A common misconception of JROTC is that it is a program only dedicated to preparing students for the Army, but when examining further, it’s obvious to see that it is a comprehensive and structured class and extracurricular activity. The program attracts a diverse group of students who learn leadership, becoming a better citizen and
Command Sargent Major (CSM) Tamara Mitchell said, “It is so much more beyond that. We actually prepare them and get them ready. Our biggest thing is options. What are your options? Whether it would be workforce, whether it would be college, or whether it would be the military, we provide them with all those different avenues.”
The program provides field trips to give the students a preview on how their lives can be after high school. One field trip that CSM Mitchell took her students on was to Tuskegee University. The students had a chance to tour the campus, learn about scholarships, and study what the school has to offer for them.
Along with field trips, JROTC also provides their students with other extracurricular activities that the cadets can enjoy. Only cadets are allowed to be involved in these extracurriculars, making them special to the JROTC. The JROTC program currently has a Raider’s Team, Drill Team, Drone Team, and a Rifle Team.
The Raider’s team consists of more physical attributes than any other JROTC curricular activities. They train for competitions, just like normal sports, and just as diligently. The JROTC raiders team also practices four times a week, with some of those days in the weight room. The team competes for things like mile runs, obstacle courses, and relays.
The Drill team is less physical than the Raider’s Team. The students need able to remember commands from their drill commander, have to be able to memorize them, be sharp within their movements, and attain them accurately. Like the Raider’s Team, the Drill Team also competes in yearly competitions. Last year, the Roswell JROTC Drill Team made it to state.
The Drone Team competes across the state and learns how to code to control the direction in which the drones go.
The Rifle Team is the one extracurricular that is offered to students who are not in the JROTC program, so anyone attending school can join. The students on the Rifle Team compete with air rifles at competitions just like all the other teams, but it requires some skills that the other teams do not.
Junior London Allen said, “The rifle team is more dangerous than other activities, it has a greater risk and takes a significant amount of precision, along with dedication, commitment, and patience.”
The JRTOC classroom structure designates Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays as curriculum days, meaning cadets get their academic course on the steps to becoming better citizens and students. On Wednesdays, the cadets drill in ceremony, where the cadets learn how to march and wear their uniform. Wednesdays are also considered lab days. On Fridays, the cadets have their fitness day. This ranges from different sets of workouts that the cadets are instructed to do. Although this scheduling might seem like a lot, one Friday out of the month is dedicated to relaxing and having fun.
Allen said, “Everyone in the program is so different from each other and it’s just so interesting how we all connect with each other in some way.”
