Advancement Requirements

Sea Cadet Advancement Chart

RANK

MIN. TIME IN RATE

REQUIRED POLARIS
COURSEWORK

EXAM

REQUIRED TRAINING

E1
Seaman Recruit

None

Seaman Recruit

None

Pass PRT

E2
Seaman Apprentice

3 Months

Seaman Apprentice

None

Recruit Training

E3
Seaman

6 Months

Seaman

None

Advanced Training

E4
Petty Officer 3rd Class

6 Months

Petty Officer 3rd Class

PO-3 Exam

Advanced Training

E5
Petty Officer 2nd Class

6 Months

Petty Officer 2nd Class

PO-2 Exam

Advanced Training

E6
Petty Officer 1st Class

6 Months

Petty Officer 1st Class

PO-1 Exam

Advanced Training

E7
Chief Petty Office

6 Months

Chief Petty Officer

None

POLA

Sea Cadet training consists of Navy Non-Resident Training Courses (NRTC), training evolutions (away from local units), shipboard training, and training arranged locally by units.

All new cadets enter the program at the rate of Seaman Recruit. In order for cadets to move up through the ranks they must complete the following:

– USNSCC Rank-specific Course located in Polaris (Accessible via Homeport).  These courses  cover basic military and naval subjects such as naval history, seamanship, leadership, and ship/aircraft familiarization. The cadet rate structure parallels that of the Navy and Coast Guard’s enlisted rate structure, with Chief Petty Officer being the highest rate a cadet can achieve.

Advance Trainings take place mostly during summer months and occasionally during winter and spring break periods and are generally one to two week evolutions. The first training evolution for all cadets is NSCC Recruit Training, better known as boot camp or “RT”. It is a scaled down version of the Navy’s boot camp. For approximately two-weeks cadets are instructed by active and reserve military personnel and Sea Cadet officers in military drill and discipline, physical fitness, seamanship, shipboard safety, first aid, naval history, and leadership.

After cadets have successfully completed boot camp, they can then participate in advanced trainings. All trainings must be requested by the Cadet to the Training Officer.  Many of these trainings are highly-competitive, so cadet performance, attendance, and attitude factor in to the approval process.  Sea Cadet advance trainings currently consist of the following:

Sea Cadet Training Schools

  • Airman Training (Basic & Advanced)
  • Air Traffic Control Training
  • Drone Pilot Training Certification
  • FAA Ground School
  • Culinary Arts Training
  • Medical Training (EMT, General, Field, Surgical & Dental Tech)
  • Firefighting Training
  • Photo-Journalism Training
  • Ceremonial Guard
  • Submarine Training
  • Marksmanship/Firearms Training
  • Construction Battalion (Seabee) Training (Basic & Advanced)
  • Mine Warfare Operations Training
  • Music Training with the USNSCC Band of the West (Click for more details)
  • Seal Team Training
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training
  • Amphibious Training
  • Petty Officer Leadership Academy (Taken as an E4, required for E5 promotion)
  • Master-At-Arms Training (Military Police/Law)
  • Judge Advocate General (JAG) Training
  • Sailing School
  • Scuba School (PADI Basic/Advanced)
  • Seamanship Training
  • Shipboard Training (Ride U.S. Navy ships and Coast Guard vessels)
  • SWCC (Special Warfare Combat Crewman) IE “special boat ops”
  • Coastal Riverine training
  • Red Cross certifications
  • The United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar
  • The U.S. Coast Guard Academy Introduction Mission