The Mission of the JROTC program is “to motivate young people to be better citizens.” The following an excerpt from the official JROTC site.
“The United States Army’s Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps, or JROTC, is designed to teach high school students the value of citizenship, leadership, service to the community, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment. ‘To motivate young people to be better citizens.’ It prepares high school students for responsible leadership roles while making them aware of their rights, responsibilities and privileges in the community. The program is a stimulus in promoting graduation from high school, and it provides instruction and rewarding opportunities that will benefit the student, community, and nation.”
The JROTC program will teach students to work effectively in a team, learn better ways to handle mental stress and depression, appreciate the importance of physical fitness, think logically and be able to communicate effectively both verbally and written, understand the importance of high school graduation, and be motivated to be a better citizen.
As you begin to think about what classes you will be taking during the upcoming year, we would like to ask you to take a moment to think about your future. First, let us dispel a few rumors about JROTC.
1) You are not required to join any branch of the armed services after graduation if you take JROTC. However, if you would like to join the military after graduation, JROTC can help prepare for that. This class will also qualify you for a higher rank and a higher payroll.
2) We are not the army. We are sponsored by the United States Army, but you, as a student, are not listed in any armed forces branch. Jrotc is merely another elective that you may take that focuses on citizenship and community service
JROTC is unique, in the fact that you decide what the class can do for you through the amount of time you put into the program. If you stay in the class for two years, you earn a wellness credit. If you stay for four years, you also get a government credit and a personal finance credit. These are required to graduate.
JROTC offers multiple extracurricular activities that are only available to our cadets. In addition to the day-to-day class, you may also want to join one of our four specialty teams. These teams specialize in different aspects of military training and compete against other schools from all over the Southeast. Our Raider team specializes in field training exercises, such as obstacle courses and physical endurance activities. The Color Guard’s main focus is presenting our nation’s colors at various events. Our Rifle team competes in air rifle marksmanship. These teams are completely voluntary but the rewards are well worth the effort. You will forge friendships that last all through high school and you will gain a sense of self pride that you may not have from any of the rest of the schools programs.
If you would like to join our JROTC program, find and talk to one of our three instructors – LTC Robert Ward, MSG Johnny Manis, 1SG Timothy Hodges – or your class’s guidance counselor.