The Naval Sea Cadet Corps, or NSCC, is not a Royal High School program, however, several Royal students are involved in it. Their purpose is to show teens the life and responsibilities they would be faced with in the Navy.
To become a Sea Cadet, the following requirements are necessary: you must be between the ages of 13-17, have a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average and no felony convictions.
Once you’re a Sea Cadet, you’ll start off as a Seaman Recruit. In order to increase to a higher rank, you must complete the correspondence course, one training evolution and the exam for your desired rank. The ranks go from E1 through E7.
Cadets are required to attend a two week boot camp. Through the training courses they will learn about naval history, seamanship, aircraft and familiarize themselves with the Navy. When the cadet has successfully completed the boot camp, he or she may participate in advanced training. Some of the training include: airman, air traffic control, culinary arts, medical (general, field, surgical and dental tech), firefighting, photojournalism, amphibious, Navy Seal training, sailing school, POLA (Petty Officer Leadership Academy), music school, and explosive ordinance disposal.
Cadets who show great leadership ability have the choice to participate in annual exchanges around the world. Some of the foreign exchange places are Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The cadets will meet their foreign exchange partners, experience new cultures, and see and learn how Navies all around the world operate.
Junior Megan Bennett, rank E2 in the NSCC, said, “[By] being in the Sea Cadets, I have learned a lot about the military life and to respect others. It is teaching me to prepare for enlisting in the Navy. The Sea Cadets is a wonderful program and I love it!” The NSCC gives its cadets an opportunity to build their character and leadership skills.
To sign up, you can get an application from the Sea Cadet website,
www.challengerdivision.org, or email the Commanding Officer Anthony Tanner at
tony_tanner49@yahoo.com.