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Cadet Programs
**National Cadet Programs Team Furloughed Due to Federal Government Shutdown**
Because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, the Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Programs team, along with most National Headquarters staff, is now on furlough starting Sunday, November 9th, 2025. During this time, the majority of the Cadet Programs employee team will not have access to email or phone systems.
A list of Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.
A list of impacted services can be found here.
If you have an emergency, please contact the National Operations Center (NOC) at 888-211-1812.
Employee emails and phone numbers will not be monitored during the furlough, as well as distribution lists like ceap@capnhq.gov, cadetwings@capnhq.gov, and cadetinvest@capnhq.gov. All messages will be answered once the government reopens and the furlough ends. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging time for our entire national staff.
For shutdown-related questions, please continue to seek answers through your chain of command, but if further clarification is needed, use ask@capnhq.gov as a single point of contact for questions related to activities and operations during the shutdown period. The Frequently Asked Questions linked at nhq.cap.gov will continue to be updated.
Thank you for everything that you do to support our Cadets!
Respectfully,
National Cadet Programs Team
Today's Cadets . . . Tomorrow's Aerospace Leaders
Briefing Documents |
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Cadet |
Cadet Program Overview |
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CAP Cadet Program - At a Glance* |
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Mission: Transform youth into dynamic Americans and aerospace leaders |
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Established: 1942 |
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Age to Join: 12 through 18 |
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Content Areas: Leadership, Aerospace, Fitness, Character |
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Total Cadets: 25,000 |
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Locations: 1,000 hometown squadrons |
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Time Commitment: Ideally, cadets participate in a 2-hour squadron meeting each week, plus one "Saturday" event monthly and one week-long encampment in summer, but of course, school and family obligations take priority** |
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Costs: Annual dues of $25 - $60, depending upon location; some assistance is available with uniform costs and overnight activity fees; a fully-active cadet could incur $300 to $600 in costs during the first year, less any financial assistance |
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Military Obligation: None, but 8% of USAF Academy cadets are former CAP cadets |
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Annual Flying Hours: 25,000 hrs in single-engine aircraft; 12,000 glider sorties |
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* All figures are approximations that will vary year-to-year |
