Cadet in Charge of Quarters

From USAFA Folklore

Cadet in Charge of Quarters (CCQ) is a duty for third class cadets. It primarily involves sitting at the CQ desk and answering the phone.

During the 1970s, an important part of the CQ's job was to carry a large ring of keys for every room in the squadron and let cadets in their rooms who forgot their keys. CQs also unlocked doors at Taps to perform a "bedcheck" to ensure cadets were either in their beds or had approved Late Lights. CQs were also responsible for picking up box lunches for sick cadets in Mitchell Hall. In the '50s and '60s, i.e., before computers and cell phones, the CCQ performed the very important task of relaying messages to cadets in the Squadron, posting the Daily Bulletin, maintaining the Squadron Bulletin Board, insuring that the Squadron Details were performed, supervising the Sign-In-Out Rosters, enforcing the call to quarters period, enforcing Taps, performing "All Right Inspections" as required, supervising the use of Squadron public phones, and generally being in charge of the Squadron Area while everyone else was in class. There was not need to carry a "large ring of keys" then because the rooms were never locked.