Are they wearing the Blue Berets?

[vento]

Are the cadets wearing the blue Berets? If not, what are they wearing?

[MIKE]

I don't think the ones in the beanies are CAP cadets, could be AFROTC.

[MHC5096]

They are AFROTC cadets.

[Bulls729]

Are the cadets wearing the blue Berets? If not, what are they wearing?

From the looks of the photo, location, and what little is visible of the shoulder boards on the ones wearing berets. My best guess they are at a Drill Competition hosted/graded by Senior AF ROTC cadets.

The two in the berets being the AF ROTC cadets, the one on the right being a C/4C (AS100 Student) and the cadet on the left being a C/1st Lt (AS300 Student)

[Eclipse]

Looks like that from here as well.

[Extremepredjudice]

They are AFROTC cadets.

Definitly, the ranks are AFROTC

[vento]

Thanks for the clarification.

[Abby.L]

Just something that I had noticed: That would be Thunder Mountain Composite squadron of whom the ROTC cadets are grading. Actually, I believe I was staffing the event when the photo was taken.

So yea, ROTC, as the dead horse has been beaten...

[SPD6696]

Why are so many CAP people fascinated with berets?

[SarDragon]

My guess - they think they are kool, and they want them, but can't have them. If they do have them, then they are "elite".

YMMV.

[NCRblues]

My guess - they think they are kool, and they want them, but can't have them. If they do have them, then they are "elite".

YMMV.

Ah yes, the classic "paint all 60,000 plus members of CAP with the same brush" technique. Very open-minded and well thought through.

[SarDragon]

VMMV = your mileage may vary. That's usually an indication that an opinion is being expressed, and that any, many, or even all readers my disagree.

I guessed. Sue me.

[edit] OBTW, the Q asked "so many". That in no way implies all.

[Extremepredjudice]

VMMV = your mileage may vary. That's usually an indication that an opinion is being expressed, and that any, many, or even all readers my disagree.

I guessed. Sue me.

[edit] OBTW, the Q asked "so many". That in no way implies all.

You mean YMMV not VMMV

[SarDragon]

VMMV = your mileage may vary. That's usually an indication that an opinion is being expressed, and that any, many, or even all readers my disagree.

I guessed. Sue me.

[edit] OBTW, the Q asked "so many". That in no way implies all.

You mean YMMV not VMMV

Sue me. 

Y'all need to mark that in y'all's little black books that I made a mistake. And 'fessed up!

[Major Carrales]

VMMV = your mileage may vary. That's usually an indication that an opinion is being expressed, and that any, many, or even all readers my disagree.

I guessed. Sue me.

[edit] OBTW, the Q asked "so many". That in no way implies all.

You mean YMMV not VMMV

Sue me. 

Y'all need to mark that in y'all's little black books that I made a mistake. And 'fessed up!

Sake's ALIVE!!!  Well, it is...after all...nearer December 2012 than we recognize.  Since we we're "this close to the end" it was bound to happen.   

[SAR-EMT1]

OK, I was an AFROTC cadet in college...
When did GMC cadets start wearing berets ?

[Eclipse]

My guess - they think they are kool, and they want them, but can't have them. If they do have them, then they are "elite".

Is there a third option?

[shoresfinest]

AFROTC pmc cadets dont wear hardboards, they're the slip on ones. Also, the girl in the flight cap is distinctly wearing a CAP "cookie" device.

[Major Carrales]

The cadets with the flag are definately CAP cadets.  The Service Coat ones are maybe some sort of ROTC.  I say that because the configuration of those shoulder boards are different from eachother.  If they were CAP Cadet Officer's shoulder boards they would appear uniform since the "stripes" on the shoulder boards are uniform to all, it is with "pips" and "lozenges" that said grade is indicated.

[Darkside1]

They're ROTC drill team members, hence the chord. Probably assisting the local CAP squadron or attending a function they happened to be at. The local ROTC commander probably just authorized the drill team to wear Berets as a distinctive item. They look black to me.

Things like berets can be authorized in ROTC if someone submitted the right memorandum to the Detachment Commander and it strikes his fancy. They'res a lot less Reg searching in AFROTC. If the local commander says its legal then it goes. If he doesn't then it doesn't really matter what the actual uniform manual says.

[viperred396]

They're ROTC drill team members, hence the chord. Probably assisting the local CAP squadron or attending a function they happened to be at.

If im correct this is the Colorado Wing Cadet Competition and the AFROTC Drill Team is grading the cadets

[NCRblues]

Please read the whole thread.... This question was answered for us by the 8th post of someone who was working the said picture time... see below

Just something that I had noticed: That would be Thunder Mountain Composite squadron of whom the ROTC cadets are grading. Actually, I believe I was staffing the event when the photo was taken.

So yea, ROTC, as the dead horse has been beaten...

[flyboy53]

They're ROTC drill team members, hence the chord. Probably assisting the local CAP squadron or attending a function they happened to be at.

If im correct this is the Colorado Wing Cadet Competition and the AFROTC Drill Team is grading the cadets

I'd rather grade the photo as poor due to lack of croping or poor image placement because it causes threads like this when you don't know who the players are. Perhaps they should have cropped in on the CAP cadets looking good and doing a fine job....Sorry, our cadets look sharper without all the chords and berets and seem to be demonstrating stiff competition to AFROTC.

[Major Carrales]

They're ROTC drill team members, hence the chord. Probably assisting the local CAP squadron or attending a function they happened to be at.

If im correct this is the Colorado Wing Cadet Competition and the AFROTC Drill Team is grading the cadets

I'd rather grade the photo as poor due to lack of croping or poor image placement because it causes threads like this when you don't know who the players are. Perhaps they should have cropped in on the CAP cadets looking good and doing a fine job....Sorry, our cadets look sharper without all the chords and berets and seem to be demonstrating stiff competition to AFROTC.

I would recommend, respectfully, that we temper our judgement.  There is no way of telling the context of this photo.  If it was even for publication has never been established.  It may well be any of a dozen things...1) nabbed from some one's personal images from FACEBOOK, 2) taken from a roll of images, many times reporters and PAOs take a wide variety of photos hoping to get the "right shot." 3) could be a raw image, 4) some photo of opportunity at the event taken by the CAPTALK photographer for the sole purpose of starting this thread.

[lordmonar]

And the purpose of this thread in the first place?

[vento]

They're ROTC drill team members, hence the chord. Probably assisting the local CAP squadron or attending a function they happened to be at.

If im correct this is the Colorado Wing Cadet Competition and the AFROTC Drill Team is grading the cadets

I'd rather grade the photo as poor due to lack of croping or poor image placement because it causes threads like this when you don't know who the players are. Perhaps they should have cropped in on the CAP cadets looking good and doing a fine job....Sorry, our cadets look sharper without all the chords and berets and seem to be demonstrating stiff competition to AFROTC.

I would recommend, respectfully, that we temper our judgement.  There is no way of telling the context of this photo.  If it was even for publication has never been established.  It may well be any of a dozen things...1) nabbed from some one's personal images from FACEBOOK, 2) taken from a roll of images, many times reporters and PAOs take a wide variety of photos hoping to get the "right shot." 3) could be a raw image, 4) some photo of opportunity at the event taken by the CAPTALK photographer for the sole purpose of starting this thread.

And the purpose of this thread in the first place?

Indeed, some temper in our judgement would be nice. I saw the picture in the CAP official news website and was honestly curious about the uniform the cadets were wearing. I am from a Senior only squadron and have limited exposure to cadets and the article doesn't mention a word about AFROTC. Just trying to learn a bit more about cadet activities and as some of you pointed out, the question was answered early in the thread.

Here's the LINK to the original article for the conspiracy theorists out there. 

[Extremepredjudice]

To ask if that was the fabled blue beret