The Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition (NCC) program ran from 1974 to 2023. In 2023, the Civil Air Patrol decided to no longer hold a NCC event in Dayton each summer. Instead, the eight regional winners will be announced and celebrated at the national level.
Cadet Competition Format (2015–2023) The recently ended Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition program has been redesigned into a new format combining both drill team and color guard aspects into one competition. Core Events include: Inspection, Written Exam, Physical Fitness, Team Leadership Problem(s), Standard Color Guard Drill, Standard Element Drill, Indoor Posting of the Colors, and Outdoor Posting of the Colors.
The new curriculum's mission statement states: "The CAP National Cadet Competition program showcases the full range of challenges in cadet life experienced at the squadron level, and new areas of learning that are important to America." As a result, the competition has added several new elective competitive components to reflect the CAP Cadet Program, such as: rocketry, public speaking (extemporaneous, impromptu), geocaching, robotics, community service project, Jeopardy, Panel Quiz, Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS), and Obstacle courses. Elective Components differ from year to year and are chosen at the discretion of the Activity Director.
Qualification All 52 wings and 8 regions host a Cadet Competition each year in order to decide which team will ultimately represent their wings and regions, respectively. Specifically, the winning team and runner-up for each wing represent their respective wing at the regional competition. At the regional competition, the winner andrunner-up receive a slot to represent their region at the National Cadet Competition. NCC continues to be the most prestigious and elite competition Civil Air Patrol has to offer.
Team composition and eligibility
Eligibility The NCC program is open to all cadet and composite squadrons. There are no special age or cadet grade requirements.
Team composition Teams consist of six cadets, with one cadet serving as Team Commander. There are no alternates. The cadets must also have two escorts, with one eligible to drive a CAP vehicle.
Multi-squadron teams: Teams may draw cadets from a maximum of two squadrons.
Competitive events (2015–present) CAPP 60–75 - To fulfill its mission and vision, the NCC program consists of six core performance events for teams and numerous elective events for individuals and small groups. The elective events are randomized each year by the NCC Director for variety, resource, and availability purposes.
+Core eventsLeadershipIndoor posting of the colors(4-cadet color guard)Outdoor posting of the colors(3-cadet color guard)Team leadership problemStandard Drill(4 - Cadet Color guard) (6 - Cadet Element)AerospaceWritten examFitnessPhysical Fitness TestMile Run, Sit Ups, Push Ups, Curl UpsCharacterUniform InspectionPreparation and Spot Inspections +Elective eventsLeadershipPublic SpeakingExtemporaneous and/or Impromptu (one cadet per speech)AerospacePanel Quiz(4 cadet team)Robotics(6 cadet team)Rocketry(2 cadet team)Unmanned aerial vehicle(4 cadet team)FitnessObstacle Course(4 cadet team)ELT Search(6 cadet team)CharacterService Project(2 cadet team)
Awards
Trophy The USAF Chief of Staff Outstanding Cadet Team Championship Trophy is presented to the most outstanding overall team, based on performance in both the core and the elective events. The Air Force Chief of Staff, General David C. Jones, USAF approved of this award and authorized it in the name of all Air Force Chiefs of Staff on 26 April 1978. Hence, the trophy has been nicknamed "Jonesy." The trophy displays every winning team named by region since its creation.
The trophy is at display at National Headquarters Civil Air Patrol, in Maxwell Air Force Base.
NCC Ribbon Until further notice, participation at NCC garners the "green" National Color Guard Competition Ribbon, IAW CAPR 39-3, § 20-c.
The National Color Guard Competition Ribbon is awarded for participation in the National Color Guard Competition. Senior members who earned this ribbon as a cadet may continue to wear the ribbon.
The basic ribbon will be worn by cadets who are the winner of the wing competition and/or cadets selected to represent the wing at a region competition. A bronze star will be affixed for the winners of the region competition, and a silver star will be worn by the sweepstakes winner of the national competition. Repetitive awards may be recognized by wearing additional stars in the appropriate competition level. The ribbon may also be awarded to a maximum of three senior members per team, who were responsible for escorting, chaperoning and training their respective teams at the wing, region and national level competitions.
Rarity of Star Device(s)
96 Cadets will earn the Bronze Star Device (Region Champions) on the NCC Ribbon Annually. Only 6 cadets earn the Silver Star (National Champions) Device on the NCC Ribbon Annually. Statistically, less than .0003% in the entire CAP Cadet Corps. Making it one of the rarest and most prestigious devices in the Civil Air Patrol.
NCSA Ribbon Cadet and Senior Members who serve as Logistical Staff, and Judges for the entirety of the NCC Activity earn the National Cadet Special Activity Ribbon.
Pamphlet The National Cadet Competition will utilize CAPP 60–75.
Winners (2015–present) National Cadet Competition Champions (New format: 2015–present)YearVenueRegionWingCharterSquadronTeam nameTeam commanderHead coach/escort2015Maxwell AFBSERFLWGFL-016Coral Springs Cadet SquadronSpartansC/TSgt Kenneth LasseterCapt Luz Levin, CAP2016 No competition took place in 2016.2017Wright State UniversitySERPRWGPR-126Muñiz ANGB Cadet SquadronBuccaneers PR126C/Lt Col. Kevin E. NegronLt Col Ismael Rodriguez, CAP2018Wright State UniversitySERFLWGFL-458Wesley Chapel Cadet SquadronWesley Chapel KnightsC/1st Lt Cassie Ramer1st Lt Cesar Alayon, CAP2019Wright State UniversitySERFLWGFL-458Wesley Chapel Cadet SquadronWesley Chapel KnightsC/Maj Cassie Ramer1st Lt Cesar Alayon, CAP2020Competition canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.2021Competition canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.2022Wright State UniversitySERFLWGFL-458Wesley Chapel Cadet SquadronWesley Chapel KnightsC/Capt Maria Granados1st Lt Sandra Weiss, CAP2023Wright State UniversitySERPRWGPR-123Dr. Cesareo Rosa-Nieves Cadet SquadronC/Lt Col Rayesh FigueroaLt Col Felix Davila, CAP2024No competition will take place in 2024.
(NCC) National Cadet Competition facts, records, and statistics (1974–present)
To date, the 2002 Florida Wing Color Guard was the only team to win first place in every event at NCC. Puerto Rico Wing from the Southeast Region boasts the most participations and qualifications to NCC in NCC history since its inception in 1974. Only five wings in history have been home to BOTH a NDTC and a NCGC Champion Team; Puerto Rico, Arizona, California, New York and Utah. Dr. Cesareo Rosa Nieves Cadet Squadron (SER-PR-123), from the Puerto Rico Wing in the Southeast Region, is the only squadron to have been home to a National Champion Drill Team, National Champion Color Guard and National Cadet Competition Champion (Drill team in 2004, 2007, and 2011. Color Guard in 2012. NCC in 2023). This Squadron also has the most participations on record for all NCGC, NDTC, and NCC competitions. Only one cadet has commanded more than one team to a National Drill Team Championship. That was C/Col Jose Figueroa, from NER-NJWG, in 1992, 1993, and 1994. To date, only one cadet has commanded more than one team to a National Cadet Competition Championship. That was C/Col Cassie Ramer from FLWG in 2018 and 2019. To date, the most successful coach/escort under the new NCC construct is Capt Cesar Alayon of the FLWG with three consecutive NCC Championships (2018, 2019, 2022) as a coach/escort. Only one team has won three consecutive National Drill Team Championships. That team was NER-NJWG in 1992, 1993, and 1994. Only one team has won three consecutive National Cadet Competition Championships. That team was Knights of SER-FL-458 in 2018, 2019, 2022. Due to the Competition Being postponed as a result of restrictions of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the 2022 championship is considered a consecutive win. Under the new combined 2015 format, Southeast Region remains the only region to win at NCC with 5 consecutive wins.
Former National Cadet Competition Drill Team (NDTC) & Color Guard (NCGC) format The Civil Air Patrol National Cadet Competition (CAPP 52–4 2009 curriculum) was the highest echelon of competition for Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Drill Teams and Color Guards, including all 52 Wings and 8 regions of the CAP. Annually, each of the 52 CAP wings hosted a competition to decide one drill team and one color guard winner to represent their wing to their respective regional competition. Wing Competitions were normally held anywhere from December to March and region competitions were usually held anywhere from April to May, with the winning drill team and color guard representing their respective region at the National Cadet Competition held every summer. Only one drill team and one color guard was able to represent their region at the NCC, making NCC the most elite competition CAP had to offer. The winning NCC teams were awarded the United States Air Force Chief of Staff Sweepstakes Award Trophy, with their wing name being added to the trophy's display. To add to its prestige, each NCC winner was awarded a silver star which was added to their drill team or color guard ribbon. The final National Cadet Competition, the 2013 National Cadet Competition (NCC), was held July 17 through July 20 in Dayton, Ohio at Wright State University and Stebbins High School. Since 2013, the NCC has been canceled and changed to reflect the new direction of the CAP Cadet Program. For more information on the new NCC program, please visit: https://www.capmembers.com/cadet_programs/activities/national_cadet_competition/
2013 National Drill Team Competition winners: Southeast Region - Tennessee Wing and Great Lakes Region - Ohio Wing (Due to a discrepancy in the recording of times in the mile run event, it was not possible to determine an overall competition winner. Should the SER have won the mile run, they would have been crowned overall champion. Should the GLR have won the mile run, they would have been tied with SER at 14 overall points. According to the old NCC format, where two teams tied, the tiebreaker was the teams' placement in the written exam. In this case, GLR would have been crowned champions based on a tiebreaker. Since officials were unable to correct the discrepancy in the mile run, both teams were crowned champions in 2013).
2013 National Color Guard Competition winners: Rocky Mountain Region - Utah Wing
+ 2013 National Drill Team Competition results Region Wing Inspection Standard Innovative Written Panel Quiz Mile Run Volleyball Points Overall SER TN 1 3 1 4 1 1 or 2 2 13 1st or 2nd MER NC 6 4 5 2 2 3 5 27 4th RMR CO 4 5 6 6 4 5 4 34 5th PCR CA 2 2 3 3 6 4 3 23 3rd NER NJ 5 6 4 5 3 6 6 35 6th GLR OH 3 1 2 1 5 2 or 1 1 15 2nd or 1st SWR None 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 56 8th NCR None 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 56 8th
+ 2013 National Color Guard Competition results Region Wing Inspection Standard Indoor Outdoor Written Panel Quiz Mile Run Points Overall SER FL 4 7 6 1 6 4 4 32 3rd MER MD 5 6 1 7 1 8 7 35 7th RMR UT 1 3 7 5 3 1 2 22 1st PCR CA 2 8 1 4 7 3 1 26 2nd NER NJ 3 1 3 8 8 5 5 33 5th GLR WI 6 5 5 2 4 7 6 35 8th SWR TX 7 2 4 6 5 6 3 33 4th NCR NE 8 3 8 3 2 2 8 34 6th
Photos and full results from the 2013 NCC can be found here:
2013 NCC results
The wings who represented their regions to the 2013 National Cadet Competition were as follows: