For two years Yough High School has supported the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program, or NJROTC. The program is run by two fine retired naval officers. Half of the instructors' salaries and all materials for the program are supplied by the U.S. Navy.
Our cadets and drill teams march in parades and perform at functions and competitions. The students also take field trips to regional military sites, and learn naval protocol, tradition and military science in the classroom.
The Navy requires that the program support 10 percent of the school's student body, or 80 cadets. Currently there are fewer than half that number enrolled in the program, and unless this situation changes, the Navy is going to pull the plug.
High school is a time when much of a student's maturation takes place. The NJROTC program encourages maturity and responsibility. If your student is at risk of "going Goth," perhaps a stint with the master chief is just the ticket.
The NJROTC program requires no military commitment after high school. In fact, most students in the program do not pursue the military. They invariably become better citizens nevertheless. Those who do join the military will start one or two pay grades higher because of their high school experience.
I ask every Yough parent to consider enrolling his student in NJROTC. If the program is allowed to die, it will mark the end of golden opportunities in a golden age at Yough High School.
