Sea Cadets American Victory Division
Have questions about membership with the Sea Cadets? Contact Mohini Durgampudi.
The American Victory Division (AVD) is based at the American Victory Ship and Museum in Tampa, Florida. The American Victory Ship is a WWII ship docked permanently behind the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa.
Cadets drill one weekend a month for 10 months each year. Many drills are two-day themed events (medical, fire rescue, aviation, etc.) and include one day of classroom work and one day of drill work.
Sea Cadets, American Victory Division
Title: Medical, EMT Services Age 13+
Location: Naval Station Newport, RI. Berthing is in the barracks.
Description: Emergency medicine, AED, splinting, shock, controlling bleeding, immobilizing patients, lifting & moving patients, etc. Includes CPR certification and the use of Automated External Defibrillators.
Title: Leadership, Petty Officer Academy (POLA) Age 14+
Location: Camp McCrady, Eastover, SC. Open-bay barracks.
Description: Cadets SA/SN through PO3 rising leaders. Training is academically intense, requires regular participation in lectures and small group discussions, nightly homework, and is reflective and theory-based. Staff mentor and evaluate students through the course to develop skills in leadership, counseling, organization, problem-solving, and communications.
Category: Naval Special Warfare Orientation Course (NSWOC) Age 16+
Location: Tyndall Airforce Base, Panama City, Florida
Description: Consists of three training tracks - Sea, Air and Land Forces (SEAL) Special Warfare Combatant - Craft Crewman (SWCC) and Medical Corpsman (MED) conducted in four phases - Conditioning, Water Operations, Land Warfare, and Scenarios. This is a very rigorous and highly selective course with an acceptance rate of 2.5%
These are NOT your average Summer camps, and these are just three of the 40+ trainings offered every year. They are the real deal - taught by specialists in their fields, usually on military bases and staffed by volunteers - parents, veterans, active duty, retired, and reserves personnel. For example, POLA instructors are Senior Enlisted Academy Instructors and the course is taught at the Officer Candidate School. NSWOC is taught where active Special Forces teams train and prepare for deployment.
Welcome to the Sea Cadets!
A federally chartered civilian nonprofit youth program (10-18 Yrs) funded by the Navy League and supported by the US Navy and US Coast Guard. It is 100% volunteer-run by parents, veterans, and retired, reserve, and active service personnel.
The Sea Cadets' mission is to "build leaders of character by imbuing in our cadets the highest ideals of honor, respect, commitment, and service." The program stresses the military culture of duty, service, and sacrifice. While there is no requirement to join the military at any time during or after the program, it adheres strongly to the concepts of discipline, physical fitness, teamwork, and following the chain of command.
It all starts with prospective cadets and parents shadowing a drill. So that everyone knows what the program is about and also understands that although it is a program based on the military way of life, it is NOT a disciplinary program for wayward kids. It is a very self-directed and cadet-led program. Cadets must be in regulation at every drill, do online coursework, take written and oral exams, face interview boards, apply to rank up once they meet and complete the requirements, and attend advanced training each year to continue in the program.
The American Victory Division's (AVD) home base is The American Victory, a World War II ship docked permanently behind the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa. Cadets meet one weekend a month to drill either at their home base or at Harvester Church. Drill weekends usually have a theme, such as medical, fire rescue, aviation, cyber, or marksmanship, and include one day of classroom learning and one day of practical work.
Check out The American Victory Division online and contact their PAO for more information, or to shadow.
