Cadet Programs
Civil Air Patrol's Cadet Program focuses on leadership, aerospace education, fitness, and character development. Cadets meet every Monday to focus on these topics. As cadets advance through a series of promotions, they earning honors and increased responsibilities that correlate with their level of leadership along the way.
Weekly Meetings
Weekly meetings are two hours and consist of a main class topic, such as aerospace, leadership, or character development, and some other activity such as drill or physical training. Cadets should try to attend every meeting they can, although the minimum requirement to stay an active member is to attend 75% of meetings. For updated meeting locations and times, go to the Meetings page.
Additional "Saturday" events
In addition to weekly meetings, Civil Air Patrol has additional events (usually once a month on a Saturday) which demonstrate our commitment to excellence and volunteer service. Examples of events include everything from participating in various capacities at Memorial and Veteran's day events and participating in Wreaths Across America, to tours of the Air Traffic Control tower and Emergency Operations centers. Cadets should aim to attend all additional events they can, but attendance is not mandatory.
Encampment
Encampment challenges you to be a better person. It pushes you so you’ll grow. Are you self-disciplined? Can you lead? Can you truly work as a team? These are some of the questions the cadre will help cadets answer for themselves as they participate in awesome, hands-on activities and tours. Specifically, our goal is to inspire cadets to
- develop leadership skills,
- learn about aviation, space, and technology,
- commit to a habit of regular exercise, and
- live the Core Values.
As cadets of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, the training will emphasize not only leadership and character, but fitness and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as cadets explore career opportunities in those areas and so much more.
Cadets are expected to attend encampment within their first year of joining Civil Air Patrol. Florida Wing offers encampment in both the summer and winter, but cadets can attend any wing's encampment. Financial assistance for tuition and uniform expenses is available. Please see the Cadet Encampment Assistance Program page. CEAP opens on 1 March for Summer Encampments and 1 November for Winter Encampments.
Go to the Florida Wing website > Programs > Cadet Programs to see more about Florida Wing encampment dates and information.
Florida Wing Activities
Florida Wing offers activities such as STEM Academy, Florida Leadership Academy, Color Guard Academy, Emergency Services Training events, and Cadet Competitions. The number and type of events vary each year. Cadets should watch their email and check the FLWG Events calendar.
National Cadet Special Activities
National Cadet Special Activities (NCSA) are exciting training opportunities for cadets to experience unique opportunities to further their leadership skills, develop knowledge in various aviation and career related fields, and grow personally. NCSAs encompass a wide range of activities, each focusing on different aspects such as aerospace education, leadership development, physical fitness, and more. NCSAs typically last 7-9 days. Most NCSAs require that cadets attend encampment first. Many take place during the summer, but there are opportunities through the year.
Cadet Flying
Civil Air Patrol offers many opportunities for cadets interested in aerospace and flying.
Color Guard
A Color Guard consists of a detail of four cadets assigned to present and protect "the colors" (the national and state or CAP flag) at venues and events all across Collier County.
Members of the Color Guard team represent the squadron while displaying our patriotism and commitment to excellence.