In the Cadet Corps, as in the Military, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed and executed. Orders are passed from a higher-ranked cadet, such as an officer, to a lower-ranked individual to execute the order, or pass it down the chain as needed. 

In general, Cadets should only give orders to subordinate cadets within their chain of command, and receive orders only from those directly above them.  This means that having a higher rank alone, does not entitle a leader of Unit A to give an order to a Cadet in Unit B.  The chain of command means that individual members take orders from one superior and only to those subordinates appointed under them.  However, it is the responsibility of every cadet leader to make corrections as necessary.  For example, if you witness a cadet not saluting an officer, or wearing a uniform improperly, you should politely correct the cadet and tell them to fix the problem.  The following diagram shows the chain of command from the Governor of California all the way down to the brand-new-Recruit in a squad.

 

In the military, there is generally only one chain of command running from the President down to the brand-new-recruit.  However, the CACC is a military-like program that occurs in California schools and as a result it has three chains of command.  The Cadet Chain of Command allows the program to be an “applied leadership” program by putting cadets in charge from the squad level all the way up to the corps level.  The School Chain of Command ensures cadets are responsible to their school leadership and its educational goals.  The CACC Chain of Command ensures cadets are responsible to the Cadet Corps leadership and its program goals.

 

To put it all together, the chart below shows the Chain of Command in the center and the NCO and Staff Support Channels on each side. Even though there are only a few people who have formal command authority and are represented in the center of the chart, you can see a great many people who work with those commanders to support the many responsibilities of command.

 

NCO SUPPORT CHANNEL (Part of the Chain of Concern)	CHAIN OF COMMAND	STAFF SUPPORT CHANNEL (Part of the Chain of Concern)
10th Corps Command Sergeant Major	Governor Adjutant General Executive Officer 10th Corps Commander (At State Events)	10th Corps S-1, S-3, S-4, S-5
Brigade Command Sergeant Major	Brigade Advisor Cadet Brigade Commander	Brigade S-1, S-3, S-4, S-5
Battalion Command Sergeant Major	Principal Commandant of Cadets Battalion Commander	Battalion S-1, S-3, S-4, S-5
Company First Sergeant	Company Commander	Company Clerk Supply Sergeant Training Sergeant
Platoon Sergeant	Platoon Leader	Generally, none
Assistant Squad Leader	Squad Leader	None