JROTC News

The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools across the United States.

The purpose is to instill in students the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.

I believe the JROTC program is one of the best programs offered by Washoe County School District. I think it says much about WCSD that we are the only school district in the United States to offer JROTC in every comprehensive high school in the district. In fact, Reno High School has had JROTC since 1919.

We have two Navy-, one Air Force-, and eight Army-sponsored schools in Washoe County. The JROTC does not recruit for military service but creates favorable attitudes and impressions toward the services and toward careers in the Armed Forces. About 5 percent of JROTC students join the military after graduation, which is comparable to the rest of the population.

Students enrolled in the JROTC program receive an excellent education in physical education, health and first aid, history, geography and civics. They learn to use advanced technology, develop impressive leadership skills and typically wear their uniforms once or twice a week, usually standing for inspection. Students in JROTC have a 98-percent graduation rate, which is much higher than the high school population as a whole. Many of JROTC students receive scholarships to military academies and other universities around the country.

Without doubt, JROTC students are leaders in their schools. Many are class and school officers. They are focused on civic engagement and take part in community service projects, including canned food drives and raising money for charities, such as the Veterans Guest House and Habitat for Humanity. Students often mentor younger children, serving as excellent role models.