What is it all about?
The Naval Sea Cadet Corps Wolverine Division is for American youth ages 11-17 who have a desire to learn about the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Sea Cadets are authorized by the Secretary of the Navy to wear Navy uniforms appropriately marked with the Sea Cadet Corps insignia. The objectives of the Sea Cadet program are to introduce youth to naval life, to develop in them a sense of pride, patriotism, courage, and self-reliance, and to maintain an environment free of drugs and gangs.
Our cadets meet or "drill" one weekend per month at The Monroe County Community College. Our unit is organized as a division, which closely reflects the surface Navy. Some units are organized as squadrons, which are geared toward the field of naval aviation, and battalions, which reflect Navy construction battalions (Seabees).
Whether a division, squadron, or battalion, the local unit has one main purpose, and that is to foster teamwork, camaraderie and an understanding of the military command structure.
Our cadets are instructed by both Sea Cadet Officers, active duty military and senior cadets through classroom and applied instruction in subjects such as basic seamanship, military drill, and leadership.
The NSCC was founded in 1958 by the Navy League of the United States at the request of the Department of the Navy. In 1962, the USNSCC was federally chartered by Congress under Public Law 87-655 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 pay grade of E-3 (Seaman) if they join the Navy or Coast Guard, and E-2 in any other service. 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 Academies (West Point, Annapolis, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine), and maintain the highest graduation rate of any high school program, such as the Boy Scouts of America and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
The Naval Sea Cadet Corps is officially supported by the Navy League of the United States, and is endorsed by the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard. 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.
The National Headquarters of the NSCC is located in Arlington, Virginia. There is an Executive Director, the "Commander-in-Chief" of the NSCC usually a retired USN Captain. There are six field areas in all. Each field is headed by a 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 Regional Director, who is a 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 a 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, but are limited in function and work mainly with administrative duties and NSCC and NLCC training. 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, us 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.
Our cadets meet or "drill" one weekend per month at The Monroe County Community College. Our unit is organized as a division, which closely reflects the surface Navy. Some units are organized as squadrons, which are geared toward the field of naval aviation, and battalions, which reflect Navy construction battalions (Seabees).
Whether a division, squadron, or battalion, the local unit has one main purpose, and that is to foster teamwork, camaraderie and an understanding of the military command structure.
Our cadets are instructed by both Sea Cadet Officers, active duty military and senior cadets through classroom and applied instruction in subjects such as basic seamanship, military drill, and leadership.
The NSCC was founded in 1958 by the Navy League of the United States at the request of the Department of the Navy. In 1962, the USNSCC was federally chartered by Congress under Public Law 87-655 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 pay grade of E-3 (Seaman) if they join the Navy or Coast Guard, and E-2 in any other service. 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 Academies (West Point, Annapolis, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine), and maintain the highest graduation rate of any high school program, such as the Boy Scouts of America and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
The Naval Sea Cadet Corps is officially supported by the Navy League of the United States, and is endorsed by the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard. 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.
The National Headquarters of the NSCC is located in Arlington, Virginia. There is an Executive Director, the "Commander-in-Chief" of the NSCC usually a retired USN Captain. There are six field areas in all. Each field is headed by a 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 Regional Director, who is a 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 a 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, but are limited in function and work mainly with administrative duties and NSCC and NLCC training. 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, us 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.