Over 50,000 (1999 statistic) teenagers in the United States are learning the ways of the military int the Junior Reserve officers' training corps and sort of experiencing it too.
Over 50,000 (1999 statistic) teenagers in the United States are learning the ways of the military and sort of experiencing it, too. They do this through the Junior Reserve Officers' Traning Corps (JROTC), sometimes pronounced in military lingo as "rahtsee".
JROTC is a high school elective that some schools even offer as an alternative to physical education. The basic curriculum of this class involves a heavy emphasis on American military history, military customs and courtesies, safety and first aid and physical fitness. The interesting spin to all of this is that the lessons are mostly taught by the students themselves- the cadets, who hold rank and follow a chain of command.
There are four levels to the program. The first year covers the basics, the second year emphasizes the basics, the third year offers leadership opportunities and the fourth year offers added leadership and responsibility. For students who join the program late, they just start off as advanced as they can. The structure of these JROTC units is much like that of the military, only on a much smaller scale. This structure also depends on the sponsor service, whether the school's unit is modeled after the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast Guard.
The cadets are supervised by retired military personnel who choose to work with the kids, emphasizing the importance of confidence, organization and authority. These retired military people also have to complete courses is education to become an instructor.
Cadets attend high school at normal hours, rarely having to show up earlier or stay after school unless they choose to. The only mandate is that they come dressed in their proper uniform once a week, and that day of the week is specified so that all the cadets can be formally inspected.
These cadets learn how to march, too, and if they're really good at it, they can opt to join their unit's rifle drill team and/or color guard. These teams compete with other area units very often, teaching the kids not only how to be fiercely competitive, but also a lot about comradery and team work. For many schools, joining JROTC is one of the few ways to travel out of state, as units have dozens of competitions throughout the country they can choose from to participate in, funds willing.
There are JROTC units in high schools in nearly every state- even in Hawaii, and there are usually no prerequisites to join the program.
After high school graduation, any student who spent at least two years in JROTC, if they choose to enlist, has the chance of being promoted a rank above their peers upon the completion of training camp. Pretty much, though the JROTC program is a small-scale model of the military, the incentives are on the large-scale of what is offered in the U.S. military.
The students who take JROTC usually graduate high school with a much fuller experience of life and all its lessons that those students who did not participate. They learn social skills and time management, and it gives them a chance to try their hand at several tasks so they can see what they're really good at. You don't necessarily get that from any high school course.
