There are two core administrative components to the Air Cadet program.

The Military Component provides trained staff and a core training program for the cadets to keep them continuously developing and continuously challenged – this portion of the program is organized and paid for by the Department of Defense. This portion of the program is the same across all cadet squadrons across the country. The uniformed staff of the squadron fall under the military component. The number of cadets in the squadron and the level of community participation the squadron determine the amount of staff that the squadron is allowed to have.

The Air Cadet League is a civilian organization made up of volunteers (mostly parents) with a few paid positions at the regional and national levels. The league is responsible for the definition of the training program as well as the planning and funding of the non-core portions of the cadet program. All aspects of the program outside the core is the responsibility of the league.

The military component and the league work closely together to organize and oversee the program and ensure that it stays relevant.

The portion of the league that operates at the squadron level is the Parent Sponsoring Committee and is made up completely of volunteer parents. It is the goal of the sponsoring committee to assist the staff with arranging facilities and helping administer the non-core portions of the program as well as to administer all of the finances of the squadron to ensure that it remains operational.