California Cadet Corps

The California Cadet Corps (CACC) is a state-funded educational leadership program for young people in California. It is administered by the California Military Department through the Youth and Community Programs Task Force and operates through participating public, charter, private, and military schools. The program is open to students in elementary, middle, and high school, as well as college and community-college students where units are established. Its curriculum combines classroom learning, leadership laboratories, drill and ceremonies, physical fitness, health and wellness, emergency preparedness, community service, and career exploration. The organization was created by an act of the California Legislature in 1911 as the California High School Cadets. Brigadier General Edwin Alexander Forbes is credited with founding the program. Its original purpose was to prepare young men for possible service as officers in the United States military and to support the development of units connected with California's military institutions. The program was influenced by European youth military-training models observed before the First World War. For much of its early history, California high schools were expected to establish a cadet unit when sufficient student interest existed, with the historical threshold described as 32 interested students. The CACC's role has broadened substantially since its creation. Although it retains military traditions, uniforms, rank structures, drill, ceremonies, and a hierarchical organization, it is not a basic-training program and is not intended primarily as a military-recruiting channel. Its stated objectives are leadership, citizenship, patriotism, academic excellence, basic military knowledge, and health, wellness, and fitness. The organization emphasizes transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, responsibility, resilience, planning, and ethical decision-making. Cadets may continue into military service, but the program also presents higher education, science, medicine, education, aerospace, public service, and civilian employment as legitimate postsecondary directions. CACC units are organized through a state headquarters and regional formations. Brigades provide geographic oversight of subordinate units, while regiments, battalions, companies, and platoons provide additional administrative and instructional levels according to local enrollment and program needs. Cadet officers and staff receive opportunities to exercise command, planning, and administrative responsibilities under adult supervision. The organization also holds statewide activities, including an annual drill competition and summer encampment, which provide larger-scale leadership and training experiences. The program experienced strong participation during both World Wars and continued to operate through much of the twentieth century. Public criticism of military institutions during the Vietnam War era contributed to a reduction in state funding, and the program became largely inactive during that period. State support was restored in 1999, after which enrollment and program activity began to rise. Reference material describes approximately 8,000 cadets in 2007 and roughly 10,000 cadets across about 100 active units by 2025. These figures are time-specific estimates rather than permanent organizational totals. The California Cadet Corps is codified in California Military and Veterans Code sections 500 through 520.1. State-level personnel appointments are made by the Adjutant General of the California Military Department in accordance with the governing law and regulations. Local commandants are responsible for instruction, administration, supervision, and compliance with program standards. Commandants generally require appropriate California teaching credentials and specialized preparation, including the Pre-Appointment Course and Basic Commandant Training Academy. The program's motto is "Essayons," a French expression commonly translated as "Let us try."

The California Cadet Corps was established on April 5, 1911, through California legislation and was initially known as the California High School Cadets. Brigadier General Edwin Alexander Forbes is identified as the program's founder. The original concept reflected early twentieth-century interest in organized youth military education and was intended chiefly to prepare male high-school students for possible service as officers in the United States military and in the California National Guard. Historical program rules required a California high school to establish a unit when at least 32 students expressed interest. The program expanded during the First and Second World Wars, periods when military preparedness and organized youth instruction received broad public support. It became part of California's wider military-education environment and maintained relationships with a range of military schools, including public, private, religious, boarding, preparatory, and charter institutions. Historical accounts describe at least a dozen schools as affiliated with or integrated into the Cadet Corps at different points during the twentieth century. The program was renamed the California Cadet Corps in 1935. The organization was historically influenced by military preparation, but its educational purpose gradually became broader. Its traditions of ranks, uniforms, drill, ceremonies, unit organization, and command responsibility remained, while the curriculum increasingly emphasized leadership, citizenship, academic achievement, health, service, communication, and personal development. The program eventually became open to female students as well as male students and extended its reach across elementary, middle-school, high-school, and college settings where authorized units operate. The Vietnam War era brought criticism of military institutions and a decline in public support for programs associated with military training. California reduced funding for the Cadet Corps, and the organization was described as essentially inactive for a period. State funding was restored in 1999. Following that restoration, enrollment and the number of active units increased. A cited 2007 figure placed statewide enrollment at approximately 8,000 cadets. More recent reference material describes about 10,000 cadets and approximately 100 active units in 2025, distributed among urban, coastal, and rural communities. In its current form, the CACC is administered by the California Military Department's Youth and Community Programs Task Force. It is a school-based elective or co-curricular program rather than an independent commercial brand. Units may be hosted by public, charter, private, religious, preparatory, and military schools, subject to applicable educational and program approvals. The state headquarters establishes policy, curriculum guidance, training standards, personnel procedures, and statewide activities. Regional brigades and other formations support coordination and create additional levels at which cadets can practice leadership. Cadet units generally use a structure modeled on military organizations. Depending on enrollment and local authorization, a school unit may be organized as a platoon, company, battalion, regiment, or brigade. Brigades group multiple units or battalions within a geographic region, while the 10th Corps functions as a state-level cadet training and leadership formation under headquarters. Adult commandants, tactical officers, educators, veterans, and approved volunteers supervise cadets and provide instruction. Cadet leaders may hold command and staff positions, but their authority exists within an educational and safeguarding framework. The program is supported primarily through state funding administered through the California Military Department. Reference material states that state support can cover uniforms, curriculum materials, statewide activities, logistics, and headquarters administration, while participating schools may contribute toward local costs such as instructor compensation. Commandants require appropriate teaching credentials and specialized CACC preparation. Professional development includes the Pre-Appointment Course and Basic Commandant Training Academy, with further training available for advanced responsibilities. Today, the California Cadet Corps presents itself as a leadership and citizenship organization with military heritage. Its motto, "Essayons," means "Let us try." The organization's modern purpose is to help students develop discipline, teamwork, resilience, fitness, civic awareness, emergency-readiness, and practical leadership skills. Military service remains one possible destination, but the stated educational model supports a much wider range of academic, public-service, professional, and civilian careers.

• 2025

  Contemporary program described as roughly 10,000 cadets

  [1]California Cadet Corpsen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material described approximately 10,000 cadets in about 100 active units across California.

• 2007

  Enrollment reported at approximately 8,000 cadets

  [1]California Cadet Corpsen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reported statewide participation of about 8,000 cadets.

• 1999

  State funding restored

  [1]California Cadet Corpsen.wikipedia.org

  After a period of sharply reduced support and limited activity associated with the Vietnam War era, California restored funding for the program.

• 1935

  Program renamed California Cadet Corps

  [1]California Cadet Corpsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization adopted the California Cadet Corps name after operating for its first decades as the California High School Cadets.

• 1911

  California High School Cadets established

  [1]California Cadet Corpsen.wikipedia.org

  California legislation created the program on April 5, 1911. Brigadier General Edwin Alexander Forbes is identified as its founder.

A state-supported educational leadership program that uses military structure and traditions to teach citizenship, responsibility, teamwork, fitness, and leadership rather than serving as a direct military-recruitment or basic-training program.

• Youth education program · 1911

  School-Based Cadet Corps Units

  The core CACC offering is an elective, co-curricular, or extracurricular unit hosted by a participating educational institution. Units combine classroom instruction with leadership laboratories, drill and ceremonies, fitness, service activities, and school or community events. Their size and formal designation vary, ranging from platoon or company structures to battalions, regiments, or brigades. Adult commandants supervise the program while cadets receive progressively greater leadership responsibilities.

• Educational curriculum · 1911

  Leadership and Citizenship Curriculum

  The curriculum develops leadership, citizenship, patriotism, academic excellence, basic military knowledge, and health, wellness, and fitness. Instruction is intended to build communication, teamwork, responsibility, resilience, professional conduct, and decision-making skills. Military customs provide the teaching framework, but the curriculum is positioned as preparation for higher education, public service, civilian employment, and military careers alike.

• Statewide training event

  Summer Encampment

  Summer Encampment is one of the California Cadet Corps' principal statewide activities. It gives cadets an intensive setting for leadership practice, teamwork, physical development, military knowledge, field-oriented learning, and organizational responsibility. The event also allows students from separate school units and regional formations to train and interact together.

• Statewide competition

  State Drill Competition

  The annual State Drill Competition showcases unit performance in drill, ceremonies, discipline, coordination, and team execution. It provides a competitive application of skills taught in local units and is described as one of the program's best-attended recurring statewide events.

• Instructor development

  Commandant Training

  Commandants are the adult instructors responsible for teaching, supervising, and administering local units. Their preparation includes the Pre-Appointment Course and Basic Commandant Training Academy, supplemented by advanced professional development. Instructors generally need California teaching credentials and specialized authorization connected with CACC instruction.

1. 1California Cadet Corpsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official California Cadet Corps websitecacadets.org