sea Cadets also represent a percentage of students at the five major
Service AcademiesThe United States Service academies, also known as the United States Military Academies, are federal academies for the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the United States armed forces.-United States Service academies:...
(
West PointThe United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. Established in 1802, USMA is the oldest of the United States's five service academies. The military garrison at West Point was occupied in 1778 and played a key...
,
AnnapolisThe United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States, that educates and commissions officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Academy often is referred to simply as "Annapolis". It is also called "The Academy", "The Boat School", or "Canoe...
,
Air ForceThe United States Air Force Academy , is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of commissioned officers for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
,
Coast GuardFounded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies. The academy provides education to future Coast Guard officers...
, and
Merchant MarineThe United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States service academies...
), and maintain the highest graduation rate of any high school program, such as the
Boy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over four million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
Organization
The Naval Sea Cadet Corps is officially supported by the Navy League of the United States, and is endorsed by the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
,
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, and
United States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of seven uniformed services. It is unique among the military branches in that it has a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set...
. The United States Coast Guard, through COMDTINST 5728.2C, USCG Public Affairs Manual, has designated the USNSCC as the Coast Guard's primary youth group, instead of a JROTC.
The National Headquarters of the NSCC is located in Arlington, Virginia. Captain Michael Ford, USNR (Ret.) is the Executive Director, the "Commander-in-Chief" of the NSCC. There are six field areas in all. Each field is headed by an NSCC NHQ Representative, who is usually the grade of a Navy Captain. Each field area may be divided into a region. These regions are headed by a Senior Regional Director, who is an NSCC Lieutenant Commander (LCDR). Each region can have sub-regions, depending on the size of the area and number of units in that region. Each sub-region is headed by a Regional Director (RD), who is also an NSCC LCDR. Each RD will report to the Senior RD for any matters regarding the region and/or sub-regions themselves. RDs are also responsible to the NSCC NHQ Representative for matters regarding Petty Officer Exams, PO1 and CPO advancements, NSCC officer matters, and anything else that would be of importance to the NHQ Representative or to the Executive Director. Each sub-region may be composed of anywhere between two to ten units. For example, the Pacific Southwest Field Area is composed of Region 11 (covering Southern California and the Las Vegas area) and Region 12 (covering Northern California, and in Nevada, those areas north of Las Vegas). Region 11 itself is divided into 8 sub-regions, each headed by one Regional Director and their Regional Staff.
Each unit is required to have a complement of at least twenty-five cadets. They must be physically fit, have no criminal record, and have a good academic standard to become members. Each unit has a Commanding Officer and Executive Officer, and depending on the number of adult volunteers, may have other billets which cover different areas important to the operation of that unit. Some units have far more or far less than the required minimum, due to a vast array of recruiting issues. All units must have the minimum number of personnel in order to be commissioned into the NSCC.
Adult Leaders are volunteers with a multitude of experience ranging from active/reserve/retired military personnel to civilian parents of cadets. Adult volunteers must be 18 years and older. NSCC Officers, Instructors, and Midshipmen all must go through a thorough application process - including a background check - before they can be accepted as adult volunteers. High School graduates aged 18, up through adults aged 21 may serve as Midshipmen (MIDN). Midshipmen are technically NSCC officers. NSCC MIDN are mostly former cadets, but can be ROTC, Service Academy, or other personnel with some type of experience relevant to the function of the NSCC and NLCC. Adults age 21 years and older can serve as NSCC Instructors, Officers, or Warrant Officers (Warrant Officer is only reserved to military personnel with specific qualifications). Cadets who are 18 years old can elect to remain a Sea Cadet up through high school graduation until 30 September in the year of their graduation.
The United States Navy and Coast Guard both support the NSCC to some degree, providing such resources as uniform assistance, use of military facilities, assisting with training courses, but most support comes from the volunteers and parents of the NSCC program. Most of the USNSCC's funding has come from the enrollment fees of its cadets and officers, the Navy League of the United States, private sources, and through appropriations from the DOD Military Budget. In recent years, the USNSCC has lobbied for, and obtained, through congressional support, between $1 - 2 million a year to offset the rising costs of supporting and running NSCC trainings.
Activities
Each new Sea Cadet must attend NSCC Recruit Training. Recruit Training serves to introduce each "recruit" to the standards and routine involved in the life of a Sea Cadet. Military drill, customs and courtesies, physical fitness training, and other courses related to the sea-going services, are part of the demanding schedule of Recruit Training.
After graduating from NSCC Recruit Training, Sea Cadets have the opportunity to attend Advanced Training in many different locations and in many different fields, depending on their personal interests. Cadets must attend at least one Advanced Training each year in order to advance in rank. These training opportunities usually occur during the summer and winter breaks, but also may occur anytime throughout the year.
Advanced Training is held primarily at Navy and Coast Guard installations, and can range anywhere from five days up to three weeks in length. The training courses are coordinated and staffed by NSCC Officers and Instructors, and may have outside instructors from all branches of the Armed Forces, who are mainly made up of Active and Reserve Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard personnel.
These training activities include, but are not limited to:
- Amphibious Operations Training
- Shipboard Training with the Navy and Coast Guard
- Navy Airman School
- Military Law Academy
- MAA (Master At Arms, the Navy/Coast Guard equivalent to Military Police) Law Enforcement Academy
- Petty Officer Leadership Academy
- Construction School (Navy SEABEE)
- Sailing School
- Submarine Seminar
- USN Seamanship Academy
- Firefighting and Damage Control School
- Port Operations
- Honor Guard School
- Medical School
- Music School
- Joint Special Operations Command Training
- SEAL Training
- EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Training
- Field Operations Training
- Homeland security training
- Search and rescue training
- marksmanship training
- SWCC (Special Warfare Combat Crewman) IE "special boats"
- Maritime Interdiction
- International Exchange Program
- And locally arranged trainings
Each of the NSCC and NLCC's
200 units perform drills all around the United States during the school year. Some units have a weeknight drill of 2 - 3 hours, or drill for an entire day over the weekend twice a month, while others drill once a month for an
entire weekend. Each unit's drill schedule is set by the unit Commanding Officer and depends on the location of the unit and availability of both adult staff and cadets. During the school year, nearby units often come together to participate in weekend trainings, including Field Training Exercises, Small Arms Training, Shipboard Training, and Regional Flagship Competitions.
The USNSCC owns a ship, the
USNSCS GrayfoxThe USNSCS Grayfox is currently the largest ship owned by the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. She is homeported in Port Huron, Michigan and is used by the USNSCC for shipboard training. The USNSCS prefix stands for "United States Naval Sea Cadet Ship."The Grayfox started life in 1985 as a...
, homeported in Port Huron, Michigan.
The USNSCC also sponsors an
International Exchange Program with other Sea Cadet programs around the world: exchange countries include the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, The Netherlands,
KoreaKorea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
,
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and
BermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1,770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1,350 kilometres south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
.
Uniform and ranks
The Navy allows the NSCC and NLCC to wear the
uniforms of the United States NavyUniforms of the United States Navy are a distinction of the service and still follow many traditional patterns, for example, the changes in uniforms since World War II have been primarily in materials. This article examines dress uniforms, daily service uniforms, working uniforms, special...
, only modified with a distinguishing shoulder insignia. U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations are adhered to by the both the NSCC and NLCC. Officer rank insignias are the same as the Navy. Sea Cadet rate insignia are slightly different in design; the colors are changed to yellow, are in the form of chevrons (V-shaped), and are worn on the right sleeve. An exception are the BDU's (
Battle Dress UniformBattle Dress Uniform is the name of the military uniform that the armed forces of the United States have used as their standard uniform for combat situations since September 1981. It has either been replaced or is in the process of being replaced in every branch of the U.S. Military, though the...
s i.e. Cammies); the rate insignia are worn on the cadet's collar and are slightly different from the US Navy Collar devices.
Sea Cadet ranks follow the same path as of the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, from E-1 (Seaman Recruit) through E-7 (Chief Petty Officer) (see United States Navy enlisted rates). All cadets have to take the Navy correspondence courses and pass Navy examinations to gain rank. They must have a minimum time served in each rank before moving to the next higher rank. All new Sea Cadets enter the NSCC as an E-1 (Seaman Recruit); detailed requirements for advancement are outlined below.
Officers must be at least age 21 (18 in the case of MIDN), obtain a waiver if older than 65, be a US citizen, and have successful completion of a background check. Officers must also meet height and weight requirements to wear the uniform, and military personnel (active and retired) are allowed to wear their military uniforms. (See U.S. Navy officer rank insignia)
Cadet Advancements
| Rank |
Correspondence Course |
Training |
Time in Rate |
Exam |
Approval Authority |
E-1
Seaman Recruit/ SR |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
E-2
Seaman Apprentice / SA |
Basic Military Requirements
NAVEDTRA-14325 |
NSCC Recruit Training (9-day or 2-week course) |
3 Months in NSCC |
N/A |
Commanding Officer |
E-3
Seaman / SN |
Seaman
NAVEDTRA-14067 |
10 Days (Two- 5 Day Non-Consecutive) Advanced Training |
6 Months as E-2 |
N/A |
Commanding Officer |
E-4
Petty Officer 3rd Class / PO3 |
Petty Officer 3rd & 2nd Class
NAVEDTRA-14504 |
10 Days (Two- 5 Day Non-Consecutive) Advanced Training |
6 Months as E-3 |
PO3 Exam |
Commanding Officer |
E-5
Petty Officer 2nd Class / PO2 |
Petty Officer 3rd & 2nd Class
NAVEDTRA-14504 |
10 Days (Two- 5 Day Non-Consecutive) Advanced Training
POLA (Effective 1 September 2008) |
6 Months as E-4 |
PO2 Exam |
Commanding Officer |
E-6
Petty Officer 1st Class / PO1 |
Petty Officer 1st Class
NAVEDTRA-14145 |
10 Days (Two- 5 Day Non-Consecutive) Advanced Training |
6 Months as E-5 |
PO1 Exam |
NSCC Executive Director |
E-7
Chief Petty Officer / CPO |
Chief Petty Officer
NAVEDTRA-14144 |
10 Days (Two- 5 Day Non-Consecutive) Advanced Training
Staff RT (Effective 1 September 2008) |
6 Months as E-6 |
N/A |
NSCC Executive Director |
Officer Advancements
| Rank |
Course |
Training |
Time in Service |
Other Requirements |
Midshipman
Midshipman / MIDN* |
NSCC Officer/Midshipman Study Guide |
N/A |
N/A |
NSCC E-3 or above, JROTC, ROTC |
Instructor
Instructor / INST |
NSCC Officer/Midshipman Study Guide |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer / WO |
NSCC Officer/Midshipman Study Guide |
N/A |
N/A |
Must have reached E-6 or above in military |
O-1
Ensign / ENS |
NSCC Officer/Midshipman Study Guide
OPD101 |
N/A |
One year as MIDN or INST
One year in NSCC |
N/A |
O-2
Lieutenant, Junior Grade / LTJG |
OPD 201 |
One Advanced Training as an LTJG or 2 TWT’s for INST, WO |
2 Years as ENS. (Waived for INST, WO)
3 Years Minimum NSCC Time in Service |
N/A |
O-3
Lieutenant / LT |
OPD 301 |
One Advanced Training as an LTJG or 2 TWT’s for INST, WO |
3 Years as LTJG. (Waived for INST, WO)
6 Years Minimum NSCC Time in Service |
N/A |
O-4
Lieutenant Commander / LCDR |
N/A |
One Advanced Training as an LTJG or 3 TWT’s for INST, WO |
4 Years as LT. (Waived for INST, WO)
10 Years Minimum NSCC Time in Service |
1 Career TWT must be Recruit Training |
See also
- International Sea Cadet Association
The International Sea Cadet Association, referred to as "the ISCA", is a voluntary association of independent Sea Cadet Corps or corresponding organizations, committed to common concepts and goals, and wishing to share ideas and information, and, to the best of their ability, to engage in cadet...
- Other Sea Cadet Organizations
- Young Marines
The Young Marines is a youth program in the United States, open to children from the ages of 8 years old through 18 years old.- Role and purpose :* To promote the mental, moral, and physical development of its members...
- JROTC
External references