Annual Training

Resident schools are programs that Cadets and officers attend away from their home station. Most resident schools are held during AT. AT is a period each summer when USAC units from across the country train together at the National Cadet Training Center (NCTC) or another military installation. Cadets must attend AT every summer! Failure to attend AT two years in a row may result in dismissal from the USAC. Other programs may be offered at other times: during the summer before or after AT or during other school breaks.

There are several resident schools in the USAC. Three of them are required to complete the Cadet Program. The first resident school a Cadet will attend is Basic Cadet Training (BCT). BCT is a 16-day course that serves as the USAC's “boot camp.” BCT is tough and it’s meant to be!

Cadets who have previous experience in a Recognized Cadet Corps and have attended a seven-day or longer summer training program, may be eligible to bypass BCT and attend the one-week Cadet Transition Course (CTC). If the recruit successfully completes CTC, they are then inserted into the second week of BLC as a Cadet with advanced grade. If the recruit is unsuccessful at CTC, they will be held-over for BCT as a recruit.

Basic Cadet Training (BCT), 16 days.

This is the initial training for all new recruits where they are introduced to the basics of military life. The training is   physically and mentally demanding, with heavy emphasis on personal accountability and teamwork. Each recruit is assigned to a platoon of 18-25 Recruits lead by a Cadet Troop Handler and trained by a qualified Drill Sergeant. Cadets learn military drill and ceremonies, run the obstacle course, rappel, participate in water survival, learn basic marksmanship and much more. Newly recruited Cadets must participate in Basic Cadet Training during their first summer. This is the most realistic Basic Training program available to Cadets who are interested in a potential future career in the Army.

Basic Leader Course (BLC), 21 days.

This is an intense three-week program for graduates of Basic Cadet Training. BLC provides advanced orientation in basic leadership, field training, marksmanship, self-defense and team-building activities. Must be a highly qualified C/PV2 or above. This course is patterned after the Army’s Warrior Leader Course. Cadet Noncommissioned Officer Course (CNCOC), 21 days. This is an intense program for Cadet non-commissioned officers, emphasizing strategic leadership, staff planning and coordinating activities at the unit and higher levels. Successful completion of CNCOC is a prerequisite for completion of Milestone 7, as shown in Appendix C and D, and promotion to the grade of Cadet SFC (promotion based upon MTOE quotas). The first week of CNCOC consists of classroom training with the following two weeks consisting of follow-on assignment as a staff member supporting one or more areas of AT. Must be a highly qualified Cadet SGT or above for this course.

Troop Handlers’ Academy (THA), 9 days.

This is an intense leadership program for Cadet NCOs who are graduates of BLC and have been selected to serve as a Troop Handler, training BCT recruits. THA is a required course of instruction for those Cadet NCOs who are tasked with teaching and leading recruits participating in Basic Cadet Training programs. THA attendees are required to continue their training by staffing Basic Cadet Training or the Basic Leader Course as troop handlers or platoon sergeants, depending on qualifications and needs of the Corps. Cadets may use completion of THA to partially satisfy requirements for completion of Milestone 7 and promotion to C/SFC (promotion based on MTOE quotas). To be fully qualified for these requirements, Cadets will be tasked with completing a distributed learning version of the CNCOC curriculum (those aspects which are not addressed during THA) within six months of completing THA, or they will lose eligibility for Milestone 7/promotion to C/SFC. Must be a highly qualified C/CPL or above to be selected to attend this course.

Cadet Transition Course (CTC), 9 days.

This is an abbreviated Basic Cadet Training program for Cadets of a Recognized Cadet Corps who are transitioning to the USAC at an advanced grade. CTC will provide initial training which will permit integration of the Cadet to the USAC’s heritage, culture and military standards. All participants in CTC will attend without rank, as recruits. To graduate from CTC, a recruit must pass the End of Course Test (ECT), and the Army Cadet Physical Fitness Test (ACPFT) for the grade for which they are eligible. Graduates of CTC, who meet all appointment criteria, will normally graduate at an advanced grade. Each graduating CTC Cadet will be reviewed for initial appointment based on motivation, leadership, physical fitness and other factors. Those who are deficient may receive an initial appointment at a lower grade. Those who are superior may receive an initial appointment at a higher grade. Graduates of CTC will transition to BLC. Failure to pass all criteria for graduation from CTC will result in transition from CTC to BCT and ineligibility for advanced initial appointment. Participants must have 18 months of service in a Recognized Cadet Corps and have completed a minimum of seven consecutive days of recruit or basic type training.

All USAC training programs are designed to build upstanding Americans with physical and mental stamina, discipline and respect for authority. The curriculum provides instruction in: military history, traditions, customs and courtesies, military drill, leadership, infantry drill, rifle drill, rifle and pistol marksmanship, map and compass reading, wilderness and cold weather survival, rappelling and mountain climbing, first aid, swimming and water safety, as well as many other exciting subjects.