JROTC From A Milteen Perspective

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Image 1 = me and my Raider team at Fort Knox. Image 2 = me and the academic team at Washington DC. Image 3 = me and the Raider team getting recognized at the Kansas State Capitol Building. Image 4 = me leading my company in the Veterans Day Parade.

Let me start by saying – I LOVED my JROTC experience! Yet, it was very different than what both me and my parents were expecting, so here’s first information about what JROTC is for those who are curious about joining, followed by a little reflection on my time in the program as a military teen. 

Quick note! I attended Leavenworth High School and was a member of their Army JROTC program. At my school, JROTC is a huge and largely successful program, so my experience is likely different from smaller programs, and it will be different than JROTC experiences for other branches. 

WHAT IS JROTC???

JROTC stands for “Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.” ROTC is the program in college that helps prepare cadets for commissioning as an officer, and this is the high school version of that… with a very important difference. 

Being a cadet in JROTC does NOT require you to join the military. While incentives are present (you can be enlisted starting at a higher rank and also earn ROTC scholarships), there is no requirement to join the military. JROTC is purely an elective. 

Instead of commissioning cadets, the mission of JROTC is “to motivate young people to be better citizens.” The program accomplishes that through its class time… just like a regular elective in your schedule. My program had a weekly class schedule, where we had days to focus on Leadership and Education Training (LET – more on that later), a uniform day, a Cadet Development day (also described further below), and a physical training day. 

LET is the academic portion, and it has curricula where we are first taught military history and values, then we progress through lessons on first aid, finances, post-secondary preparation, citizen duties, leadership, and more. It was a very informative class, and it focused more on “real-life” skills than many other high school classes. 

Another important thing to know about JROTC is that it is largely cadet-run (at least in our program). Every year, there are dozens of leadership positions to fill, including positions overseeing the whole program, positions overseeing special teams, and positions overseeing individual companies (classes) and smaller groups of cadets (platoons and squads) within the companies. The leadership opportunities are immense and great for experience and resumes/college applications!

While cadre (the teachers) run the academic side and oversee everything, the cadets mainly run everything else. They lead physical training, they grade uniforms, and they run Cadet Development – a day where the Company Commander (the most superior cadet/leader in the classroom) can decide what to do based on what the company needs most. 

Two more big things about the program… community service and special teams. My school had a requirement of 40 hours of community service every year, with a plethora of events being offered every month. While it was burdensome at times, I genuinely enjoyed the opportunity to get involved with my community. And service through JROTC has helped me find my career path. 

Finally, every school has at least a few “special teams.” Leavenworth has 14 – Drum and Bugle, Cadet Choir, Color Guard, Saber Guard, Drone Team, Robotics, Academic Team, Leadership Team, Rifle Team (shooting), Pioneer Guard (armed drill team), Cavalry Angels (unarmed drill team), Raiders (sport), Junior Guard (teaching younger kids drill), and Cannon Crew. The only JROTC team we didn’t have is Archery. These all have practice times and events outside of the normal school day.

While the class time for JROTC is pretty good, the special teams are really what sells the JROTC program. I thoroughly enjoyed each special team I was on, making great memories, wonderful friends, and having some of my favorite experiences of my high school career. 

But again a reminder – if you’re curious about going into JROTC, research the one in your local high school/area! Every program is different, and I don’t want to have you expect what isn’t reality through the description of my program. 

And don’t put your expectations at an ROTC or active-duty level! JROTC is a high school program given varying resources depending on the school, and the cadre are trying their best to improve the cadets (make them better citizens), create a fun and genuinely enjoyable class environment, and somehow manage a few time- and labor-intensive special teams each. 

MY MILTEEN REFLECTION

Lovingly, my family called JROTC “fake Army.” In a lot of ways, JROTC reflected the Army… structure, ranks, positions… but in every single one, there were also noticeable differences. 

For example – with the large program in my school and the high turnover of students (due to a high military population), ranks didn’t follow a super strict order. I jumped from a Sergeant First Class to a First Lieutenant over the summer due to my leadership positions. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but as I relayed this to my parents, their strong military background found it odd. 

The special teams might also reflect pieces of ROTC and certain active-duty trainings/activities, but there are, again, some differences. My parents needed open minds, but my love for the program overrode their judgment. 

I joined JROTC with only the desire to do Raiders (the sport) and wear a uniform that looks like my dad’s uniform, and my hope for the program was GREATLY EXCEEDED. The leadership was filled with people who have a similar background and think the same way as me (the majority of the leadership last year were in the top 10% academically of our graduating class and all milteens). I traveled to Georgia, Kentucky, and Washington DC with my special teams. I had the opportunity to be a company commander and influence the lives of some students while fostering their love for JROTC. And there were so, so many more amazing parts. 

JROTC also had numerous opportunities within it to learn about a career in the military. For you, this program and its subsequent opportunities might help you make up your mind about a military career. Or, as it has done for me, JROTC has given me purpose for my future and helped me find qualities I want in my future career. 

Additionally, it is important to remember that through JROTC, you can be set up for so much future success. From the skills, the leadership, the extracurriculars, to even the awards and service that build resumes and college applications, JROTC is meant to take each individual where they are and grow them into someone who can be successful in their future. And if you plan on going into ROTC, JROTC is a great way to get your foot in the door for a 4-year scholarship. 

Overall, I highly recommend taking JROTC in high school. While it’s best started as a freshman, taking JROTC any year will still have benefits. I look back on my time in JROTC fondly, and I know I will miss walking down that hallway decorated from floor to ceiling with shiny trophies and filled with kids who have a purpose behind their actions.