JROTC is a military affiliated program that stands for Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. This year Klein Cain will be taking part of Army JROTC so that students have the chance to learn discipline and respect. Army JROTC can be traced all the way back to 1819 where it was held in a military academy. There, cadets learned what it meant to a part of a program of discipline, and structure.
This year Klein Cain Army JROTC will be led by MAJ Carl Lockett and MSgt Valarie Smith. Being in this program means taking everything with it. students will memorize and recite the Cadet Creed and will be trained on three main ideas in which they must abide by. The first being “Train as you fight, or compete”.
“Training as you compete means being prepared to showcase a skill in an arena, if your arena is the football field, train for a football field, if it’s a gym, train for a gym,” Smith said.
MSgt Smith spoke about “training according to ability, and standard” both meaning training cadets based on individual skill and expectation.
“This program is all about uplifting cadets,” Smith said. “[And] motivating young people to be better citizens.”
JROTC builds character and the skills used in life to succeed. This is done through competitions held by JROTC for schools around the district. Cadets train after school for these competitions in which they can be awarded trophies, medals, and honor among fellow cadets.
Cadets compete against other schools in events like Armed, Unarmed, PT, Colorguard, Exhibition, or Step. They also go through inspections by high ranking officers that served honorably in the military. Participating in these events brings pride to the cadet, and also brings pride to their Commanding Officer.
“One of the things I like most about being apart of JROTC is the look on the Cadets faces when they succeed or, understand and perfect how to do something,” Smith said.
Being in this program gives mental tools people use to succeed in life. Joining this program could mean scholarships, and help with imperative social skills and student necessities. Klein Cain’s JROTC program grew from 49 to 67 Cadets since the start of the school year in August. Although these numbers may seem small, this program continues to grow, and will continue to impact the lives of students every year.
“Being apart of this program means so much to me,“ Smith said. “I can’t wait to see it grow.”
