Next OPEN HOUSE 4 February 2025
Overview
The Overlake Composite Squadron is a unit affiliated with the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is focused on “Supporting America's communities with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground services, youth development and promotion of air, space and cyber power.” Overlake works towards CAP’s missions through various forms of aerospace education, leadership opportunities, and emergency services training for both cadets (CAP members aged 12 - 21) and senior members (CAP members aged 21+).
TO BECOME A CADET
Becoming a Civil Air Patrol cadet is a rewarding experience, full of opportunities you won’t find anyplace else. Joining the Overlake Composite Squadron is easy; just follow the five steps outlined below.
Prospective cadets must be 12 years old to join. Cadets younger than twelve will be invited to attend the next open house.
1. MEET THE REQUIREMENTS
The cadet must be 12-18 years of age (see above requirement).
The cadet must maintain "satisfactory performance" at school, as defined by the cadet's parents/guardians.
The cadet must be within travel distance of the Redmond Armory in Redmond, Washington. (Under normal circumstances, the Overlake Composite Squadron’s members meet there each week for squadron meetings.)
The cadet must be a U.S. citizen, or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.
The cadet must not be a member of the active-duty Armed Forces.
The cadet must not be married.
2. ATTEND AN OPEN HOUSE
The first step to becoming a Civil Air Patrol cadet is to attend a squadron open house at the Redmond Armory. This hour-long presentation is for both interested youth and curious parents/guardians to learn more about the Civil Air Patrol, the Overlake Composite Squadron, and the many opportunities that come with becoming a cadet. You will also get the chance to ask questions and talk to current cadets in the Overlake Composite Squadron. No obligation to join is made by attending the open house.
Please sign up if you would like to attend the open house.
3: PARTICIPATE IN TWO MORE MEETINGS
After you attend the open house, join us for our training meetings which occur every Tuesday (similar to the rest of the squadron’s schedule). These meetings are designed for prospective cadets only, though parents/guardians do have the option to attend if they want to see how things are run. During your first meeting, you will get a chance to meet your leaders and your future teammates and then participate in an interactive class regarding aerospace.
4: ATTEND THE PARENT/LEADER MEETING
Once you attend three meetings, you are able to sign up for the Civil Air Patrol. Aspiring cadets and parents/guardians are encouraged to attend the Parent/Leader meeting. During this presentation, senior members will go over information such as the requirements to be a cadet, the steps to signing up, how parents/guardians may get involved, and more. Most notably, there will be a Q&A session at the end to ask any last questions as well as an opportunity to sign up.
5: SIGN UP FOR CAP
The final step is to sign up for the Civil Air Patrol online. You will have an opportunity to do this during the introduction to cadet membership, but you also have the option of signing up after the presentation has concluded. Aim to sign up within three weeks of the introduction to cadet membership.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Once you have signed up, you will officially enter the recruitment training flight, a team composed of those who attended the same open house as you did. For the next two months, you will meet every Tuesday for classes regarding leadership, aerospace, and more so you may learn more about the program as you earn your requirements to promote to C/Amn (Cadet Airman) and C/A1C (Cadet Airman First Class). You will also be expected to practice drill, study leadership, and aerospace, and complete several assignments on your own time.