Another competitor - Coast Guard JROTC

[RiverAux]

I didn't know about this until today's State of the Coast Guard speech, but there actually are 4 Coast Guard JROTC units now with 2 more planned for 2022.  This is there web site (apparently a bit out of date): https://www.uscg.mil/Community/JROTC/JROTC-Units/

On a related note, there has been a growing push within the CG Aux to partner/sponsor Sea Scout units (https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=H-DEPT&category=auxiliary-youth-programs).  I'm a bit skeptical that this is ever going to catch on in a big way, at least in term of new developing Sea Scout ships. 

[Eclipse]

Based on those locations, I would hazard they have a fair CG precense, and probably
CG parents who wanted to show their kids The Way.

Good on 'em if they can pull it off.

I've never considered JROTC as "competition" for CAP - anything done during the school
day, with a captive audience and often without choice, and / or as a substitute for
gym really doesn't Venn much with an all-volunteer, after hours situation like CAP.

Compliment?  Sure.  Compete?  Nah.

[FlyingPig]

I was a "full time" with AFJROTC and CAP my entire time in HS.  Rarely did either one conflict that I recall.  Maybe once in a while, but nothing that wasnt easily excused. Granted that was 25 years ago, but I loved it.  Although, like Eclipse says, I found CAP cadets to be far more bought in, whereas most JROTC cadets, although they enjoyed it, had little participation outside of class time.  Can you imagine USCG JROTC in Tampa!?  Heck yeah.... id go back to HS for that

[TheSkyHornet]

From my observations and working with some JROTC folks, I've seen that CAP and JROTC are very different in respect to the time put in.

Most JROTC cadets that I've come across are in programs widely dictated/planned out by their cadre and not the cadets. They tend to follow a tighter curriculum. And they tend to have far less contact outside of their meeting (and not as many activities).

One thing that I think CAP did well in its structuring of the Cadet Program is the requirement to hold additional activities beyond unit meetings (i.e., "weekenders"). BUT, it's still very much on the squadron and often wing to put those weekend activities on. If they fall short, the program falls short (thus, a morale decrease).

I have found that CAP is far more involved year-round, and even just throughout a single week. But for this, it can also be felt as burdensome for a lot of members because it is every week, every month, all year long.

[armyguy]

It is not  correct to label these other similar programs as competitors.  All youth programs that teach core values, leadership, ethics etc. are valuable and great for the youth of America. Rather than seeing them as competitors how about seeing them as complimentary and working with them.  Competitor somehow implies that they have competing interests and are working against the goals of your program. 

If your goal is strictly membership numbers then yes they are a competitor. If your goal is (and should be) a better, stronger America then they are not competitors.  Find ways to work with them, not against them.

The end state here is to establish  a program(s) to develop our youth into ethical, strong leaders to build a stronger America!

[TheSkyHornet]

It is not  correct to label these other similar programs as competitors.  All youth programs that teach core values, leadership, ethics etc. are valuable and great for the youth of America. Rather than seeing them as competitors how about seeing them as complimentary and working with them.  Competitor somehow implies that they have competing interests and are working against the goals of your program. 

If your goal is strictly membership numbers then yes they are a competitor. If your goal is (and should be) a better, stronger America then they are not competitors.  Find ways to work with them, not against them.

The end state here is to establish  a program(s) to develop our youth into ethical, strong leaders to build a stronger America!

Entirely true; however, there is something to be said about how a larger program can be more impactful because it may bring more resources and facilitate more opportunities.

Different types of programs also come with different visions. Some people look at another organization and simply feel that it's just "not as good" at accomplishing the overall mission to build leaders. Competition, in that sense, isn't a bad thing.

Inter-cooperation, though, is definitely great. Networking and sharing resources and ideas is extremely important to avoid "tunnel" mindsets and struggling communities.

[James Shaw]

I didn't know about this until today's State of the Coast Guard speech, but there actually are 4 Coast Guard JROTC units now with 2 more planned for 2022.  This is there web site (apparently a bit out of date): https://www.uscg.mil/Community/JROTC/JROTC-Units/

On a related note, there has been a growing push within the CG Aux to partner/sponsor Sea Scout units (https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=H-DEPT&category=auxiliary-youth-programs).  I'm a bit skeptical that this is ever going to catch on in a big way, at least in term of new developing Sea Scout ships. 

The process for the CGA and the JROTC Units has been slow. They are digging deeper into the Sea Scout Program and asking current CG Auxiliarists that have experience with Cadets to help with the program. I had the pleasure of writing a New Member Orientation Course that combined several CGA courses into one to help make the process/transition easier. They do have a pretty good plan though it is focused on the long-term.

[heliodoc]

Somebody focused on the long term? WHOA...Shocked, I tell ya! Smells like succession, COOP/COG (Continuity of Operations/ Continuity of Government) ...a novel new idea, I do dare say, myself

[RiverAux]

Sure, CAP offers (at least in theory) opportunities not available in JROTC programs, but a school-based program (which CAP, of course, also has in some areas) has advantages that CAP does not have. 

Yes, the CAP cadet program is in competition with JROTC in places where both programs exist for the time and attention of youths interested the military.  Thats not a bad thing by itself.  The Air Force is competing with the Marines for new recruits as well.  Acknowledging the fact of competition doesn't mean that we're in all-out war with the others.  CAP faces competition for new adult members from all sorts of organizations.  They essentially lost that competition for my time to the CG Aux and the volunteer fire service.       

However, the biggest ongoing "threat" to the cadet program is from AF JROTC.  Although its been many decades, at some point the AF is going to stop funding two programs that in some, but not all, ways are duplicative of each other.  But, thats a different problem for a different thread. 

It would be interesting to compare CAP cadet membership in cities of equal size that have and don't have any JRTOTC programs.  I suspect that we would also find that there are a lot of smaller towns that support CAP cadets but don't have JROTC units.  I suspect that in large metropolitan areas CAP probably does decently since there will be a lot of schools without JROTC units whose students might gravitate towards CAP.  I think that CAP would face the strongest competition from JROTC in smaller cities with only 1 or 2 high schools where the pool of potential cadets is most limited.

All that being said, the quality of the CAP unit will play a very strong factor.  If you've got a great active program you will probably do well in almost any situation.  However, your average CAP unit and definitely the poor ones will probably fare worse if JROTC is available.   

[Eclipse]

"There are more than 125,000 high school cadets in the program and more than 1,900 retired USAF instructors..."
https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Holm-Center/AFJROTC/

Another article I found says there are ~550,000 total students and ~4000 units, so the scope and scale
aren't even a little close.

The funding is hard to suss out, because a lot of it comes from the school systems in terms of
both hard, and more importantly soft costs.

The organizations don't really share the same mission, either.

JROTC are direct recruiting tools, with no operational mandates and limited if any flight programs,
while CAP is career exploration in STEM with a military emphasis and no specific recruiting mission
beyond the exposure, and significant flight training resources and operations.

In other words, the military is a framework for CAP, but the mission for JROTC.

CAP also has the advantage of being an "Apple Pie and Chevrolet" program, that is essentially
"free" from the perspective of Federal budgets, and in comparison to JROTC.

[futura]

One of four Coast Guard JROTC units resides in the town next to where out our squadron holds meetings. Based on their success, they were one of the two units that the national rollout is being modeled after.

A very well run program with two retired CG members, one officer and one NCO, running it.They routinely have 2-3 cadets admitted to the CG academy annually.

AFJROTC unit in is in one of our local high school as well. I've very pleased that our local youth has quality options to choose from. That would include the Scouts, 4-H and other like organizations.