Cadets and a 2b?

[Stonewall]

Making ridiculous comments that amount to "teach them not to get caught" ...

I can't believe how seriously you take things some times.  No one taught me how to not get caught, I learned on my own.  If I had been caught doing some many of the things I did in my younger years (13 to about 18 and then some in my 20s), I would have a record a mile long. 

I think there is are realistic lessons to be learned from being involved in mischief as a young person.  Unfortunately, some people get hurt in the process.  And of course, some people get caught.  It's a shame when someone gets caught and punished for doing something rather childish but the punishment affects the person for more than a week and inevitably follows them for years.  That can have a serious cause and affect on the future of young people that would otherwise have been contributors to society.

[Eclipse]

As to the original question, this is easy.

The answer is "It depends."

Some people's experience has been that successful CAP service on a resume was the key factor in their job, college, personal life, military career, etc. - the Mitchell bump ahead of their enlisted class was the reason they got posted to HI instead of Greenland, the USAFA needed one differentiation for the alternate spot, the hiring manager is a reservist and respected the service, etc.

There are others who will hold that CAP had nothing to do with their success, colleges couldn't care less, the services are so desperate for people they will give you a grade bump for 10 other reasons, and that in the business world CAP has no meaning.

But in this day and age of cross-indexed everything, and 1-click background checks (where late gas bills might keep you from being hired) one thing I can say for sure is that being 2b'ed for cause isn't going to open any doors, and just like a few other minor gotchas, the possibility that its the one thing that takes you out of the running for "X" will be in the back of your mind for the rest of your life.