Joining a JROTC family

“Stick to your dreams, overcome adversity, and don’t be afraid to get mud on your boots,” says Ashley Burton, an officer in the Navy JROTC program at her high school.

Burton says NJROTC prepared her for the future by providing mentors, improving her leadership skills, and helped her get acceptance letters from her dream colleges.

If you are looking for an elective class that gets you involved in your community, consider joining a JROTC program.

With more than 38,000 cadets in 3,000 high schools across the nation, JROTC programs in Air Force, Navy, Army and Marine Corps might be available at your high school, too.

Each branch offers a similar curriculum taught by retired military officers with more than 20 years’ experience. The program includes commitments to community service, marksmanship skills, drill team competitions, Color Guard and presenting the flag at public and school events.

Participating in JROTC does not obligate you to join the military.

“It is not a military recruiting program,” says Col. Norm Balchunas, director of the Air Force JROTC. “For those students interested in the military, I really recommend they do some solid research and talk with as many people as possible about military service and the opportunities and challenges it presents.”

You’re encouraged to take the four-year elective course and move on to college or pursue a career. If you do decide to join the military, you may be eligible for an accelerated pay and rank increase upon enlistment. But that shouldn’t be your main motivation for joining JROTC.

The mission of Army JROTC is “to motivate young people to be better citizens.” Its core curriculum includes six values to live by, including, “treat yourself and others with respect,” and “do your share as a good citizen in your school, community, country and the world.”

“The Army JROTC introduced me to how complex making choices can be, and how the ones I make now greatly influence what will potentially happen later in my life,” says
Marquis Cunningham, a cadet major from Birmingham, Ala.

“If you are shy or self conscious, the JROTC can help bring you out of the dugout,” Cunningham says. “Everyone helps one another by rising up and working as a team. You will feel more self-confident, and become more outspoken and assertive in anything you do.”

“Navy JROTC is different than academic classes,” says Ashley Baker, Commanding Officer for South Point High School’s NJROTC program in Belmont, N.C. “Although we participate in plenty of academics, we are also involved in a wide array of activities, including drill, physical fitness, orienteering, community service and trips.”

Baker’s position and experience in the NJROTC has given her the confidence to be a leader in any situation. “As commanding officer, I am responsible for the training, discipline, efficiency, performance and conduct of the unit,” Baker says.

AFJROTC is offered at 869 high schools across the country.

“Students that are interested sign up just like any other elective, such as band or drama,” says Col. Balchunas.

This is true for any branch of the JRTOC. Electives, like the JRTOC, provide a class that you enjoy and actually look forward to in your schedule.

Confidence, reliability and responsibility are the three most important lessons taught in the MCJROTC.

“A good leader is a good follower,” says Sgt. Major Henry, a MCJROTC instructor from Rahway High School in New Jersey. “We want to teach responsible, self-reliant, self-disciplined young adults,” he says.

As with the other JROTC programs, the MCJROTC provides a close-knit community that motivates students and teaches important lessons.

“If students learn nothing else, the key lesson is taking responsibility for their own actions,” says Sgt. Major Henry.

If you’re not sure you want to join the military after high school, the JROTC is still valuable. “The military isn’t for everyone, but the JROTC is a good place to start,” says Sgt. Major Henry.

If your school doesn’t offer a JROTC program, there are still ways to get involved.

“Some high schools have arrangements with other schools nearby that offer the program and allow students to participate off of their campus,” says Col. Balchunas.

Or, create something of your own.

Baxter Stephenson, a recent graduate from Fuquay-Varina High School in Fuquay-Varina, N.C., discovered that his school’s JROTC program wouldn’t begin until after he graduated.

So he founded the Military Introduction Program (MIP) during his junior year. Stephenson worked with military recruiters to create a curriculum based on the JROTC program. “It promotes a successful environment for cadets to learn about military careers while serving the school, community and fellow peers,” he says.

If you want to create your own form of the JROTC, talk to your school and local military branch recruiters.