Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps

How JROTC Came About

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 program was originally created as part of the National Defense Act of 1916 and later expanded under the 1964 ROTC Vitalization Act. The first JROTC Battalion was Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1916. This was an Army program and is still operational.

Role and Purpose

According to Title 10, Section 2031 of the United States Code, the purpose of JROTC is “to instill in students in [United States] secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.” Other things that the JROTC Program does is help by:

• Developing good citizenship and patriotism
• Developing self-reliance, leadership, and responsiveness to constituted authority.
• Improving the ability to communicate well both orally and in writing.
• Developing an appreciation of the importance of physical fitness.
• Increasing a respect for the role of the U.S. Armed Forces in support of national objectives.
• Developing a knowledge of team building skills and basic military skills.
• Taking 2 to 4 years of the course allows the cadets to instantly rank higher if they pursue a military career.