Sea Cadet Corps (United Kingdom)

Oath

I promise to serve my God, the Queen, my Country and the Sea Cadet Corps and to obey the orders of my superior officers. I will be proud of my uniform, be smart and seamanlike in wearing it, and always do my duty.

Said by the New Entry, in front of the whole ship's company, before being promoted to Cadet.

History

The Sea Cadet Corps has one of the longest continuous histories of any youth organisation in the country. The Corps dates back to the Crimean War (1854–1856) when sailors returning home from the campaign formed Naval Lads' Brigades to help orphans in the back streets of sea ports.

1899 Queen Victoria gave the Windsor unit £10 to purchase uniforms (officially the birthday of the Corps)

The SCC in the UK can be traced back to the Kent port of Whitstable where the first of the Naval Lads' Brigades was established. The success of the brigades in helping disadvantaged youth led to the formation of the Navy League, a national organisation with a membership of 250,000 dedicated to supporting the Royal Navy, which subsequently adopted the Brigades in 1910.

National level

At a National level the Sea Cadets Headquarters (MSSCHQ) are based in South London at 202 Lambeth Road, SE1 7JW. This is where all decision on policy or national regulation are made. Sea Cadet Headquarters is home to the Captain of the Sea Cadets (CSC) who is currently Captain Philip Russell RN. He is also the Director of Operations for the Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC). The MSSC assist in the running of the Sea Cadet Corps in a similar way to that of the MOD for the Royal Navy.

MSSCHQ is made up of a variety of different sections, including:

Area level

The country is divided into six areas which are:

Each area has an Area Officer (AO) who is a serving Royal Navy Commander or, occasionally, a Royal Marine Lieutenant Colonel serving on a Full Time Reserve Service contract.

In addition to the AO each area also has:

District level

Each area is subdivided into districts of between five and twelve units. In charge of each district is a District Officer (DO) who is normally a Lieutenant Commander (SCC) RNR. Each district also has a Deputy District Officer (DDO) or an Assistant District Officer (ADO), as well as District Training Officers. These positions are staffed by volunteers. Some districts have District Staff Officers (DSO) responsible for overseeing various specialisations at a District level.

Unit level

Each unit or Training Ship (TS), is commanded by a Commanding Officer (CO) or Officer in Charge (OiC), assisted by the 1st Lieutenant, who serves as the units second in command. Some units also have a Royal Marines Cadets Detachment, headed by a Detachment Commander (DC).

Units also have staff assigned to different roles within the unit to assist in the day-to-day running. Units could also have a Training Officer, who is in charge of overseeing the training given with the unit. An Admin Officer, in charge of the paperwork within a unit, and booking cadets on courses. Or a Boats Officer, who is in charge of the running and maintenance of the units boats.

People

The joining age for Sea Cadets is from their 10th birthday, up to their 18th birthday, of all backgrounds. The SCC is an equal opportunities organisation, and take young people from all walks of life. The cadets can be split into four distinct sections.

Sea Cadets

Sea Cadets are by far the biggest section. Their training is based around the traditions of the Royal Navy, and in the summer they spend a large amount of time boating on the water. The Sea Cadets is open to anyone aged from 12 to 18.

Junior Cadet section

Most Sea Cadet units also have a Junior Cadet section for the 10- to 12-year-olds. Junior Cadets have their own training programme and uniform. It is based around a more practical and fun version of the Sea Cadet training programme, but designed for a younger audience. When Junior Sea Cadets turn 12, they may become Sea Cadets either permanently or for 9 months until they reach the age necessary for the Royal Marine Cadets.

Royal Marines Cadets

Some Sea Cadet units have a Royal Marines Cadet detachment. It can be joined by any cadet aged 13 years old. Its training is based on the Royal Marines, and is more physically demanding than the training of the Sea Cadets, hence the higher age limit.

Adult volunteers

These people are the heart of the operations of a Sea Cadet unit. To be an adult volunteer you must be over 18. Adult volunteers instruct the cadets at the unit night to night. A Unit Management Team, run the unit from behind the scenes. They control the funds of the unit, and manage the major maintenance that is needed. These are usually staffed by people that wish to help their local unit, such as local councillors or business owners. Some units have a Parents and Supporters Association. These people are usually parents of the cadets which help with fundraising for the unit, or minor maintenance task within a unit. They do not instruct the cadets on a parade night.

Royal Marines Cadets

Royal Marines Cadets are a sub branch of the Sea Cadet Corps which created in 1955 on command of the Captain General Royal Marines and the Commandant General Royal Marines to be a detachment of the sea cadet corps, similar to the structure of the Royal Marines as part of the Royal Navy. The first Marine Cadet detachment was opened in Bristol Adventure unit. Marine Cadets was formed for "...sturdy, adventurous boys..." Sea Cadet units may open a Royal Marines Cadets Detachment, who will use the same facilities, parade alongside Sea Cadets and fall under the command of the units CO. Royal Marines Cadet detachments wear the uniform of the Royal Marines with the exception of Commando qualification badges, and follow a much more land-based training programme, with emphasis on subjects such as Weapons Handling, Mapwork and Fieldcraft.

The main differences between the Army Cadet Force and Royal Marines Cadets are:

Cadets or adult staff wear the Royal Marines blue beret, with red tombstone patch behind the cap badge. RMC Staff who have completed either Royal Marines Commando training, or the All Arms Commando Course at CTCRM Lympstone, are entitled to wear the Commando Green Beret, subject to written permission from the SRMO. Few detachments are Male only due to staffing limitations, however the majority also take female Royal Marines Cadets. SCC detachments of Royal Marines Cadets are not to be confused with the three Divisions of the Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps. The RMVCC is however part of the wider Royal Marines Cadet family alongside their SCC and CCF counterparts. As of the 6 July 2014, following a tri-partite RMC parade at Buckingham Palace in the presence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Captain General Royal Marines) and in celebration of the 350th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Marines, all RM cadets from the CCF, SCC, RMVCC can be titled as Her Majesty's Royal Marines Cadets. Prior to this the SCC used the title 'Marine cadets'.

National level

The operational head of the RMC is the Staff Royal Marines Officer (SRMO), who is a serving Royal Marines Colour Sergeant on secondment to the SCC. He is responsible for overseeing the running of the RMC and reporting to the CSC. He is one of the main assessors at each Company's CATSEA (Company Annual Training & Safety Efficiency Appraisal). The current SRMO is Colour Sgt Paul Allen RM.

The SRMO is assisted by the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), who is the most senior Warrant Officer within the RMC. The current RSM is WO1(SCC) Glyn Robinson RMR and is also the Royal Marines Cadets Training Officer (RMCTO) at MSSCHQ.

Company level

Companies cover the same area as the Sea Cadet "Area", and each is identified by a phonetic letter.

Each company has a company commander, usually a major (SCC) RMR, who was formerly considered an ASO for Marine Cadets. In addition, Coys may include:

Troop level

Since not every unit has a Royal Marines Cadet Detachment, using Sea Cadet Districts would result in Troops with one detachment or none. As such, Troop borders, are independent and cross District boundaries. There are several Troops in a Company, and are numbered 1 Troop, 2 Troop etc. Each troop has a Troop Commander and Troop Sergeant. The Troop Commander and Troop Sergeant organise Troop level training and are primarily responsible for the standard of the Detachments in their designated area.

Detachment level

Part of a Sea Cadet Unit. Commanded by a Detachment Commander (formerly OCMCD - Officer Commanding Marines Cadets Detachment).

Gibraltar Cup Competition

The Gibraltar Cup was presented by the Commandant General Royal Marines and named from the Battle Honour of that Corps. It is awarded annually to the Royal Marines Cadet Detachment (RMCD) which is considered to have attained the highest standard of all round merit in the previous year.

The aim of the Gibraltar Cup Competition is for the best detachment in each Company to compete for the top award for the Royal Marines Cadets of the Sea Cadet Corps. It is held in March (annually) at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM), Lympstone, Devon.

The Gibraltar Cup Competition comprises a series of challenges, tests and assessments to enable the SRMO to establish which detachment will be the worthy winners of the Gibraltar Cup. While each detachment already nominated is a worthy winner from within its own Company, only a fit, dedicated, well trained and cohesive detachment will take the trophy.

CATSEA

Company Annual Training & Safety Efficiency Appraisal (CATSEA) is established to:

The CATSEA is conducted annually by the SRMO and the Headquarters Company Team. This CATSEA is a compulsory event for all Royal Marines Cadet Detachments. CATSEA is completed at Company (Area) level, all Detachments are assessed in the same task and the same stances are completed during the CATSEA weekend. Serving members and commissioned officers in the Royal Marine Commandos and Royal Marine Reserves as well as commissioned officers in the SCC complete the CATSEA assessment in regards to the Sea Cadet HQ guidelines.

Training

One of the biggest strengths of the SCC is the breadth of activities it offers both onshore and offshore. Some training is compulsory, but most of it is optional. Cadets are encouraged to take part in as much as possible and to try new things.

Core training

Core training is the bread and butter of Sea Cadet training, and is directly linked to promotion/advancement. Cadets follow the Cadet Training Programme (CTP), which develops a number of key skills, including vital knowledge about Corps life, traditions of the Royal Navy, water safety, leadership, care of uniform and health and safety. The CTP incorporates some specialisations and proficiencies, such as First Aid, Seamanship, Adventurous Training and Meteorology. Royal Marine Cadets also complete the CTP but have additional elements of fieldcraft, campcraft, map-reading, battle drills and weapons handling.

Specialisation and proficiency training

Skills learned in a cadet's time in the SCC usually fall into one of two categories - Specialisations and Proficiencies. Specialisations are often larger subjects than proficiencies, and so are split into three levels; Basic, Intermediate and Advanced, each level increasing in difficulty building on the knowledge gained from the prior levels. Basic specialisations are often gained at the unit during regular training, while Intermediate and Advanced awards are held on an Area or National basis. Proficiencies do not usually have a levelling system, though some subjects such as Piping do contain a Basic/Intermediate level.

Some specialisations, such as Marine Engineering, are also divided into disciplines such as Electrical and Mechanical engineering.

All of the following are on offer to cadets, either at the unit or on district/area/national courses.

Cadets can also work towards recognised qualifications including, Duke of Edinburgh's Award and BTEC National Diplomas. These are available in Public Service, BTEC First Diploma in Music and BTEC First Diploma in Engineering (SCC Only).

Many qualifications are run by the Sea Cadets but regulated by external bodies. In these cases, cadets earn independent qualifications that they can take with them outside the Corps. These include Paddlesport, where they can gain PaddlePower or Star Awards through British Canoeing (formerly known as BCU), First Aid, where they can earn St John Ambulance First Aid certifications, Rowing, where they can earn British Rowing (BR) qualifications and Powerboating/Sailing/Windsurfing/Navigation where they can gain Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualifications. National courses are also held, often on Royal Navy bases and at minimal cost, to teach skills such as leadership and teamwork. Specialist qualification courses include power boating in Scotland, cooking in Preston and fire fighting in Cornwall. There are competitions at varying levels in many of the sports, proficiencies and specializations of the SCC. Competitions start at a District level and progress through to National level.

Cadets

From New Entry through to Able Cadet, Sea Cadets are promoted based on their completion of various task-based modules under the CTP - Cadet Training Programme. Leading Cadets and Petty Officer Cadets are required to attend and pass a promotion board (held at area or national level) before being promoted. Emboldened are senior rates.

At the discretion of the commanding officer of a unit, or district officer, a cadet may be awarded an acting rate should they have completed the majority of the modules required for promotion, or received a partial pass on their promotion board, for example. An example of such rates are Acting Leading Cadet (ALC), or Acting Petty Officer cadet (APOC).