California Cadet Corps

The California Cadet Corps is established in Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Military and Veterans Code. Section 500 allows the students of a school, college, or community college in this state to be organized into an appropriately sized California Cadet Corps unit under the regulations prescribed by the governing body of the school, college, or community college where the unit is formed.

Section 500.1 prohibits a California Cadet Corps unit from being established at a school, college, or community college in this state in which there is an established J.R.O.T.C. or R.O.T.C. program unless it is approved, in writing, by the school or the governing board of the sponsoring organization.

Section 500.2 authorizes an independent California Cadet Corps unit to be established outside of the authority of a school, college, or community college. These units may be established at a State Guard facility, a federal, state, or local government-owned or government-operated facility, a veteran or service organization location, or another public location approved by the Adjutant General. If the Adjutant General enters into the memorandum of understanding, then the MOU must include at last six specified items of information.

Section 501 states that, while a school, college, or community college is in session, school-based California Cadet Corps units are under the guidance and control of the principal, president, director, or chief administrative officer of the school, college, or community college who is responsible for making regulations with the approval of the Adjutant General regarding the moral, educational, and physical welfare of the cadets.

Section 502 provides that, upon recommendation of the governing board having jurisdiction over the school, college, community college, or sponsoring organization, the Adjutant General may appoint officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers in the California Cadet Corps for duty as commandants of cadets or assistant commandants of cadets in each school, college, community college, or sponsoring organization under the jurisdiction of the governing board.

Section 502.1 specifies that the Adjutant General determines by the adoption of rules and regulations the grade and rank to be held by individuals appointed in the California Cadet Corps by reason of their military experience, professional knowledge, or both. These individuals are appointed pursuant to the regulations adopted by the Adjutant General.

Upon recommendation of the Adjutant General, the Governor may commission one Commander of the California Cadet Corps as a brigadier general or colonel, up to two Deputy Commanders of the California Cadet Corps as a colonel or lieutenant colonel, one Chief of Staff as a colonel or lieutenant colonel, and the necessary number of staff and regional advisors in the same grade and rank last held in federal or state military forces, not to exceed lieutenant colonel, pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the Adjutant General.

Section 502.2 requires all personnel appointed in the California Cadet Corps to wear uniforms prescribed by the Adjutant General. Primary uniforms must be consistent with uniforms of the California State Guard with distinctive California Cadet Corps markings.

Section 502.3 allows the Adjutant General to adopt rules and regulations providing for the personnel actions of officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers of the California Cadet Corps.

Section 502.4 allows the Adjutant General to order officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers in the California Cadet Corps to state active duty at encampments, exercises, or other activities conducted by the corps.

Section 503 requires the California Cadet Corps units to be organized and each must consist of commissioned cadet officers, cadet warrant officers, and noncommissioned cadet officers as prescribed by the Adjutant General.

Section 504 requires the Adjutant General to adopt rules and regulations for the formation of cadet brigades, regiments, and battalions and shall adopt tables of organization and provide for the appointment of cadet brigade, regimental, and battalion officers and staffs. In addition, all cadet battalion officers, regimental, and noncommissioned officers are appointed, commissioned, or warranted in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Adjutant General and upon the recommendation of the commandant of cadets.

Section 505 authorizes the Adjutant General to order officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers of the State Guard, Naval Militia, or California National Guard to temporary state active duty to perform functions in support of the California Cadet Corps. 

Section 506 requires all cadet officers, cadet warrant officers, and cadet noncommissioned officers to be promoted according to rules and regulations adopted by the Adjutant General upon the recommendation of the commandant of cadets and with the approval of the president, director, chief administrative officer, or principal of the school, college, community college, or, in the case of an independent unit not based at a school or college, the head of the sponsoring organization.

Section 507 states that, upon the recommendation of the president, director, chief administrative officer, or principal of the school, college, or community college in which the California Cadet Corps participates, the commission or warrant of a cadet commissioned officer, cadet warrant officer, or cadet noncommissioned officer may be canceled and the cadet reduced in rank or dismissed from the California Cadet Corps for any of the four specified reasons.

For an independent unit, the brigade advisor and head of the sponsoring organization are the disciplinary authority. The Commander of the California Cadet Corps may independently, or in coordination with the school or sponsoring organization official, demote or dismiss a cadet from the California Cadet Corps.

Section 508 requires the California Cadet Corps to train in accordance with the appropriate manuals prescribed by the United States Army and by the rules and regulations adopted by the Adjutant General.

Section 509 requires the Adjutant General to provide suitable training regulations, books and courses of instruction, and the necessary forms for reports or other necessary purposes to be used by the California Cadet Corps.

Section 510 requires the Adjutant General to prescribe the uniforms that the cadet and adult members of the California Cadet Corps must wear.

Section 511 allows a sufficient number of rifles suitable for drill or marksmanship purposes to be purchased by the board of school trustees, board of education, board of directors or trustees of a college or community college, county superintendent of schools, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or the Adjutant General out of any funds available.

Section 511.5 allows the Adjutant General to purchase uniforms, insignia, and awards and decorations for the cadet and adult members of the California Cadet Corps, including utility, physical training, dress, and formal uniforms.

Section 512 states that marksmanship practice may constitute a part of the instruction to be given to cadets. A member of the California Cadet Corps may engage in rifle matches and competitions conducted or held in this state or at any place in the United States. The Adjutant General may purchase and supply a sufficient number of efficient rifles for field target work and gallery practice and the ammunition and equipment necessary for efficient rifle practice to each California Cadet Corps unit. All marksmanship practice is under the supervision of the president, chief administrative officer, director, or principal of the school, college, community college, or sponsoring organization or under the supervision of an appointed officer or officers.

Section 513 allows the Adjutant General to detail, from the organizations of the California National Guard, State Guard, or Naval Militia, competent members who will perform duties on behalf of the California Cadet Corps and who may act as military training instructors for the California Cadet Corps.

Section 514 requires members of the California Cadet Corps to be permitted, under the supervision of a qualified California Cadet Corps instructor, to utilize California National Guard ranges, including marksmanship ranges, for cadet training when the ranges are not being used by the California National Guard.

Section 515 requires a California Cadet Corps unit in its first year of operation to receive an assistance visit to ensure assigned personnel receive the training and support needed to adequately prepare for their first formal, for-record inspection. The commander, deputy commanders, or regional advisors or military officers of the California National Guard, State Guard, or Naval Militia detailed by the Adjutant General are required to inspect units of the California Cadet Corps at least once every three years and annually for a unit that received a rating of unsatisfactory in the prior year’s inspection.

In addition, an inspector is required to report to the Adjutant General regarding unit community and school service activities, discipline, cadet leadership, training, military knowledge and instruction, and administrative compliance to include condition of property of the California Cadet Corps.

Section 516 requires the president, director, chief administrative officer, or principal of a school, college, or community college to be responsible for all public property supplied to a California Cadet Corps unit under their control or supervision and ensure the property and equipment is properly secured and cared for.

Section 517 allows an encampment to be held by the California Cadet Corps for a duration, and attended by a proportion of the strength of the corps, as may be prescribed by the Adjutant General. The expenses of encampments may be paid out of funds appropriated for the maintenance and support of the California Cadet Corps.

Section 518 states that, if a California Cadet Corps unit is established through the execution of a memorandum of understanding with the respective governing board, the board of school trustees, president, director, and chief administrative officer of a college or community college, board of trustees of a college or community college, board of education, principal or director of a high school, county superintendent of schools, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and, for an independent unit not based at a school or college, the head of a sponsoring organization are required to cooperate with the Adjutant General in the management and administration of the California Cadet Corps unit.

Section 519 requires the provisions of this chapter to apply to all community colleges in this state, and the principals and governing boards of community colleges have the same authority as similar officials of schools. If a community college is located in close proximity to a school that has a California Cadet Corps unit, the governing boards of the community college and school may enter into an agreement to provide for the joint organization of cadet units.

Section 520 states that a commander, deputy commander, regional advisor, officer, warrant officer, or noncommissioned officer appointed or detailed who is wounded, injured, disabled, or killed in the performance of ordered duty is entitled to receive compensation from the state. In all of these cases, the individual is deemed to be an employee of the state.

Section 520.1 states that the principal and governing board of a private educational institution, charter school, or military academy in which a J.R.O.T.C. or R.O.T.C. unit is not maintained may apply to the Adjutant General for permission to establish a California Cadet Corps unit, battalion, or regiment pursuant to this chapter. If the Adjutant General approves the petition, the principal and governing board of the private school have the same authority as a similar official of a school, college, or community college to create a unit of, and to become a member of, the California Cadet Corps.

Section 522 authorizes the Adjutant General to enter into a cooperative agreement with a nonprofit public benefit education corporation if the corporation’s articles of incorporation and bylaws expressly support the goals of the California Cadet Corps and the net earnings or assets of the corporation inure to the benefit of the California Cadet Corps.