Cadet achievements
The Mission of Civil Air Patrol Cadet Programs is to Transform youth into dynamic Americans and aerospace leaders [1]. Cadet Programs activities occur on the squadron, group, region, and national level, and explore all areas of the 3 Missions of the Civil Air Patrol.
Cadet Achievements
Cadet Achievement is a broad term that encompasses cadet promotions, awards, and recognitions.
Stripes to Diamonds
"Stripes to Diamonds" is a term that refers to the progression from "stripes" or Phase 1 promotions, to "diamonds", referring to the diamond insignia of C/Maj, C/LtCol, and C/Col. Cadet promotions are typically recognition of completing a set of aerospace, leadership, physical fitness, character development, and drill and ceremonies tests and activities.
Cadets are eligible for promotion every 56 days, with special expedited promotions being given to cadets based on their level of participation in their High Schools Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs or JROTC.
Trial Period
Cadet Airman Basic is a rank automatically given upon membership in the cadet program and it is abbreviated C/AB. There is no insignia for C/AB, and members of this grade should wear no grade on their collar. Cadet Airman Basic typically are element members whose main goal is to advance to Cadet Airman (C/Amn) within a set period of time.
Prerequisites: 12 years of age or above (age limit waived if a participant in a Middle School Squadron and in 6th grade)[2], U.S. Citizenship (or waiver), active membership. Automatically given upon joining.
Phase 1 - The Learning Phase
Phase 1 is the entry phase to Civil Air Patrol which encompasses the grades of C/AB-C/SrA. Cadets in phase 1 make up the majority of inflight cadets and are working to improve their followership skills and cadet program knowledge. Cadets in Phase 1 are expected to display a positive, team-oriented attitude, listen actively and attentively to guidance given, and hold a sense of responsibility while working to develop crucial time management skills.
| Achievement 1 | Achievement 2 | Achievement 3 | Wright Brothers Award | ||
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| Achievement Name | Major General John F. Curry | General of the Air Force Hap Arnold | Colonel Mark Feik | Orville & Wilbur Wright | |
| Namesake History | First National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol and a strong advocate for female aviators | Commanding general of U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II | Pioneer in the fields of aviation mechanics and engineering, and proud CAP volunteer | First men to achieve powered, controlled, sustained, heavier-than- air flight | |
| Grade | Cadet Airman (C/Amn) | Cadet Airman First Class (C/A1C) | Cadet Senior Airman (C/SrA) | Cadet Staff Sergeant (C/SSgt) | |
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| Promotion Eligibility Requirements | |||||
| Leadership | Learn to Lead Chapter 1 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] |
Learn to Lead Chapter 2 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] |
Learn to Lead Chapter 3 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] |
Learn to Lead Chapters 1-3 Comprehensive Closed-Book Exam Comprehensive Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] | |
| Aerospace | No Requirement | Aerospace Dimensions - Any Module, Any Order Cadet Interactive or Written Test[3] |
Aerospace Dimensions - Any Module, Any Order Cadet Interactive or Written Test[3] |
No Requirement | |
| Fitness | Attempt CPFT as baseline | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attempted CPFT in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attempted CPFT in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | |
| Character | Cadet Wingman Course | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | No Requirement | |
| Special | Cadet Welcome Course Cadet Interactive or class |
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| General Advancement Pre-Requisites | (1) Be a current member of CAP (2) Possess a CAP uniform and wear it properly (after Achievement 1) (3) Have receited the Cadet Oath from memory (4) Participate actively in unit meetings | ||||
| Minimum Time in Grade | Upon Joining | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | |
Phase 2 - The Leadership Phase
| Achievement 4 | Achievement 5 | Achievement 6 | Achievement 7 | Achievement 8 | Billy Mitchell Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement Name | Captain Eddie Rickenbacker | General Jimmy Doolittle | Dr. Robert H. Goddard | Neil Armstrong | Brigadier General Billy Mitchell | |
| Namesake History | America’s “Ace of Aces” during World War I; he wanted CAP cadets to know him as “Eddie” | Currently not named; reserved for a future aerospace pioneer | Pioneer in aeronautical engineering and leader of the World War II air raid on Tokyo | The “Father of Modern Rocketry” and developer of the first liquid-fueled rocket | First man to set foot on the Moon, aboard Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969 – “One giant leap for mankind” | America’s first vocal advocate for military airpower, he proved the airplane could sink ships |
| Grade | Cadet Technical Sergeant (C/TSgt) | Cadet Master Sergeant (C/MSgt) | Cadet Senior Master Sergeant (C/SMSgt) | Cadet Chief Master Sergeant (C/CMSgt) | Cadet Chief Master Sergeant (C/CMSgt) | Cadet Second Lieutenant (C/2d Lt) |
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| Promotion Eligibility Requirements | ||||||
| Leadership | Learn to Lead Chapter 4 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] |
Learn to Lead Chapter 5 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] |
Learn to Lead Chapter 6 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] |
Learn to Lead Chapter 7 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] |
Learn to Lead Chapter 8 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] Drill & Ceremonies Performance Test[4] Speech & Essay |
Learn to Lead Chapters 4-8 Comprehensive Closed-Book Exam |
| Aerospace | Aerospace Dimensions - Any Module, Any Order Cadet Interactive or Written Test[3] |
Aerospace Dimensions - Any Module, Any Order Cadet Interactive or Written Test[3] |
Aerospace Dimensions - Any Module, Any Order Cadet Interactive or Written Test[3] |
Aerospace Dimensions - Any Module, Any Order Cadet Interactive or Written Test[3] |
Aerospace Dimensions - Any Module, Any Order Cadet Interactive or Written Test[3] |
Aerospace Dimensions Module 1-7 Comprehensive Closed-Book Written Exam |
| Fitness | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days |
| Character | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | No Requirement |
| Special | Graduate Encampment (anytime prior) | |||||
| General Advancement Pre-Requisites | (1) Be a current member of CAP (2) Possess a CAP uniform and wear it properly (after Achievement 1) (3) Have receited the Cadet Oath from memory (4) Participate actively in unit meetings | |||||
| Minimum Time in Grade | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) |
Phase 3 - The Command Phase
| Achievement 9 | Achievement 10 | Achievement 11 | Amelia Earhart Award | |
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| Achievement Name | 1st Lt Willa Brown | Amelia Earhart | ||
| Namesake History | Currently not named; reserved for a future aerospace pioneer | “Maker of Pilots” and CAP volunteer, her flight school trained the first African-American military pilots | Currently not named; reserved for a future aerospace pioneer | Record-setting female pilot and writer whom was lost while attempting to fly around the world |
| Grade | Cadet Second Lieutenant (C/2d Lt) | Cadet First Lieutenant (C/1st Lt) | Cadet First Lieutenant (C/1st Lt) | Cadet Captain (C/Capt) |
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| Award | No Ribbon Awarded | No Ribbon Awarded | No Ribbon Awarded | 
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| Promotion Eligibility Requirements | ||||
| Leadership | Learn to Lead Chapter 9 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] SDA Service, Writing & Presentation |
Learn to Lead Chapter 10 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] SDA Service, Writing & Presentation |
Learn to Lead Chapter 11 Cadet Interactive or Open-Book Test[3] SDA Service, Writing & Presentation |
Learn to Lead Chapters 9-11 Comprehensive Closed-Book Exam |
| Aerospace | Aerospace: The Journey of Flight 3-Chapter Block Open-Book Test[3] |
Aerospace: The Journey of Flight 3-Chapter Block Open-Book Test[3] |
Aerospace: The Journey of Flight 3-Chapter Block Open-Book Test[3] |
No Requirement |
| Fitness | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days |
| Character | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | No Requirement |
| Special | ||||
| General Advancement Pre-Requisites | (1) Be a current member of CAP (2) Possess a CAP uniform and wear it properly (after Achievement 1) (3) Have receited the Cadet Oath from memory (4) Participate actively in unit meetings | |||
| Minimum Time in Grade | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) |
Phase 4 - The Executive Phase
| Achievement 12 | Achievement 13 | Achievement 14 | Achievement 15 | Achievement 16 | Ira Eaker Award | |
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| Achievement Name | Colonel George Boyd | Dr. Sally Ride | General Ira C. Eaker | |||
| Namesake History | Currently not named; reserved for a future aerospace pioneer | Currently not named; reserved for a future aerospace pioneer | Tuskegee Airman, one of the first African-American USAF officers, veteran of three wars, CAP volunteer | Astrophysicist and first US woman in space who later became a champion of science literacy | Currently not named; reserved for a future aerospace pioneer | Army Air Forces general and advocate of strategic bombardment during World War II |
| Grade | Cadet Captain (C/Capt) | Cadet Captain (C/Capt) | Cadet Major (C/Maj) | Cadet Major (C/Maj) | Cadet Major (C/Maj) | Cadet Lieutenant Colonel (C/Lt Col) |
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| Award | No Ribbon Awarded | No Ribbon Awarded | No Ribbon Awarded | No Ribbon Awarded | No Ribbon Awarded | 
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| Promotion Eligibility Requirements | ||||||
| Leadership | Learn to Lead Chapter 12 Open-Book Test[3] SDA Service, Writing & Presentation |
Learn to Lead Chapter 13 Open-Book Test[3] SDA Service, Writing & Presentation |
Learn to Lead Chapter 14 Open-Book Test[3] SDA Service, Writing & Presentation |
Learn to Lead Chapter 15 Open-Book Test[3] SDA Service, Writing & Presentation |
Learn to Lead Chapter 16 Open-Book Test[3] SDA Service, Writing & Presentation |
Speech & Essay |
| Aerospace | No Requirement | No Requirement | Aerospace: The Journey of Flight 3-Chapter Block Open-Book Test[3] |
Aerospace: The Journey of Flight 3-Chapter Block Open-Book Test[3] |
Aerospace: The Journey of Flight 3-Chapter Block Open-Book Test[3] |
No Requirement |
| Fitness | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days | Participate in 1 Activity & Have Attained HFZ in Previous 180 days |
| Character | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | Participate in 1 Activity | No Requirement |
| Special | Graduate from a Leadership Academy (anytime prior) | |||||
| General Advancement Pre-Requisites | (1) Be a current member of CAP (2) Possess a CAP uniform and wear it properly (after Achievement 1) (3) Have receited the Cadet Oath from memory (4) Participate actively in unit meetings | |||||
| Minimum Time in Grade | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) | 8 weeks (56 days) |
Pinnacle
| Spaatz Award | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement Name | General Carl A. Spaatz | |||
| Namesake History | First Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and first Chairman of the CAP National Board | |||
| Grade | Cadet Colonel (C/Col) | |||
| Insignia | 
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| Award | 
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| Promotion Eligibility Requirements | ||||
| Leadership | Learn to Lead Chapters 1-16 Comprehensive Closed-Book Exam | |||
| Aerospace | Journey of Flight All 18 Chapters Comprehensive Closed-Book Exam | |||
| Fitness | USAF Academy Candidate Fitness Assessment | |||
| Character | Essay Exam | |||
| Special | ||||
| General Advancement Pre-Requisites | (1) Be a current member of CAP (2) Possess a CAP uniform and wear it properly (after Achievement 1) (3) Have receited the Cadet Oath from memory (4) Participate actively in unit meetings | |||
| Minimum Time in Grade | Upon Earning Eaker | |||
Cadet Interactive and Honor Credit
Special Cadet Programs Awards
Independent Study
Encampment
Type A Encampment
Type B Encampment
National Cadet Special Activities
Aerospace NCSAs
National Flight Academy
Aviation and Aeronautics Business Academy
Aircraft Manufacturing Academy
AF Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training
National Blue Beret
Technology NCSAs
Cyber National Cadet Activities
AF Civil Engineering Academy
WA Wing Green Darner Cyber Education Camp
Space Force Operations Academy
Military and Emergency Services NCSAs
Hawk Mountain Ranger School
AF Pararescue and Survival Orientation Course
Desert Scorpion
Ground Search and Rescue Academy
Medical Orientation and Training School
Honor Guard Academy
Leadership NCSAs
National Character and Leadership Symposium
Civic Leadership Academy
International Air Cadet Exchange
Cadet Officer School
Cadet Invest
Cadet Aerospace Education
CyberPatriot
Footnotes
- ↑ https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/programs/cadets
- ↑ https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/join/youth-in-cadet-program/cadet-faqs/how-old-do-i-have-to-be-to-join
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 Passing score of 80% or higher
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Passing score of 80% or higher as outlined in CAPP 60-33