Coed Affiliates Pershing Rifles Explained

Coed Affiliates Pershing Rifles
Crest:	CAPERPatch.jpg
Alt:	Patch of the Coed Affiliates Pershing Rifles
Affiliation:	Independent
Type:	Military
Status:	Defunct
Defunct Date:	1981
Scope:	National
Emphasis:	Drill
Colors:	Blue and White
Flower:	White Rose
Nickname:	CAPERS
Chapters:	68
Country:	United States

The Coed Affiliates Pershing Rifles (CAPER) was established in 1966 as the first officially recognized female auxiliary to the National Society of Pershing Rifles. It was disbanded in the early 1980s when women were fully integrated into Pershing Rifles. The organization has also been called the Coed Affiliates of Pershing Rifles and CAPERS over the years.

Mission

Like Pershing Rifles, the Coed Affiliates Pershing Rifles (CAPER) was focused on drill and ceremony and CAPER teams competed in local and national drill meets.

History

Over the years, various women's auxiliaries to Pershing Rifles were formed at the local level. One of the earliest coed groups known to be associated with Pershing Rifles was the Cadence Countesses established at the University of Nebraska in 1959.

In 1963, women at the University of Oklahoma asked to start a female drill group affiliated with Pershing Rifles Company H-7. This led to the formation of the Kaydettes drill team. By the fall of 1965, the Kaydettes members thought that there should be a national-level organization for coed groups affiliated with Pershing Rifles. They petitioned the National Headquarters of Pershing Rifles in Lincoln, Nebraska, and were permitted to establish such an organization. They then contacted existing coed groups across the country to start the foundation for a nationwide organization.

On January 1, 1966, the Kaydettes were established as the national female auxiliary for Pershing Rifles under the supervision of the Seventh Regimental Headquarters. However, the Kaydettes' name was not acceptable because it would cause already established coed groups to change the unique names of their local units. So on November 26, 1966, at the Pershing Rifles Fall Little National Convention the organization's name was changed to the Coed Affiliates Pershing Rifles (CAPER) and came under the direct supervision of Pershing Rifles National Headquarters.

The first CAPER National Convention was held in Washington DC in the spring of 1967 in conjunction with the Pershing Rifles National Convention and Drill Meet. Five CAPER Companies were present, as well as observers from universities considering charting with CAPER. By the end of the 1967 school year, seven companies had been chartered with CAPER. By 1968 the number of chartered companies had doubled to 14.

In 1969, several CAPER Regiments were established and they aligned with existing Pershing Rifles Regiments which provided some oversight. The establishment of CAPER Regiments allowed for more concentration on unit expansion and better support to local CAPER Companies. That same year, Colonel Iris Rodriguez was promoted to CAPER Brigadier General to elevate her to a rank above that of the regimental commanders.

On February 5, 1972, CAPER Headquarters moved to the Kansas State University. At this time the National Staff consisted of 17 officers who had oversight for 4 Regiments and 35 Companies. At the 1973 National Convention CAPER held a separate drill meet for the first time.

Around 1976 CAPER National Headquarters moved to Auburn University, In 1978 it moved to Appalachian State University, and in 1979 when it again moved to Seton Hall University.

The U.S. Armed Force's move towards fully integrating women signaled the beginning of the end of the CAPER organization. By the mid-1970s, female students were able to take Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) classes at their universities and soon were able to join Pershing Rifles. Around that same time Pershing Rifles units started allowing non-ROTC cadets to join. Eventually Pershing Rifles Companies integrated CAPER members into their organization. Although the exact date is unknown the CAPER was disbanded in the early 1980s.

Some CAPER Companies chose not to join Pershing Rifles and established a new national organization called Pershing Angels that still exists today.

Chapters

CAPER companies or chapters were predominantly on the East Coast and in the South. Many CAPER companies shared the same numbering as their affiliated Pershing Rifles Company. The units were divided into regiments in 1970.^[1]

Following is a list of known Coed Affiliates Pershing Rifles companies and other female auxiliaries to Pershing Rifles.^[2]

Company	Regiment	Charter date and range	Institution	Location	Nickname	Status	References
A-1		January 1965	Ohio State University	Columbus, Ohio		Inactive	^[3]
A-5	5th	1966–1977	Penn State Altoona	Altoona, Pennsylvania		Inactive
B-4	4th	1966 ?	Tennessee Tech	Crossville, Tennessee		Inactive
B-9	9th	1966	University of Colorado	Boulder, Colorado		Inactive
C-15	4th	1966–1981	Norfolk State University	Norfolk, Virginia		Withdrew
E-2		1966	University of Minnesota	Minneapolis, Minnesota		Inactive
N-4	4th	1966–1981	North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, North Carolina		Withdrew
O-5		1966	Penn State Ogontz	Abington, Pennsylvania	Kaydettes	Inactive
T-1	1st	1966–1970	Central State College	Wilberforce, Ohio		Inactive
C-10		1967	New Mexico State University	Las Cruces, New Mexico	Kaydettes	Inactive
D-4	4th	1967	Wake Forest University	Winston-Salem, North Carolina		Inactive
D-6		1967–1970	Louisiana State University	Baton Rouge, Louisiana		Inactive
F-1	1st	1967	Ohio University	Athens, Ohio		Inactive
M-16		1967	Florida State University	Tallahassee, Florida	Les Bleus Berets	Inactive
P-4	4th	1967–1981	Tuskegee University	Tuskegee, Alabama		Withdrew
A-3		1968	Indiana University	Bloomington, Indiana	Crimson Cadettes	Inactive
C-4	4th	1968	Clemson University	Clemson, South Carolina		Inactive
C-16		May 8, 1968 – 1981	Florida A & M University	Tallahassee, Florida		Withdrew
D-15	4th	1968–1981	Hampton University	Hampton, Virginia		Withdrew
H-1	1st	1968	West Virginia State University	Institute, West Virginia	Kaydettes	Inactive
K-5	5th	1968	University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania		Inactive
L-17		1968	Hardin-Simmons University	Abilene, Texas		Inactive
N-1	1st	1968	Marshall University	Huntington, West Virginia		Inactive
Q-15		1968	Pennsylvania Military College	Chester, Pennsylvania		Inactive
B-5	5th	1969	Pennsylvania State University	University Park, Pennsylvania		Inactive
G-4	4th	1969	Auburn University	Auburn, Georgia		Inactive
I-6		1969	Loyola University	New Orleans, Louisiana		Inactive
L-4	4th	1969	North Carolina State University	Raleigh, North Carolina		Inactive
P-1		1969	Youngstown State University	Youngstown, Ohio		Inactive
Q-8		1969	Hofstra University	Hempstead, New York		Inactive
Q-17		1969	Prairie View A&M University	Prairie View, Texas	Drillets	Inactive
H-15		1970–1981	Morgan State University	Baltimore, Maryland		Withdrew	^[4]
K-4	4th	1970–1981	South Carolina State University	Orangeburg, South Carolina		Withdrew
K-8		1970	Seton Hall University	South Orange, New Jersey		Inactive
R-17			Trinity University	San Antonio, Texas		Inactive
C-7			Oklahoma State University	Stillwater, Oklahoma		Inactive
E-7			University of Kansas	Lawrence, Kansas	E-Co Berets	Inactive
O-4	4th	1974–1981	Virginia State University	Petersburg, Virginia		Withdrew
T-8			University of Puerto Rico	San Juan, Puerto Rico		Inactive
G-7		1970s	Kansas State University	Manhattan, Kansas		Inactive
M-4	4th	1970s	Appalachian State University	Boone, North Carolina		Inactive
N-8		1970s–1981	St. Peters College	Jersey City, New Jersey		Withdrew
B-1		1977	University of Dayton	Dayton, Ohio		Inactive
G-2		1977	Iowa State University	Ames, Iowa		Inactive
H-4		1977–1981	Alabama A&M University	Normal, Alabama		Withdrew
R-8		1977	St. John's University	Jamaica, New York		Inactive
C-1	1st		University of Kentucky	Lexington, Kentucky	Kentucky Babes	Inactive
I-1			Bowling Green State University	Bowling Green, Ohio	The Royal Green	Inactive
A-2			University of Nebraska - Lincoln	Lincoln, Nebraska	Cadence Countesses	Inactive
H-2			Saint John's University	Collegeville, Minnesota	Petticoat Platoon	Inactive
I-2			Marquette University	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Marcadettes	Inactive
K-2			South Dakota State College	Brookings, South Dakota	Pershingettes	Inactive
V-2			Spring Hill College	Mobile, Alabama	Kadettes	Inactive
B-2			Western Kentucky State College	Bowling Green, Kentucky	Rebelettes	Inactive
J-4			Florence State University	Florence, Alabama		Inactive
Q-4			University of Georgia	Athens, Georgia		Inactive
V-6			University of South Alabama	Mobile, Alabama	Kadettes	Inactive
G-10			University of California at Los Angeles	Los Angeles, California	Saber	Inactive
F-12			University of Connecticut	Storrs, Connecticut		Inactive
M-12			University of Maine	Orono, Maine	Pershingettes	Inactive
A-15			University of Maryland	College Park, Maryland	Kaydettes	Inactive
S-16			Stetson University	DeLand, Florida		Inactive
F-12			University of Connecticut	Storrs, Connecticut		Withdrew
H-17			University of Texas at El Paso	El Paso, Texas		Inactive
V-4	4th		Vanderbilt University	Nashville, Tennessee	Kaydettes	Inactive
H-7			University of Oklahoma	Norman, Oklahoma	Kaydettes	Inactive
B-16			Alcorn State University	Lorman, Mississippi		Inactive
R-17			Trinity University	San Antonio, Texas		Inactive

Notes

External links

CAPER National Alumni Association

Notes and References

Web site: 2011-02-01 . CAPER Main page . 2023-12-07 . CAPER National Alumni Association . web.archive.org . 2011-02-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110201095335/http://grissette.com/CAPERAlumniMain.htm . bot: unknown .
Web site: CAPER Companies . December 7, 2023 . CAPER National Alumni Association.
Web site: 2012-04-01 . Other coed groups . 2023-12-07 . CAPER National Alumni Association . web.archive.org . 2012-04-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120401072822/http://www.grissette.com/OtherCoedGroups.htm . bot: unknown .
Web site: National Society of Pershing Angels NHQ - History . 2023-12-07 . www.pershingangels.org.