How do Cadets fit into the army chain of command? Higher than specialist below sergeant?

This illustrates a key difference between Cadets and Midshipmen. Midshipman is and always has been an officer rank in the Navy, and Midshipmen are officers of the line eligible for command. Admiral David Glasgow Farragut had his first command as a Midshipman at the age of 12. Midshipmen rank above W-1 but below commissioned Warrant Officers. Midshipmen on cruise regularly serve as Boat Officers and while they better damn well listen to their Coxswain, they are in command. They can have the conn--I conned the USS America through three launch and recovery cycles as a Midshipman--and can qualify as JOOD underway if their cruise is long enough.

Honestly, they can't do nothing. All cadets can do is suggest idea's and that's it. Other than that, they don't have no say in the Army. Sorry bud

THOUGH. If that cadet chooses to enlist from JROTC they'll go in as either a E-1 through E-3 as enlisted ranks. As for ROTC they'll go in as a O-1 (2nd Lieutenant) So with the little bit of training you do have as a Cadet can be carried on to the Army, though you'll start of at the bottom, but you'll get more of an advantage within BCT and AIT as in rank wise depending on what your SAI or AI thinks is more approved for you.

Cadets, being that they are not fully in the military yet, have no military authority over anyone. You are lower than the lowest E-1. Never once heard that cadets are higher than junior enlisted in a Guard Unit, and I know for a fact that they are not considered that in any of the Guard units I have friends in. So maybe YOUR guard unit for some reason treats them with more respect, but that is not regulation and is in no way official.

Everything you just posted is pure semantics made to make cadets feel better about themselves.

Like you said, they can't do anything without an officer present supervising them. They can not give orders to ANYONE. "Commanders are encouraged to ensure that cadets are given courtesies normally reserved for officers" ie they do not rate that respect, but a CO can mandate it if he so wishes.

Cadet is not a rank or a pay-grade, so therefore it can NOT be above an enlisted person. If one does not have any military authority to lead or give orders, that person has no place in the military hierarchy. Would love to see a cadet try to tell anyone what to do. Going to an hour class a couple times a week in ROTC does not entitle you to jack squat.

Please don't confuse your future rank and authority, with what you are now.

Edit: I get into it, because I have seen many many cadets that thought just being a cadet gave them some sort of entitlement. I have seen many of them try to not only give myself an order, but I have also seen them give asinine orders to my Junior Enlisted Soldiers and expect them to obey. I have seen Cadets go so far as to throw trash on the ground in front of a PFC and "order" him to pick it up. I have seen cadets think that they don't have to listen to a junior enlisted soldier who is acting as a range safety when said cadet committed a safety violation and almost got herself killed.

But I have NEVER once seen a Specialist or a Private try to boss any cadet around, without being given specific guidance and authority to do so by their legitimate chain of command.

I get into it, because having once been an ROTC cadet myself, it angers me beyond belief to see morons act this way with a misguided sense of self worth and entitlement that does not exist.

I remember during the summers the West Point Cadets would be assigned to a unit during their third year. We called them 3rd. Lts. No, there is no such rank and they have no authority unless the Commander of that unit advises the unit to respect him/her as if they have rank.

I know this thread is 3 years old, but I am looking for the same information. What I hear is many people offering their opinions, but as everyone in this conversation knows, these statements mean nothing without a reference to the applicable Army manual. Does anyone have a reference?

Technically Cadets aren't officially in the military yet, so they have no rank. However, their rank in ROTC, or JROTC holds value within that specific command.

Most Cadets do really well as Canon swabs

They hold no rank that's recognized outside the ROTC/Academy Unit.