ACE Anticipated Outbound 2012:

• Canada 14 cadets  and 2 staff members; and
• South Korea 5 cadets and 1 staff member.

Exchange dates

The dates for the exchange are:

• Arrival date in the destination country 14 July 2012.
• Departure date from destination country 28 July 2012.
• These dates do not include domestic travel to the the departure point - Melbourne. Applicants should plan  to be away from either work or school from 12 Jul to 31 Jul 12. This will covers not only domestic travel time but also to get over the effects of jet lag.

Applications

All applications for the ACE are to be completed on the attached word documents and are to be forwarded through the chain of command to their Regional Headquarters. Please note that there is a different application for Army Cadet Staff and Australian Army Cadets.
Selection Process
Each region is to conduct their own selection board with the successful regional candidates being passed to HQAAC for further consideration, applications are to arrive at this Headquarters no later than 17 Feb 12. The national selection board will be conducted after this date with the HQAAC final selection process being completed in March 2012. It is the intent to advise both successful and unsuccessful candidates of their result by 1 April 2012.
When forwarding the results of their deliberations Regional Headquarters are to ensure that their nominations are placed in Order of Merit.
Notification process
Regional Headquarters are to advise those candidates who do not proceed beyond the regional selection board process that their application has been unsuccessful.
For those Army Cadet Staff and Army cadets who reach the national selection process, HQAAC will be responsible for advising both successful candidates and unsuccessful candidates of their results.
Travel Costs and Ancillary Expenses

• Australian Army Cadets will fund all travel expense from major regional centres to the host nation and return.
• Successful candidates will be responsible for  their own travel to nearest airport. 
• Travel arrangements to the departure airport will be managed on a case-by-case basis and be advised to the candidate.
• All members participating in the ACE program will be required to pay for their passport.
• Travel Insurance will be provided by the Commonwealth.

Fitness Requirements
Many of the activities conducted by the other nations are physically demanding and ACS staff as well as cadets must have an acceptable level of fitness. Therefore, one of the selection criteria is a fitness evaluation.  Detailed below are the minimum acceptable physical standards for the ACE:

• Shuttle Run (beep test) Males – Level 6.0 Females - Level 6.0.
• Sit Ups (to cadence tape) Males – 45, Females - 45.
• Push Ups (within 2 mins) Males – 15, Females - 8.

Age restrictions

• The minimum age for Army Cadet Staff to apply as an escort is for the ACE program is 21 years of age on the day of departure.
• The minimum age for a cadet to participate in the ACE program is 16 years old on the day of departure

More detail on the ACE program including Policy documents elaborating on this email will be placed on CAMNET. In the mean time can you ensure that this email and the advice to applicants (below) is given the widest dissemination.

Advice to Potential Applicants

The following advice is provided to assist applicants in writing their application.  It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive but does include some issues that have been identified during the previous selection processes:

• Read and follow instructions carefully.  Applicants who demonstrate an inability to do this reduce their chance of selection.  For example: If you are asked to provide a 1-page response it means precisely that. It does not mean two, three or four page dissertations.
• When choosing your preferred countries to visit please ensure that you choose from the list of countries we are sending a contingent to.  If on your application you tell us you want to go to Spain and we are not sending a contingent to Spain you indicate to the selection panel a of lack attention to detail.
• A number of one-paragraph responses (or less) were received; however, no one who wrote such a response was successful. Consider responding in the context “why should the Army send me instead of someone else?” and if you can’t think of anything else to write at least address the suggested criteria listed in the response section.
• Neatness! If the selection panel cannot read your application, it cannot assess your suitability for the exchange. Not every one has neat handwriting, consider using a computer. If you do use a computer, remember to use the spell check capability that your computer has.
• Correctness and completeness.  Make sure that your application is complete.  Remember that this is your application for you to travel overseas so its up to you to make sure all sections are filled out completely and correctly; and Your application is just one of many. The selection panel look for reasons as to why an applicant should be either successful or unsuccessful.
• As a way of checking your application go through every section, imagine you are a person on the selection panel, and then ask yourself what is good about your application and what is not.
  Ensure the application is complete - when it asked for a photograph, ensure one is provided.
• The physical standard is the physical standard.  Applicants who do not meet the standard should not be recommended.

Please address any questions or concersn to ace.aac@cadetnet.gov.au.