eligibility
Each applicant must be able to meet all of the following requirements to enroll as a League Cadet or Sea Cadet and , once enrolled, each cadet must continue to meet all of these requirements to remain enrolled:
- An applicant to the NLCC must be at least 10 years old but not have reached his or her 14th birthday. An applicant to the NSCC must be at least 13 years old but not have reached his or her 18th birthday.
- An applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.
- At a minimum, the applicant and his or her parent/guardian must truthfully affirm that
- the applicant:
- is unmarried, is not sexually promiscuous, and does not have any children,
- does not use, and rejects the use of, alcohol,
- does not use, and rejects the use of, illegal and/or recreational drugs,
- is not part of a criminal or street gang, and
- has no pattern of unfavorable interactions with the police, and has never been arrested or charged with a crime or a delinquent act in a court of law.
- An applicant must be able to participate in the basic required activities of the program, which include successfully completing all advancement requirements, particularly:
- a semi-annual physical fitness assessment, and
- (for Sea Cadets only) participation in an overnight recruit training and subsequent advanced training evolutions; and, at unit drills, training contingents, or activities, multiple hours per day of:
- team-building physical training activities and calisthenics,
- close-order military drill and formation,
- periods of classroom and practical hands-on instruction,
- hands-on, often demanding, military training in the field or on Navy and Coast Guard ships.
- An applicant must fully and truthfully disclose his or her medical history, must complete a physical examination performed by a licensed medical practitioner, and must be up-to-date with common immunizations.
- An applicant must demonstrate that he or she is a student in good standing in a state-approved public, private, or home school. Once enrolled, the applicant must be able to complete self-paced, open-book correspondence courses on his or her own time.
enrollment frequently asked questions
I don't have base access, can I still join?
Yes. All adults need REAL ID compliant government issued photo identification. Only those listed on your registration form will be admitted.
Who is eligible to join?
What happens on enrollment day?
Who/what do I need to bring?
How much is the enrollment fee?
I have a friend that wants to join too, what do I do?
Yes. All adults need REAL ID compliant government issued photo identification. Only those listed on your registration form will be admitted.
- DoD military/civilian/dependent ID cards
- Washington state Enhanced Drivers License/ID Card
- U.S. passport or passport card
- DHS trusted traveler program card (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- Federal employee HSPD-12 PIV card
- DHS U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551)
- DHS Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766)
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
- Foreign-government issued passport with valid U.S. visa
Who is eligible to join?
- U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents ages 11 to 17 years old, who are full time students with a minimum 2.0 grade point average.
- Current high school seniors are only accepted in September.
- We only accept those who show an interest and want to be a part of our program.
What happens on enrollment day?
- Meet our cadets and staff
- Tour our facility
- Get a regulation haircut (the NEX barber opens at 0900)
- Get measured for uniforms
- Take you ID card picture (you will need a regulation hair cut for your photo)
Who/what do I need to bring?
- Prospective cadets must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
- Your completed application form. In the application you will find the enrollment forms, liability release form and medical forms.
- An annual medical exam is required for membership on our form, we cannot accept other forms. This is basically a sports exam. Cadets cannot participate in away camps or physical activity until we have the exam. You will also find the medical accommodation request forms if needed.
- Your proof of citizenship or legal residency (birth certificate, passport, green card)
- Your immunization records (immunizations are required, no waivers or exemptions)
- A copy of your medical insurance card.
How much is the enrollment fee?
- Enrollment is $220 per year (payment plans are available).
- Families with multiple cadets receive a $20.00 discount on each cadet’s enrollment.
- The renewal fee is reduced $20 per year for each advancement the cadet receives.
- We accept cash, personal checks and credit cards (via PayPal).
- While we loan uniforms to you at no additional charge, we try to provide uniform shoes or boots, but if we do not have your sizes, you will be responsible for obtaining these items. Most uniform items are available through our supply system at no additional cost, however cost for special order items are the responsibility of the parents.
I have a friend that wants to join too, what do I do?
- Have them contact us at orion@seacadets.org.
- They will need to come to our meeting with a parent or guardian.
- If they join you may be eligible for our recruiting incentive ribbon award.
PARENTS - we need your help!
Do you have experience working with kids? Join our adult volunteer ranks as a uniformed or non-uniformed volunteer.
Do you have experience working with kids? Join our adult volunteer ranks as a uniformed or non-uniformed volunteer.
- We currently need assistance with tailoring, managing uniform supplies, and tracking administrative work such as cadet training, awards and promotions.
- Adult volunteer enrollments are covered by our program.
