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Those who belong call it the nation's best-kept secret -- and a little part of it is right here, tucked into a secluded corner of McClellan Air Force Base.
Steve Nichols of the Navy Sea Cadet Corps gets a tour of a C-130 cockpit from Coast Guard engineer Don Welch. |
Fedelina Aguilar, 17, got lured in by a friend.
Now she spends a weekend a month immersing herself in all things military, particularly naval. She dons uniforms, learns how to march in military form; she has traveled to spend time in modified boot camps. She gets a youthful taste of military life, its varied experiences and its demand for precision. Along the way, she has learned leadership, self-reliance and confidence.
"I like the order. There's a structure here for you," she said Saturday as she helped teach basic knots to younger cadets gathered on the second floor of a hangar.
The Naval Sea Cadet Corps started in 1958 as a youth training organization for boys and girls, 13 to 17 years old, sponsored by the Navy League, a fraternal group of mostly retired Navy personnel. The Navy League Cadet Corps is a companion program for 11- to 13-year-olds. The older youths get even more training that mimics what their adult counterparts receive -- boarding naval vessels and jets. One of the most popular choices is a scaled-down version of the renowned Navy SEAL training, or a stint where the Top Gun flies.
 Sam Betts, 13, dances for his fellow members of the Navy League Cadet Corps before they begin marching at McClellan Air Force Base. Members of the corps meet one weekend per month at McClellan. |
With 9,000 youths and adult leaders nationwide, both cadet corps are trying to reach an enrollment of 12,000 by 2002.
It's a particular challenge because the cadet corps do not enjoy the high profile of other youth organizations, such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. They also must rely on word of mouth and periodic recruiting drives at schools, said Sarah Whelan, one of several adult leaders. And the country's shrinking Defense Department leaves more and more communities without a military presence.
Yet for those who do join the $85-a-year program, they get experiences that are unlike those offered by other youth organizations, she said.
Sponsored by the Placer County Council of the Navy League, the local cadet corps meet monthly at McClellan, where about 40 youths march, run, study in classrooms, and eat in the commissary. Other weekends, they might march in parades or volunteer their services at places such as senior centers.
Israel Mosqueda, 11, wrestled with a 2-foot hank of rope Saturday as he tried to master the all-purpose square knot. In upcoming statewide competitions, he and the rest of the cadets must be ready to tie one of six knots in 30 seconds.
"I like it because there are a lot of activities," he said of the cadet corp.
He even liked boot camp last summer. "I can do 30 push-ups, 40. Maybe 50," he said, grinning. But most of all, he liked the swimming.
"We're going to fly an airplane," he said, talking about a future outing. "They're going to lift it off for us and then we start flying."
 Jacob Mason, 17, of the Navy Sea Cadet Corps holds his unit's flag as other members of the color guard finish dressing at McClellan Air Force Base. members say they appreciate the discipline and structure |
There is no pressure for youths to join the military, but many do, lured by an automatic upgrade in their beginning pay, said Whelan.
Nor are cadets steered toward the Navy.
"Some of them defect, like to the Air Force," said Whelan.
Aguilar, who goes to Galt High School, is headed for the Marines when she turns 18 in September.
"I don't think it's going to be that hard," she said. Already she's been to one of the youth boot camps.
"I know what the rush is like, the pressure and the chaos," she said. "We had to shower in 30 seconds and get dressed in two minutes."
Israel, the product of a Marine family, isn't sure if military life is in his future. But he's enjoying his weekend forays into the life for the moment.
Fiddling with his practice rope, as his double cheeseburger lunch settled in his stomach, he thought about what he would be doing if he wasn't a cadet.
"I'd be home, watching TV."
For more information about the cadet corps, contact Lt. Leon Nichols at (916)-349-1173.