Prospective Cadets (Ages 12-18)

Eligibility

Youth members must be...

• at least 12 years old and not yet 19 years old.

• a US citizen or permanent resident with I-551 card.

  • Youth in the US who are not citizens or permanent residents, may still be able to join, with a citizenship waiver submitted by the squadron. The citizenship waiver requires documentation that shows the reason for being in the country and the length of permitted stay. 

Squadron Visit

Prospective cadets and family are welcome to stop by any scheduled squadron meeting in order to observe and meet members of the squadron. During visits, prospective cadets can observe the training cadet great start cohort or the activities that the other cadets are participating in.

Make sure to reach out to the Squadron Commander, Maj Victor Santos, at vsantos@md.cap.gov prior to your visit so we can meet at security.

Open House Attendance

Throughout the year, the squadron hosts several open house events where prospective cadets, their families, and friends are welcome to learn more about Civil Air Patrol, the squadron and the cadet onboarding process. Prospective cadets can register for the open houses using registration links that are posted on this website and the squadron's social media approximately 1 month prior to a scheduled event. 

Open House attendance is not mandatory in order to enroll in one of the squadron's cadet great start program cohorts, but is highly encouraged. Regardless of availability to attend the open house, prospective cadets should still complete the online registration so that we capture important contact information. Following the open house, the official start date for the cadet great start cohort will be announced. 

Cadet Great Start 

Cadet Great Start is a program designed to bring in new cadet members and give them a great introduction to the CAP Cadet Program and support them through earning their first achievement in eight weeks. The training is delivered during the weekly squadron meeting and includes a "field day" that is held on a Saturday. The "cohort" is led by a team of dedicated cadet and adult staff members trained in leading new/prospective cadets. Parents/guardians of prospective cadets will also be invited to a parent information meeting towards the being of the training program in order to further discuss parent frequently asked questions and address any concerns.

Cadet Great Start's training schedule includes the open house event and satisfies 3 "trial" meeting requirement prior to submission of cadet applications. Between meetings, members of the cadet great start cohort will be assigned tasks to complete on their own time at home. After successful completion of the program, cadets participate in a graduation ceremony where they are formally promoted to Cadet Airman (Curry Achievement) and where top performers are identified. 

Learn more about the Cadet Great Start Program at: Great Start | Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters