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Cadets Wanted: Slots Open for Engineering Technology Academy in Tennessee
Spots remain available for this summer’s National Cadet Engineering Technology Academy (E-Tech), set for June 26-July 2 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville.
Lt. Col. Robert Gilbert, activity director, said the academy has extended its application deadline to May 31 in hopes that additional cadets will take advantage of the educational experience.
Gilbert said cadets will stay in MTSU residence halls and attend classes taught by university faculty
members from Aerospace, Engineering Technology, Physics and Astronomy, Data Science, and Mechatronics. The academy also features leadership activities from MTSU’s Army ROTC program, as well as a seminar led by retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, the university’s senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives.
This will be the fourth time MTSU has hosted the academy, which was suspended in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. MTSU and CAP have been partners in aerospace education for cadets since 2014.
“This will be a unique, hands-on set of experiences across a broad range of science and technology fields, and we’re excited about resuming this activity,” Gilbert said. “We’ve worked well with our partners at MTSU to develop another great curriculum for this academy.”
The $395 cost for the weeklong event includes housing and dining on campus as well as other activities. Cadets must be 15 or older to participate in the academy and must have previously completed a cadet encampment previously. Go to ncsas.com for the link to apply for the academy through CAP’s eServices Registration and Payment System.
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee credits Greg Van Patten, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, for encouraging his faculty to engage with the cadets.
“Having these CAP cadets on campus is a win-win relationship as they develop a clearer picture of their academic and career interests while getting a taste of the high-quality programs offered by our university,” McPhee said.
MTSU’s close ties with CAP stretch back to July 1948, when the Middle Tennessee State College Squadron was organized; MTSU’s Department of Aerospace was 6 years old at the time. Based at the old College Airport, the squadron consisted of pilots trained on campus and was recognized for its search-and-rescue work. It operated on campus until 1953.