Sea Cadet's Officer's Call, NPS Superintendent
Welcomes Cadet Leaders
NPS Staff Report

Naval Postgraduate School Superintendent Rear Adm. Patrick Dunne welcomed the Pacific Central Region of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps to the campus for their annual Officer's Call, Saturday, January 24.

More than 80 Sea Cadet leaders from the Central Coast, including the National West Coast Field Representative, retired Navy Capt. Dave Rannells, were in attendance for the annual event. 

Navy Lt. Robert Kuffel, of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Monterey Division and NPS student said, one of the highlights of this Officer's Call, after being welcomed aboard by the superintendent, was a report which provided information on the numbers of Sea Cadets who joined the military in 2003. 

Kuffel said 139 Sea Cadets were members of the freshman class of the Naval Academy this past summer. “Another 13 reported to other service academies, and 31 others were accepted into Reserve Officer Training Corps or Officer Commissioning School positions.  244 former cadets enlisted in the Navy, 26 into the Coast Guard, 72 into the Marine Corps, and another 70 into the Army or Air Force.”

More than 30 years ago, Dunne himself was among the ranks of the corps of Sea Cadets before entering into the Naval Academy. During his welcome address to the leaders of the Sea Cadet Corps, he spoke of the awesome advantage given by the benefit of being in the rank and file of the Sea Cadet organization.

“NPS is on the vanguard of science and technology not only for the Navy, but also for the defense department in many respects … a lot of the research being done here at NPS is the product of many who once were Sea Cadets,” said Dunne.

The Monterey County Division of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps and NPS signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July of 2003 -- effectively making the Sea Cadet unit a tenant command of NPS. 

“Sea Cadets are often treated to special lectures and hands on training by NPS faculty, students and staff,” said Kuffel. “In addition, three current NPS students hold department head billets in the unit.” 

Monterey's division of the Sea Cadet unit supports NPS by providing color guards for NPS graduations and other ceremonies, as well as providing manpower for community events. All of which creates a favorable image of the Navy to the Monterey community, according to Kuffel.

“Learning that Admiral Dunne was a Sea Cadet was a very pleasant surprise for everyone who attended the Officer's Call.  As a former Sea Cadet, Admiral Dunne knows first hand the benefits that teenagers gain by belonging to the program.  Job training, scholarships for college, and advanced pay are the big payoffs, but there is also the moral influence that Sea Cadets receive.” 

Patriotism, courage, self-reliance, responsibility, self-discipline and teamwork are a few of the benefits given to the young Cadets. 

“Having a former Sea Cadet as superintendent means that it will be easier to extend these benefits to the young men and women of our community,” said Kuffel.  “With the support of the admiral and all of the NPS community, the Sea Cadet program is indeed in a fortunate position.”

For more information about the Sea Cadet program, please visit www.seacadets.org .