By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
It’s not a typical outfit for a 12-year-old girl, but Alexandrea McDonagh wears her dress blues with pride. She twists her arm to show off the U.S. Navy League Cadet Corps (NLCC) insignia, with its golden anchor, that she wears on the sleeve of her crisp white shirt.
McDonagh, a sixth-grader at Loranger Middle School in Old Orchard Beach, is a Navy League Cadet, the junior cadet program for the Naval Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC). As a cadet, McDonagh is authorized by the Secretary of the Navy to wear Navy enlisted uniforms. It’s an honor she shares with the 21 league and sea cadets, ages 11 to 17, in the South Portland-based Coast Guard Group Portland Division and Training Ship NICHOLAS units.
“I wanted to be in the Navy,” McDonagh said of her decision to join the group, seven months ago. “I always liked it. I thought it was really cool.”
Sea cadets, ages 13 to 17, learn seamanship, military drill and leadership. Although cadets are not required to enter military service, depending on their achieved ranking, they may be eligible to enter the armed forces at an advanced pay grade or to receive scholarships to a four-year university.
League cadets learn nautical skills, water safety, swimming, first aid and firefighting. The cadets also learn about military drill, discipline, naval history and participate in community activities such as marching in the recent South Portland Veterans Day parade
During the school year, cadets typically meet one night a week or one weekend a month for “drill” meetings. During drill weekends, the South Portland unit bunks at the American Legion Post No. 35, located on Broadway. Depending on the plan of the day, cadets might go to the community center for swim qualifications, march to the U.S. Coast Guard base on High Street for damage control training, or strap on air packs with the South Portland Fire Department, said the unit’s Commanding Officer Ian Cummings.
It’s hard work, but McDonagh said everyone helps each other out. If a cadet is struggling with the swim qualifications, a senior cadet will swim along side him or her for support, McDonagh said.
While the two groups are learning different skills, Cummings said training the sea and league cadets together has its advantages. The sea cadets “will line them right up,” but also serve as mentors to the younger group, Cummings said.
A firefighter in Gorham for more than 20 years, Cummings became involved with the cadet program when his son joined the NLCC at age 12. He will turn 17 next month and will also be advancing from a petty officer second class to a petty officer first class. Cummings said his son is already talking to U.S. Coast Guard recruiters about joining the reserves and he plans to attend Maine Maritime Academy for small vessel operation.
 “Anybody that has a vision of what they want to do in the future – this is the program that will get them there,” Cummings said.
Cummings and his wife originally joined the program as instructors, but then former Commanding Officer Roger Sabourin said he was looking for someone to take over the program. At that point, “everybody pointed at me,” Cummings said.
Now husband and wife run the program with Navy Executive Officer Ellic Mottram. In December, however, Mottram will be leaving the group for a tugboat job. Cummings is currently seeking four adult volunteers and in particular a female adult volunteer – no military experience required – to supervise the female cadets during the weekend drills.
“I have nine girls and if I don’t have the female, I end up having to send the girls packing,” Cummings said.
Because the unit is required to keep records on all of the cadets, he added, “The hope is to have somebody who wants to step up and take over. Someone who can really work circles around the administration piece.”
Cummings said the unit is also welcoming new recruits. Besides age requirements, cadets must be a U.S. citizen, in good health and able to pass a physical examination, a full-time student in good academic standing, single and of good moral character, according to the NSCC requirements.
Cummings said when he hears positive comments from the American Legion members or hears about how well the cadets performed in the Veterans Day parade, “it’s payback,” not just for the effort he puts into their instruction, but for their dedication to the program.
“It’s their unit, not mine,” he said. “To me, it’s watching these kids progress, get the discipline, have the structure and treat adults with respect. I’m proud of them.”
Damien McDonagh said he had his doubts about his daughter following through with the program, but he noticed a difference in her after her very first weekend with the cadets.
“I’ve noticed she’s been a lot more disciplined,” he said. “No offense to her, she is a bit of a slob in her bedroom, but since she started the program, I’ve noticed a big difference.”
Regarding her future plans, Alexander McDonagh said she’s not sure what college she wants to attend. What she does know is she wants to service planes, fly planes, be on a ship with planes – in short be near planes. She currently has her sights set on civil air patrol, which is most commonly associated with search and rescue missions. McDonagh’s passion for aviation came at a young age. Growing up she and her siblings  – Spencer, nearly 8, and Delani, 9 – visited their mother at the Portland International Jetport, where she worked for Northeast Air, a commercial and private aviation service and maintenance company. McDonagh said she has developed a particular fondness for stealth aircraft, which are capable of evading enemy radar.
Both Spencer and Delani McDonagh will follow in their sister’s footsteps and join the cadets when they’re older.
For more information about volunteering with the South Portland unit or for more information about the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, visit www.usnsccsp.org.