Col. William B. Travis Division

U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps

The Col. William B. Travis Division of the U. S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps was established in 1987 by the Austin Council of the Navy League of the United States (NLUS), now the Greater Central Texas Council of the NLUS. This division serves the core mission of the Navy League Sea Cadet program:

"...through organization and cooperation with the Department of the Navy, to encourage and aid American youth to develop, train them in seagoing skills, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred virtues."

The unit consists of two age groups: League Cadets 11 – 13 and Sea Cadets 13 – 18 and includes females and males. The unit is structured along military lines and is headed by Commanding Officer LCDR Cynthia Banks, NSCC. Cadets meet or “drill” monthly throughout the year. The Travis Division headquarters is located at Fort Hood. However, drills alternate between Fort Hood and the National Guard Armory on 51st Street in Austin.

Sea Cadet training consists of Navy Non-Resident Training Courses (NRTC), training evolutions (away from local units), shipboard training, and training arranged locally by units.

Cadets are instructed by both Sea Cadet Officers and senior cadets through classroom and applied instruction in subjects such as basic seamanship, military drill, and leadership. Many Sea Cadet regions throughout the country hold weekend competitions where units compete with each other to test their seamanship and military skills.

  Travis Division Cadets conduct Land Navigation training with State Guard unit

 

Training evolutions take place mostly during summer months and

occasionally during winter and spring break periods and are generally one to two weeks long. The first training evolution for all cadets is NSCC Recruit Training, better known as boot camp. It is a scaled down version of the Navy's boot camp. For approximately two-weeks cadets are instructed by active and reserve military personnel and Sea Cadet officers in military drill and discipline, physical fitness, seamanship, shipboard safety, first aid, naval history, and leadership.

Sea Cadet Corps units often participate in community events such as parades and fairs. They may also tour Navy and Coast Guard ships and shore stations. They also participate in community service such as working in Veterans' Hospitals and organizing clothing and food drives.

For more information about the Col. William B. Travis Division, contact LCDR Cynthia Banks, NSCC by email at crbanks@hotmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Visit the Travis Division website at http://www.travisdiv.org.

 

About Navy League Sea Cadets/League Cadets

Since 1958 the Naval Sea Cadet Corps has been committed to providing American youth with a drug and alcohol free environment to foster their leadership abilities, broaden their horizons through hands-on training and guide them to becoming mature young adults.

Sea Cadet organizations exist in most of the maritime nations of the world. Recognizing the value of these organizations in educating youth in maritime matters, the Department of the Navy requested the Navy League of the United States to establish a similar program for American youth. The Navy League agreed to do so and formally established the Naval Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC) and Navy League Cadet Corps (NLCC) in 1958. Recognizing the importance and benefits of the NSCC, Congress on September 10, 1962 federally incorporated the Naval Sea Cadet Corps under Public Law 87-655 (36 USC 1541). Public Law 93-504, in 1974, amended Public Law 87-655 to permit enrollment of girls in the Corps.

Today, the NSCC has formed partnerships with organizations such as the Foundation for Teaching Economics and the Flying Midshipman Association to offer cadets broader opportunities in areas of leadership and aviation. The NSCC also took an active part in the creation of the International Sea Cadet Association (ISCA). The ISCA is an association of Sea Cadet Corps' from around the world, whose main objective is to facilitate exchanges of cadets between member countries.

Sea Cadet units are organized as either divisions, squadrons, or battalions. Divisions closely reflect the surface Navy, while squadrons are geared toward the field of naval aviation, and battalions meanwhile reflect Navy construction battalions (SeaBees).

Whether a division, squadron, or battalion, the local unit has one main purpose, and that is to foster team work, camaraderie and an understanding of the military command structure.

Visit the Naval Sea Cadet Corps website at http://www.seacadets.org/.