Kennedy cites SAS, education and awards programs; Middendorf selected for Burke Award; Fisher elected senior VP

Sea Power, Jan 1999 by Reynolds, Jean B

NSCC cadets must be at least 13 years old, but not yet 18. NLCC membership is restricted to boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 14. The NSCC, established in 1958 at the request of the Navy to "create a favorable image of the Navy on the part of American youth," was chartered by Congress in 1962 as a nonprofit youthtraining organization. Although the NLCC is not covered in the federal charter, both programs are sponsored by the Navy League; the Navy and Coast Guard provide significant training and facilities support.

Local training of cadets, held at the drill site of the parent unit, includes a variety of activities ranging from classroom instruction in basic military skills to preparation for summer recruit training. There also are opportunities for educational tours, briefings, and participation in parades and other community-service events. During the summer, first-year Sea Cadets participate in a two-week recruit training period-a condensed version of the training provided to regular Navy recruits. Cadets who successfully complete recruit training are eligible for advanced training in any of several fields, including at-sea training aboard Navy and Coast Guard ships ranging in size from tugs to aircraft carriers. Cadets who qualify also may participate in basic and aviation training, submarine orientation, or specialized training in the health care, music, construction, and law-enforcement fields. More than 1,700 cadets attended the recruit training indoctrination sessions last year at the Navy's Great Lakes Recruit Training Command and at various regional recruit training sites.

Thanks to local contributions and various memorial funds, several deserving cadets received training grants to participate in summer training. Many NLUS councils, and some individual members, also provided funds to assist cadets who otherwise would have been unable to participate in the 1998 summer training.

The NSCC has for several years participated in an international exchange program with Sea Cadet organizations in Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Japan, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. Each summer, outstanding NSCC Cadets are selected to serve as "young ambassadors" and train with their counterparts in those countries. In exchange, foreign cadets are provided the opportunity to visit and train in the United States. In 1998, 138 U.S. cadets and 68 foreign cadets were privileged to take advantage of this exchange opportunity.

The NSCC's senior leadership is provided by volunteer officers and instructors who enthusiastically contribute their time and expertise to serve America's youth. "The two Cadet Corps programs succeed," Smith said, "primarily because of the active participation of these volunteers and their commitment to the principles on which the NSCC and NLCC were founded." Cadet Corps officers are appointed both from the civilian sector and from active, Reserve, or retired military status. Whatever their background, all must complete a professional development course specifically designed for NSCC officers.