City of Auckland Cadet Unit

Unit

We are part of the New Zealand Cadet Forces (NZCF), a non-profit, volunteer, youth organisation. We are a military-styled youth organisation that offers a challenging and varied range of activities and training. We carry out training in fieldcraft, military knowledge, firearms training, leadership, first aid, general life skills and more.

We meet every Wednesday night during the school term, at the Auckland Army Centre (204 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland). New cadets and supporters are welcome to come along.

Join

Frequently Asked Questions

We are open to all youth aged 13 and 14. If you are 12 and attending secondary school, you may also join. Cadet recruits undergo six weeks of recruit induction, where you are given an introduction to cadet life and taught about basic drill, how the Cadet Unit operates, and how to care for the uniform you will be issued.

If you are interested in joining, please read about our

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Recruitment Process.

Training

Our training has a unique military theme and includes activities that are not available to other youth organisations, involving a mix of classroom lessons and practical training in the field. The training supports personal development and fosters a spirit of adventure. It aims to develop qualities and skills that are essential to good citizens and leaders, and provides challenging and disciplined activities that are useful in service or civilian life.

We run a 4-year training programme and offer some NZQA Unit Standards. Basic skills are taught in the first year and these are developed over the following years. Once the 4-year training programme has been completed, some cadets stay on in a senior leadership role and even to become Officers.