HMCM William R Charette Battalion FAQ's

HMCM William R Charette Battalion FAQ's

What is the Naval Sea Cadet Corps?

The U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) is a federally chartered non-profit civilian youth organization for young people, ages 10 through 17. For those who enter the program between the ages 10-13, they will enter as League Cadets (informally known as Leaguers). 

Is there a specific focus for this unit?

The focus of the Charette Battalion is heavily focused on Medical Training, largely in part of its namesake and location at National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) Bethesda. The cadets will learn lessons that focus on being able to treat specific injuries and learning the different systems of the bodies just to name a few. These lessons are taught by our volunteers, who are active duty Navy Corpsman that work in the hospital. 

Who was William R. Charette? 
William R. Charette was a FMF Hospital Corpsman that served with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines during the Korean War. On March 27th, 1953, he lifted an incapacitated marine away from a hail of bullets and proceeded to treat him for his wounds. While rendering aid, a grenade landed near by and Charette pushed the Medical Kit towards the grenade, destroying the kit but saving the life of the marine. Afterward, the Navy Cross he intended to receive was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. 

FMF stands for Fleet Marine Force

The video that discusses his actions is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFiy500RKnQ

My Child is interested in joining, how do we go about finding out more?

Parents are urged to contact the Commanding Officer (CO@charetteseacadets.org) in order to find out when the next information session is in order to find out more about what the Charette Battalion has to offer. Parents are urged to contact the CO a few weeks prior to the start of the next drill date so that they may find out when the next information session and also so that the Commanding Officer can submit a list in order to grant prospective cadets and parents access to the base on that day, 

How does my cadet let the staff know that they are attending? Are there exceptions to missing a drill weekend?

The policy that the CO has put out for cadets missing drill weekends is that if the cadet has an extracurricular activity, that they are allowed to go to the extracurricular activity in place of drill. However, if the event is not the whole day, then the cadet is expected to return to the remaining time in drill. In regards to muster, the cadet must go to the battalion website (http://www.charetteseacadets.org) and scroll over the tab that reads POM/MUSTER and click the sub tab that says "Muster Sheet." From there, the cadet or parent must fill in the required fields and submit the muster sheet so that the staff can gather a count of how many cadets they are expecting for that weekend. 

Is there any paperwork associated with joining the program?

Yes. The paperwork required to join the program will be posted on a separate post so that parents may access and fill out the required forms in order to make joining the battalion as easy as possible. 

What are the costs associated with joining?

When all of the paperwork is complete and collected by our Administrative Officer, there is a $60 enrollment fee due in order to finalize enrollment. 

Other costs include a uniform deposit of $200 upon completion of certain prerequisites. Upon completion of those prerequisites, the cadet will be authorized to wear NWU's (Navy Working Uniform). The cadet will also need to sign a Uniform Agreement form which simply states that upon leaving the program, the uniforms will be return in the same condition that they were issued. Upon leaving the program, the $200 uniform deposit is refunded in full to the parent of the cadet leaving the program. (with certain exceptions i.e. the cadet lost/damaged a uniform item)

Another cost associated with the program is trainings. Cadets have the opportunity to go to Winter/Summer Trainings in which they are able to explore the different specialties that the program has to offer. The first training that is required for all cadets (regardless of age) is Recruit Training (RT). More of the training will be discussed in the next section. 

What opportunities are available to my Cadet when they are not at Drill?

Cadets have the opportunity to attend trainings in the Winter and Summer. These trainings give cadets opportunities to explore the different things that the program has to offer. Some examples of trainings include Medical, Culinary Arts, Special Operations, Seamanship, Recruit Training, Petty Officer Leadership Academy (POLA), STEM, etc. There is one required training that all cadets must go through and that is Recruit Training, in which they learn the basics of the program.  (General Orders, Customs and Courtesies, and Properly wearing the uniform just to name some of what the cadets do). The cadets must complete/meet certain requirements prior to attending a training. 

What are the specific requirements needed for training? Is this for all trainings? 

The requirements of each training is dependent on what its focus is. For instance, there may be more requirements for Special Operations training compared to Culinary Arts training. Some of the requirements are:

- Rate and Time in grade

- Completion of BMR's (Basic Military Requirements) 

- Paperwork

- Physical Readiness Test (PRT) Scores

- Medical Paperwork

-  Recommendations 

Just to reiterate, some trainings may have all of these requirements and some may have a few of these requirements. The list of trainings and requirements can be found by copying the link below into your browser:

http://magellan.seacadets.org/public/training.asp 

What are BMR's?

Basic Military Requirements (or BMRs) are prerequisites that a new cadet must complete before they are issued NWU's. The cover a variety of topics which include Rules and Regulations, Seamanship, Customs, and other topics that will help them succeed at Recruit Training. There are 15 in total that the cadet has to compete but there is a set amount a cadet must complete (and earn a passing score) before they can be issued NWU's. 

How do cadets advance in the program?

In order for cadets to be advanced to the next higher grade, they must meet certain requirements of the grade as well as pass a review board in order to receive their appointment to the next higher rate. Some of the requirements are as follows:

- Time in grade

- Advancement Exam score

- PRT scores

- Approval by Review Board

- Attending a Training (dependent on rate)

- BMR Completion

How can I help as a parent?

We here at the Charette Battalion work hard to ensure that the cadets have fun, but sometimes we cannot do it alone. We ask that, if you are able to, parents volunteer as Auxiliary members in order help with planning, uniform issue, administrative issues. 

If you any questions, concerns or there was something that was unclear, feel free to contact the Parent-Staff Liaison at the following email: gsoriano2014@hotmail.com