Quality Cadet Unit Award

209 units earned the title "Quality Cadet Unit" for 2011

List of 2011 Winners                         2011 Unit Data

Units that received the award may use the 2012 Quality Logo on their unit website, letterhead, recruiting materials and other squadron publications.

2011 Mid-Year Data* (As of 5/31/2011)

2011 Third Quarter Data* (As of 10/6/2011)

 *   The Mid Year Report does not include a retention column.  As such, the required criteria to be met was reduced by one.  This information is included in the end of year report and the minimum criteria is 5.

118 units earned the title "Quality Cadet Unit" for 2010

List of 2010 Winners                        2010 Unit Data

 

ELIGIBILITY

All cadet and composite squadrons and flights with a minimum of 10 cadets are eligible.

2012 CRITERIA

The award criteria are entirely objective.  Any squadron that meets at least 5 of the 9 criteria listed below, as of 31 December of the preceding year, qualifies:

Adult Leadership: Unit has at least 3 Training Leaders of Cadets graduates on its roster*

Aerospace: Unit earned the Aerospace Excellence Award (AEX) during previous year

Cadet Achievement: 40% of cadets on roster have attained the Wright Brothers Award*

DDR Participation: 20% of cadets on roster have completed DDRx or unit participated in RRLA*

Encampment: 50% of cadets on roster have completed encampment

Enrollment: Unit has at least 35 cadets listed on its roster

Growth: Unit’s cadet roster increased by 10%, or 10 cadets during previous year

Orientation Flights: 60% of cadets on roster have participated in at least 1 flight

Retention: Unit retained 40% of first year cadets during previous year

*Revisions from 2011:

Adult Leadership: increase from 2 to 3 graduates
Cadet Achievement: Increase from 30% to 40%
DDR: New criterion for 2012

CALCULATIONS
You can see if your unit is on track to receive the award throughout the year by using the calculations file (excel 2007).  Just fill in the yellow cells.

(1)   Each December 31^st, NHQ will examine every cadet and composite squadron’s performance in the criteria above, as reflected in eServices. Every cadet and composite squadron is automatically considered for the award – there is no application procedure necessary.

 

(2)   Each January, NHQ will announce the winning squadrons on this webpage. Award elements will be mailed to the respective wing headquarters, for presentation at a suitable venue.

Steven Trupp, NHQ Program Manager

 

The Squadron of Merit Award remains in effect, but only one squadron per wing wins that award each year. The SOM program allows the wing commander to make subjective judgments about which unit is the “best” in the wing, while the Quality Cadet Unit Award is purely objective. One would hope that the SOM winner would also be a QCUA winner, but that is not a pre-requisite.   

 

 

Not at all. CAP-MAP measured administrative inputs – Did you complete a chaplain report?, Did you submit an encampment report?, Did you appoint a CAC representative?, etc. In contrast, the QCUA measures outcomes – Are you flying cadets?, Are you sending cadets to encampment?, Is your unit growing? It was conceivable for a CAP-MAP winning unit to be a paper tiger, while a QCUA winning unit will necessarily have an active, flourishing Cadet Program.