sea cadets and cap

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usna35

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Nov 17, 2019
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Would aiming to join both the Sea Cadets and Civil Air Patrol be too much commitment? Has anyone ever done both and still be successful?
 
Like most service organizations, what you get out of Sea Cadets and CAP is directly proportional to what you put into them.

What, besides WCS points, do you want to achieve from joining each of these organizations?

I don't have direct experience with Sea Cadets, but I have know several SA- and ROTC- bound CAP cadets that have struggled with maintaining their academic standards, sports, ECs, and CAP contributions starting their junior year of HS (and getting much more difficult their senior year of HS).

I'm not saying you can't be successful joining both, but it will depend 100% on how passionate you are about each of these organizations and what other commitments you have.
 
I have participated in both organizations since my freshman year of high school and have found that they both offer very unique opportunities. I have led my Sea Cadet division as the Leading Petty Officer for the past 3 years as well as have participated in search and rescue and field medical trainings throughout the nation. Within Civil Air Patrol I have had the opportunity to lead my squadron and even train cadets throughout my state, primarily assisting in emergency services. I would caution you not to join either of these activities unless you plan to truly commit as these benefits can only be achieved if you dedicate yourself to them. Otherwise, I would absolutely recommend participating in both as they offer such outstanding leadership and skill-building opportunities that few other youth organizations are able to offer members. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me!
 
They are both very different organizations, but I would expect that they are both looked at similary from an Admissions perspective. If you can participate and excel (advance to leadership positions) in both, it couldn't hurt. However, if you are merely participating (without leadership roles) or participating in both keeps you from other important criteria (e.g grades or athletics) it won't help, and can hurt.

I did Boy Scouts and Civil Air Patrol back in the 70's; but my participation was sequential rather than concurrent. I did almost everything I could in Scouting (including Eagle Scout) thru sophomore year; then my family moved, and instead of starting over in a new troop, I joined Civil Air Patrol, and did everything I could until leaving for NAPS. Both were great experiences.., but I give more credit to Scouting for my acceptance to USNA.
 
If you are active in your school (as you should be) then having two weekend commitments could be taxing. Especially if you are in extra circular activities.
However both are good options. It's good to get an idea of the lingo, the customs, and a SMALL glimpse of the life that you are committing to if you choose a service academy or ROTC program as a career.
 
I guess part of it comes down to depth vs. breadth. You can be involved in large number of ECA's/Sports in a shallow way or a few in a deep way. My personal belief is that a big part of how much you commit and to what you commit to, is a based on what you like and what gives you satisfaction. No one should pursue any ECA just to have it on their resume. If you don't enjoy it, you will not be good at it and will not get much our of it. By all means try different activities, but then focus on the ones that get your juices flowing. Your passion will then come across during interviews.
 
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