Ranks of the Civil Air Patrol
Members of Civil Air Patrol are assigned various ranks, the titles and insignia of which are based on those used by the United States Air Force. Each grade and insignia corresponds to an equivalent United States Air Force enlisted rank insignia and an equivalent officer rank insignia.
Cadet grades
Cadet grades are awarded to cadets in the CAP. A cadet begins at cadet airman basic and must progress through all the enlisted grades before becoming a cadet officer. Each achievement requires the completion of several tasks.Cadet airman basic
Cadet airman basic is the beginner level grade of Civil Air Patrol cadets and of all phases. This is the entry-level position for junior cadets joining the Cadet Program. During the time that this grade is held, most cadets undergo some form of squadron, group, and, occasionally, wing-level training in the basics of CAP and what it has to offer. The cadet will wear no insignia with this grade. The grade has no corresponding achievement award. All new cadets begin at cadet airman.Cadet airmen basic are to be referred to as "Cadet" by other cadets and senior members.
Cadet airman
Cadet airman is a grade that indicates the completion of the first achievement of 16 in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. The cadet airman insignia is based on the design of the airman insignia from the USAF with a CAP cadet shield superimposed over the center. Requirements to obtain this cadet grade include a 25-question test on the fundamentals of leadership and followership taken from chapter one of "Learn to Lead, Volume 1". completion of both the test and the optional 'interactive module' awards the cadet honor credit, allowing them to affix a silver star to the Achievement 1 ribbon. A drill performance test, and an attempt at a cadet physical fitness test are also required. Also included in promotion is attending at least one Moral Leadership session provided by the cadet's local squadron. Some local units also require review boards to ensure that a person meets all requirements for this, but many squadrons only require promotion boards for milestone achievements. Since 2015, cadets also must complete the new Wingman Program and quiz to obtain the grade of cadet airman.The grade accompanies the General J. F. Curry Achievement.
Cadets who have earned the Curry Achievement are eligible to attend Basic Encampment and may also work towards their General Emergency Services rating.
Cadet airmen are to be referred to as "Airman" or "Cadet" by other cadets and senior members.
Cadet airman first class
Cadet airman 1st class is like cadet airman in many ways. Promotion to this grade indicates completion of the second of 16 achievements in the program. Some differences though are that at this level, cadets must pass an aerospace program along with a leadership, drill and an attempt at a physical fitness test. Cadets also must attend at least one Character Development session. Along with this, cadets sometimes begin serving as element leaders or begin working towards the experience of being flight sergeants while polishing their skills in learning how to be effective followers. The design is similar to that of a cadet airman with a second stripe.The grade accompanies the General H. H. "Hap" Arnold Achievement.
Cadet airmen first class are to be referred to as "Airman" or "Cadet" by other cadets and senior members.
Cadet senior airman
Cadet senior airman is the third achievement in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. It, like the requirements for cadet airman first class includes a leadership, aerospace, and an attempt at a physical fitness test with many units requiring review boards to obtain this promotion. By this time, cadets have served at least 4 months in the program. Most cadets take longer than that to reach this point and usually have a couple of groups, wing, or other, higher-level activities and experience. Senior airmen are in essence NCOs in training. They may be asked to supervise subordinate cadets in the absence of a junior NCO. By this point, a senior airman is usually an element leader.The grade accompanies the Mary Feik Achievement.
Cadet senior airmen are to be referred to as "Airman" or "Cadet" by other cadets and senior members.
Cadet staff sergeant
Cadet staff sergeant is the first milestone achievement in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. Formerly the Wright Brothers Achievement, it was made an award to mark the completion of the first phase of the CAP Cadet Program. The award requires passing a comprehensive, closed-book test on leadership covering the material learned over the first three achievements of the program. The cadet must also obtain a passing physical fitness test credential, valid for 6 months, and a comprehensive drill performance test, as well as a commitment of at least eight months of active membership in Civil Air Patrol. In addition, a promotion review board is required. He/she may also apply for a staff position at an encampment or national activity. In addition cadet staff sergeants may also become flight sergeants and supervise flights anywhere from 8–20 cadets, although it is not uncommon to see a cadet staff sergeant still retain the position of element leader.The grade accompanies the Wright Brothers Award, the first of the five Cadet Program Milestone Awards.
Cadet staff sergeants are to be referred to as "Sergeant" or "Cadet" by other cadets and senior members.
Cadet Technical Sergeant
The grade of Cadet Technical Sergeant is the fifth achievement of the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. At this rank cadets are usually Flight Sergeants, but may also serve as element leaders instead. They can also apply to become staff at an encampment or a national activity.The grade accompanies the Captain Eddie Rickenbacker Achievement.
Cadet Technical Sergeants are to be referred to as "Sergeant" or "Cadet" by other cadets and Senior Members.
Cadet Master Sergeant
The grade of Cadet Master Sergeant is the sixth achievement of the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. At this point a Cadet becomes a Senior NCO and may be given the billet of First Sergeant, at which time a diamond is placed on the grade insignia.This rank was referred to as the "Charles A. Lindbergh achievement" prior to 2019, when a re-examination of Lindbergh revealed he didn't match with Civil Air Patrol's Core Values. It was then, and is now called Achievement 5. The name is reserved for future aerospace pioneers. This achievement is also considered a "Senior NCO" or shortly, "S-NCO".
Cadet Master Sergeants are to be referred to as "Sergeant" or "Cadet" by other cadets and Senior Members.
Cadet Senior Master Sergeant
The grade of Cadet Senior Master Sergeant is the seventh achievement of the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. At this rank a cadet may serve as a first sergeant. However, it is not uncommon for a senior master sergeant to be a flight sergeant. Rarely, but in the event that there is a shortage of commissioned officers a Senior NCO may act as a Flight Commander, commanding a group of cadets numbering usually from 8-20.The grade accompanies the General Jimmy Doolittle Achievement.
Cadet Senior Master Sergeants are to be referred to as "Sergeant" or "Cadet" by other cadets and Senior Members.
Cadet Chief Master Sergeant
The grade of Cadet Chief Master Sergeant is the eighth achievement of the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. There are two achievements with this rank. At this rank a Chief usually serves as a Squadron First Sergeant. However, a Chief may also be a Flight Sergeant. Lastly, like a Senior Master Sergeant, a Chief may serve as a Flight Commander if there is a shortage in officers.The grade accompanies the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Achievement.
In order for a cadet to earn this grade, the cadet must pass the Leadership Achievement 7 test, and the only aerospace education test that the cadet has not yet passed. The cadet must also take and pass their Cadet Physical Fitness Test, attend at least one Character Development session in their squadron since their last promotion, have actively participated, and finally, the cadet must have spent at least 56 days as a Cadet Senior Master Sergeant. On the cadet's ribbon they are eligible for two silver stars. One for successfully completing honor credit, and the other for earning the "Model Rocketry" badge. The badge is worn on the Air-Force style "Blues" uniform.
In addition, the grade of cadet chief master sergeant is held for another 56 days after the cadet has earned the Goddard Achievement. Upon completing a physical fitness test, a 300-500 word essay and a speech given to the squadron, the cadet can earn the Neil Armstrong Achievement, which is the final achievement a cadet is able to receive before promoting on to the officer ranks.
Cadet Chief Master Sergeants are to be referred to as "Chief" or "Cadet" by other cadets and Senior Members.
Cadet First Sergeant
Cadet First Sergeant is a position conferred to a cadet senior non-commissioned officer in a unit. Rather than being a grade which any cadet may attain, this is a position granted to the cadet who will be acting in the leadership role over other cadets, and as such, there will be only one first sergeant at any given time. however, exceptions can be made to this for encampments, which may require multiple squadrons. Cadets achieving the grade of cadet second lieutenant may no longer hold the position of first sergeant, and it will be awarded to another senior cadet NCO. The term "First Sergeant" is not a rank or grade; rather it is a term of reference.The roles of the cadet first sergeant are to relay information to Flight Sergeants and other NCOs or Airmen from the executive staff, be the eyes and ears of the cadet commander, be the voice of the cadets to the commander, and to be a mentor and example for all S-NCOs, NCOs and Airmen in the squadron. This position can lead in PT as well as being a supervisor and teacher to the Flight Sergeants on the drill pad. A first sergeant has no rank authority over flight commanders. A first sergeant is placed above or in-between flight commanders in the Chain of command, because they report to the cadet commander, but this does not give them authority over flight commanders. The first sergeant position is in the direct chain of command, and is there to make the chain of command work by relaying information from the enlisted grade cadets to the Cadet Commander. The reason the first sergeant position is not in the direct chain of command is because it does need to be positioned above flight staff to work. First sergeants do not have the authority to give Flight Commanders orders. Typically, Flight Commanders work directly with the Cadet Commander as a part of the squadron's executive staff and receive their orders from that authority. The Flight Sergeants report to only the Flight Commander. The First Sergeant does not usually receive reports from any enlisted cadets. However, there may be exceptions to this throughout squadrons.
The insignia for this position will be similar to the equivalent rank, but with a small diamond placed in the center of the chevron to convey their role as both an S-NCO. As shown by CAPR 60-1 on Table 4.1, Junior NCOs cannot be assigned to this position. Cadets serving in this position should always be addressed as first sergeant by other cadets, and can be called "First Sergeant", "Sergeant" or simply "Cadet" by Senior Members.