About Us
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: The goal of the Air Force Junior ROTC program is to help high school students become better citizens and leaders by instilling a sense of responsibility, character, and self-discipline. The program promotes community service, education excellence, teamwork, fitness and personal development for success. An underlying thread in JROTC is patriotism and pride in the institutions and values that make this country strong.
JROTC “PILLARS”: We focus on citizenship and leadership in all we do. Our cadets are heavily active in community service and beyond. They respond with open hearts and hard work when it comes to helping others. Leadership is reflected in every activity. The cadets learn the fundamentals of good “followership” first, then develop sound leadership principles that will help them succeed in any environment.
BRIEF HISTORY OF AFJROTC: Army ROTC has been around since 1911. All military branches committed to the program in 1964 with Public Law 88-647, the ROTC Vitalization Act. The law provided for the establishment of JROTC programs in all public and private high schools. The Air Force had reached its ceiling of 690 units until General Colin Powell, then Secretary of State saw JROTC cadets cleaning up the streets after the Los Angeles riots. He liked the community service he saw and so did Congress. Our legislators approved an Air Force expansion to 945 units by 2008. Today, there are over 900 high schools with Air Force Junior ROTC, and over 120,000 students enrolled in the program.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. What does AFJROTC stand for? AFJROTC stands for Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. It is a military regulated high school program whose purpose is to educate high school students in leadership roles while making them aware of the benefits of citizenship. The mission of AFJROTC is to motivate young people to become better American citizens.
2. Will my son/daughter have to serve in the military if they join high school AFJROTC? No, because this is a citizen program in which leadership is developed.
3. Does the AFJROTC program recruit for the Armed Forces? No! We do not recruit for the Armed Forces. Most students enroll in college or into a technical school. Some students do elect to join the military and if so, they enter the service with an accelerated promotion which means an immediate monthly raise.
4. Who teaches the students? All AFJROTC instructors are retired from active military service. They are certified to teach AFJROTC in accordance with published standards from each of the military service (Army, Navy, and Air Force).
6. What can students expect to learn by taking AFJROTC? Leadership, Citizenship, Organizational Skills, Self Discipline, Team Building, Ethics, Respect/Courtesy, Physical Fitness, Managing Peer Pressure, Stress Management, Map Reading, Economics, Overcoming Adversity, Military History, Personal Finance, Character Values, Test Preparation, Self Confidence, and Self Esteem building.
7. What makes AFJROTC and Leadership different from other classes? Students learn to lead through instruction and actual situations. For instance, an AFJROTC cadet will lead classmates in and outside the classroom during class trips or various activities such as Drill and Ceremony and Color Guard.
8. Why do the students conduct drill or march? AFJROTC uses drill and ceremonies as a well-defined, relatively easy to master training tool or vehicle. This tool is used to teach and develop teamwork, leadership, instructional skills, attention to detail, bearing, respect for authority and for others, responsibility, and endurance.
9. Are students required to wear a uniform? Yes. After earning a uniform in the beginning of their first year, cadets are required to wear the Air Force AFJROTC uniform once a week on uniform day. The uniform is provided by the military, and is fitted to each cadet. The uniform consists of a pair of trousers, shoes (must be shined), black socks, shirt, black belt and buckle, and a garrison cap. Cadets earn their rank and awards to put on their uniforms. It is considered an honor to wear the uniform and cadets wear it with pride. Members of AFJROTC teams may wear the uniform more often for events and competitions.
10. Are both male and females enrolled in AFJROTC? Yes. All leadership positions are available to both male and females equally.
11. Are there special rules students are required to follow? Yes, although not to the extreme. There are regulations about personal appearance of cadets, wearing of the uniform, and even how to address the other military personnel and cadets. For example, on uniform days males are not permitted to wear earring(s) in the classroom, and females are only allowed one pair of earrings, one earring in each ear. Males must have their hair cut so it does not exceed past their ears, lengthwise, and female cadets must have their hair off the collar.
12. What kind of recognition can I get by participating in the program? There are many awards which cadets can earn for participation and achievement in the program. Some are given by each school, but others can be awarded by local military organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of Purple Heart, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. These are just a few of the organizations that give awards. All awards have certain criteria, but are open to all who achieve those criteria. Involvement, good leadership traits, and being an active participant of the program are the main requirements.