The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) is a federally sponsored program in American high schools. As part of the National Defense Act of 1916, JROTC was originally created to “instill in students in [United States] secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.”
Students who participate in JROTC gain leadership experience and are exposed to the objectives of the JROTC program which include developing good citizenship and patriotism, self-reliance, developing an appreciation for physical fitness, and increasing respect for the role of the U.S. armed forces. The skills learned in the JROTC program are beneficial to life outside the program and can help students to develop confidence to try new things.
Recently junior Conner Chung was chosen the new battalion cadet commander of the Punahou JROTC program. Chung laughs about being chosen– “being battalion commander- all 4 feet 11 inches of me.”
Regardless of her petite stature, Chung “hopes to accomplish a better line of communication between all cadets, polish up the battalion as a whole and keep up the camaraderie between all the cadets.”
Sacred Hearts Academy has two JROTC regiments with a program at Punahou School and one at St. Louis.
Noelle Snyder, a cadet in the Punahou battalion, said, “The JROTC program has given me the skills to become a better leader. The program has given me many experiences that have helped me prepare for my future.”
While the goal of the JROTC program is not to recruit future soldiers, the program aims to instill the qualities the military values highly, such as healthy living, organization, responsibility and respect.
The JROTC program can also act as a gateway for those students who would like to pursue the military as a career.
Counselor Donna Ramos said, “The program is good for students who come from military families or are interested in the military as a career. It allows students to take part in an ‘introductory’ course that can give them a better perspective on military life.”
