ROTC

[Nords]

Re: ROTC

Back to my question, why does the school care if there is a JROTC program? I can understand why a student would take JROTC (to learn leadership skills, etc), and why a parent would support that choice (positive skill building, etc), and why a community supports JROTC (respect for the military, etc).
But, what is in it for the school? Really problematic kids are not going to be choosing to take the diciplined-based JROTC, so it is not like the school can count on the program to "babysit" the "bad kids", or that it can be seen as an alternative to a gang.
I had assumed it was a money thing, that the program brought in much needed dollars. But since that is not the case, then why do the schools support the program?

Maybe the school doesn't care at all, but there's a (cheap) teacher available and students are signing up for the elective. If it's popular then the school keeps it going. If it's not popular (or if there's not a teacher available) then the school doesn't keep it going. Much like kids/families will apply for a geographic exception to a school with a band program or a certain language elective.

Mililani High School has several military veterans among its teaching staff (including a shipmate) but the school does not have a JROTC program. I don't know whether they've ever had one or what the story is, but there hasn't been a visible attempt to start one in the last decade.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: ROTC

I don't know about the school's perspective, however I do know that the JROTC program is one of the military's best kept secrets on recruitment. My oldest boy was a four-year cadet in KSBE's JROTC's program. He was part of the Deactivation Parade in 2002 at the Kapalama campus. During that time he was encouraged to join the US Military and wanted to be a part of the Army Rangers. He had a 3-year ROTC scholarship at UH Manoa all set up upon graduating from Kamehameha. When 9-11 hit reality hit him hard and suddenly he realized the dangers of being in the military and backed out.

Before that he was gung ho about being in the military. I (as a US Vet) told him he needed to weigh in all sides of what he would do and what was expected of him if he joined. All he saw was the glory of being in the Army Rangers program...that is until the planes hit the WTC and the deployment of troops in the Middle East.

I never once believed the JROTC program instilled a sense of patriotism but only acted as a recruitment tool. The way my boy's commanders had brainwashed him into believing how glorious being in the military was.

Patriotism is the only reason why one joins an All-Volunteer Military force. I balanced my boy's grand illusions of the military with the reality of what is required and what he will do. Shooting a gun is one thing, shooting one under duress is another. His promotions in the JROTC program was more hype than earned. In the real world, promotion came hard and in a war time situation, earned the hard way. Was he ready for that? Absolutely not. Did the JROTC program assist him in getting ready for the shock of war? Absolutely not. I grilled his Butterbar OIC like a drill seargent until he relented, "You're gonna brainwash my boy into believing the US Military is all glory without the balance of the horrors of war?" I yelled at him in front of his superiors and his cadets. I was pissed off. When he tried to tell me otherwise I told him, "Don't you tell this Veteran what war is like!"

I am proud to be a US Veteran, however I was pissed off that this officer tried to glorify war and it's spoils upon my boy.