Part of growing up is finding your niche by trying new things like playing sports, learning an instrument, and participating in clubs. These activities equip children with various skills that can prepare them for life and even future careers. Preparing children for the future is the aim of Sea Cadets, the Navy’s youth development program that has over 300 units across the United States.
Sea Cadets Color Guard marching in the 2022 Popcorn Parade
The Northwest Indiana Sea Cadets unit, called the Stars and Stripes Division, is a great outlet for children to learn life skills and prepare for military service if they so choose. The Stars and Stripes Division draws from a wide geographical area to bring children from ages 10-18 together in Lowell to learn a variety of skills. Children as far away as Illinois are able to participate in the Stars and Stripes Division because Sea Cadets is a stand-alone program rather than a school-affiliated program.
Sea Cadets, with National Headquarters in Arlington, VA, boasts over 5,500 cadets, 330 units, and 2000 volunteers. Erin Evans, the public affairs officer of the Stars and Stripes Division, personally got involved with Sea Cadets when her oldest son joined in February of 2021 and became an official volunteer in November of 2021.
Cadets greeted veterans during an Honor Flight ceremony at Midway Airport in June 2022
“My philosophy on parenting is that if my kids are involved in it, I'm involved in it. That led me to jump in, roll up my sleeves, and get to work,” Evans said.
Although there are plenty of adult volunteers involved in the program, the Sea Cadets take on a lot of responsibility with the Senior Sea Cadets ultimately running the show. Evans shared that it is a great opportunity for those Senior Sea Cadets to learn how to lead while still being able to consult adult volunteers. Whether a child is a Senior Sea Cadet learning to lead or a young Sea Cadet learning to make a bed, the Sea Cadet program enables children to grow through their successes and their failures.
“The great thing is that it's a safe place for them to try things, to sometimes fail, and to learn how to keep going. Kids get to learn those things during a prime developmental age and in a highly supportive environment,” Evans said. “This point in development is crucial and is when kids are deciding who they are. Ultimately, the program produces citizens of high character. They learn to value their community and be part of it.”
Brandon Sailsbery of Dyer (left) prepares for firefighting training during Sea Cadet recruit training at Great Lakes Naval Base.
The Stars and Stripes Division meets twice a month to learn how to march, how to tie knots, how to put together underwater robotics, and more. The Stars and Stripes Division is also focused on serving the community and logged over 500 hours of community service in 2022. The unit will also embark on field trips to work with the U.S. Coast Guard or visit other units.
While these regular meetings and field trips already provide ample opportunities for children to gain new experiences, Sea Cadets also have nationally sponsored training weeks. These training weeks can include leadership training, SCUBA, marksmanship, medical training, aviation, seamanship, culinary arts, and more. 27 cadets from the Stars and Stripes Division have attended various training weeks as far away as the Great Lakes Naval Base, Texas, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Nick Olthoff of Crete, IL at the helm of the SS John W Brown in the Chesapeake Bay
“My son and another cadet in our unit actually just spent a week on a World War II Liberty Ship in the Chesapeake Bay this summer learning how to be part of a ship's crew. They worked in the engine room, they worked the lines, they handled the cargo, they cleaned up after meals—the cadets were part of the ship's crew for the week that they were there,” Evans said.
For kids who are interested in joining the military, being a Sea Cadet can lead to a higher pay grade in certain branches of the military when they enlist. While Sea Cadets is rich with resources that can prepare kids for entering the military, it is a beneficial experience even for those who have no desire to join the military.
Evans recalls seeing kids enter Sea Cadets with short attention spans, struggles keeping up with hygiene, and a lack of discipline. Over the course of their time in Sea Cadets, she has seen these same children learn how to focus on a single task, learn how to groom themselves and wear a uniform, and take responsibility.
Cadets Aubrie Lucka and Madison Rubio participate in a fitness challenge at a Sea Cadets meeting in Lowell.
“As a parent, I’m not necessarily sending my kids to the program to prepare them for military service: I’m sending them because it’s good for them,” Evans said. “I want them learning that discipline, learning respect, learning to honor adults, and learning leadership skills. I want them to be exposed to all these different career fields and make friends with kids who are doing the same. It is a group of highly disciplined and motivated kids, and those are the kids I want influencing my kids.”
Cadets building robots at the American Legion in Lowell, IN
Towards the beginning of their involvement in Sea Cadets, kids attend Recruit Training, the Sea Cadets equivalent of boot camp where they learn many skills that apply to the rest of their experiences in Sea Cadets and instill motivation and discipline that they carry into other areas of their life as well.
“My oldest came back from recruit training and he started cleaning his room. He went from being a bit sloppy to keeping everything in its place. I was like, ‘How do I get my other kids involved?’” Evans laughed. “I have two kids who clean their room now: it’s amazing!”
For more information about the Sea Cadets and how your child can get involved, visit nwiseacadets.org. To donate to the Sea Cadets, click here.