Civil Air Patrol’s Cadet Encampment Assistance Program (CEAP), which was launched last year with $490,000 in U.S. Air Force grant money, has enabled more than 1,400 cadets to attend wing encampments throughout the nation. The program has proven even more successful this year.
The number of CEAP cadets attending encampments in fiscal year 2016 has risen by 60 percent over 2015 numbers, to 2,225, according to CAP Cadet Programs. All cadets requesting grant funding this year to attend their first program were approved, as were requests from some repeat participants serving as staff, according to Joanna Lee, manager for CAP Cadet Programs’ Education Group.
The CAP Cadet Program is a year-round program where cadets fly, learn to lead, hike, camp, get in shape and push themselves to new limits. To become a cadet, participants must be at least12 years oldand not yet 19 years old.Cadets meet two hours per week and one Saturday per month, on average, and also have opportunities to attend the leadership encampments, career academies and other activities during the summer.
The Air Force’s budget over the next five years includes $500,000 for the cadet grant program. In addition, this year CAP-USAF provided $100,000 for the program.
The program was revised slightly for 2016 to ensure that all funds went directly to cadet applicants, Lee said.
In years past, CAP summer encampment attendance has totaled in the 5,000 to 6,000 range. Last year, that figure rose to 7,200.
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