What is JROTC?
Yahairi Nunez
September 25, 2023
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JROTC or Junior Reserve Officers, Training Corps is an alternative for Physical Education. In this class, students get to learn discipline, leadership skills and also physical fitness. In JROTC getting to learn American rights, amendments, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, job finding skills, resumes, finances, bank accounts, credit cards, how to invest, use insurance, and basic things to know when being an adult. Helping students for their everyday life, not just for class or school.
A little history of JROTC which started in the early 1900s by president Theodore Roosevelt. It was primarily designed for kids to get trained to fight a war if the military needed people. In 1984, Sergeant Major Street, Sergeant Major Hernadez, Major Payu, and Sergeant Rucker applied to Cadet Command, a program that was incorporated into high schools in the U.S. they wanted to encourage students to join their cause by highlighting students to becoming better citizens. People were so interested in JROTC that it passed down through generations of students.
JROTC is mostly a student lead class run by the upperclassmen to show students leadership, knowing how to collaborate with peers their age. “The JROTC program is full of information, creativity, and fun if the students were not awesome then I would have quit a long time ago.” said Sergeant Miller. The class is supervised by Sergeant First Class Micheal Miller and Chief Warrant Officer III Jordan Yard. Sergeant Miller started 10 years ago as a teacher at Seaside High School. He became a teacher because he wanted to put down roots being with his family and he also enjoys surfing by the bay and being able to golf, as he sometimes says in passing, “ I have my golf shirt, golf shorts, and am ready to go right after school.”
Joining JROTC doesn't mean a student is forced to go to the military or expected to, it's just an option for after high school or even because generations of family branches have been doing the program for fun (the longest one has been in Seaside JROTC for 16 years). Honestly if students were or are thinking about joining there are several benefits to the program. JROTC students get a high gpa comparing to normal students because of their involvement with the community, their teamwork, and being supportive which looks good on college applications.
A JROTC student, a senior called Mariana Lanz who has been in JROTC her whole high school career. Things she like about JROTC is how collaborative it can get with different grade levels. Knowing what is required for everytime there is class. Going to field trips that comes with the teams afterschool like, color guard, honor guard, raiders, drill teams w/ and without arms. Competing competitively with other schools and going to camp at the end of the year an experience that will help if students are wanting to go to military. “ Many different ways that students can get out of there confort zone,” said Mariana Lanz.
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