Cadet Advisory Council

Cadet Advisory Council, or CAC, is an opportunity for cadets to provide feedback to the higher echelon to share insight into the "daily life" of a Civil Air Patrol cadet and offer suggestions for program improvements to sustain a happy, healthy, and well-trained corps of CAP cadets. 

How does CAC work?

CAC acts as a legislative-style body which uses a congressional model to organize the council, make recommendations, and propose solutions to commanders at their respective echelon. 

Each CAC consists of the following officer corps:

• Chairperson — Oversees the conduct of the CAC, providing direction to council members and serving to break ties during voting

• Vice Chairperson — Provides secondary oversight of the CAC and assists the Chair in managing the council's affairs

• Recorder — Takes minutes of the council's activities and prepares correspondence (i.e., memoranda) for command review

A senior member Advisor to the Cadet Advisory Council is appointed by each echelon to serve as a mentor for council officers. 

How many CACs are there?

Each echelon above the squadron level may organize a Cadet Advisory Council: 

• Group Cadet Advisory Council (GCAC) — Consists of representatives from squadrons throughout Ohio Wing's Group 3; each squadron may provide two (2) representatives

• Wing Cadet Advisory Council (NCAC) — Consists of representatives from squadrons throughout Ohio Wing; each squadron may provide two (2) representatives

• Region Cadet Advisory Council (RCAC) — Consists of representatives from each wing in the Great Lakes Region, selected by the Wing Commander at the advisement of the Wing Director of Cadet Program

• National Cadet Advisory Council (NCAC) — Consists of representatives from each region in Civil Air Patrol, selected by the Region Commander at the advisement of the Region Deputy Chief of Staff for Cadet Programs

Who can serve on CAC?

Each echelon will provide their own criteria for serving on their respective Cadet Advisory Council; however, the standard practice for Group- and Wing-level CAC is for a cadet to hold the grade of at least Cadet Airman, while Region- and National-level CAC will prefer that representatives have prior experience in serving on CAC at the lower echelon. 

The squadron may appoint two representatives to Group- and Wing-level CAC:

• Primary Representative — A voting member of the council who represents the squadron's interests at CAC

• Alternate Representative — A non-voting member of the council who provides additional feedback to the CAC on behalf of the squadron

A representative who is appointed to an officer position on the council usually resigns from their position as representative; thus, an additional seat is opened for the squadron. 

NOTE: CAC officer positions are title-based only. Cadets are not required to be a cadet officer in order to serve in a CAC officer position. 

How long Can I serve on CAC?

The CAC "seasonal period" runs from 01 October through 30 September (1 year). Cadets may serve multiple years at their squadron's discretion and at the discretion of the echelon commander.

Cadets who complete at least one successful term on CAC are permitted to wear the Cadet Advisory Council Ribbon on their service uniforms. 

How do I get involved?

Cadets seeking to join CAC should contact the Unit Commander directly to learn how to become a squadron representative.