Telegraph Staff Writer
“I am the future of the United States of America.”
That is part of the Cadet Creed for the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, more familiarly known as JROTC. It was recited by five JROTC cadets from Keystone Heights High School as they and their senior instructor helped members of the Col. Samuel Elbert Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution learn more about the KHHS program at the Col. Samuel Elbert Chapter’s Nov. 1 meeting at Montgomery Conference Center.
“There’s a lot packed into that,” Col. Richard Hall, senior Army instructor for KHHS, said of the Cadet Creed. “The main thing I would call your attention to is this truly is the future of the United States of America standing right here in front of you. We’re passing the baton on to them.
“You hear a lot of things about our country nowadays — and certainly I’m very concerned about our country as I’m sure you are, too — but when you see cadets like these and hear the words they truly believe and are inspired by, it gives you — at least it does me, and I hope it does you, too — a renewed hope for the United States of America.”
Hall, who’s been at KHHS since 2017, was joined by Cadet Lt. Col. Elizabeth Anderson, Cadet Maj. Owen Hunter, Cadet 2nd Lt. Haley Lemmon, Cadet 2nd Lt. Elizabeth Carlson and Cadet 2nd Lt. Trista Harrison.
Cadets introduced themselves and described their duties as related to their specific roles.
“My duty is to supervise the battalion and make sure that the duties are accomplished,” said Anderson, who’s battalion commander, while Hunter, battalion executive officer, said, “Some of my duties are to act as the chief of staff and to assume command in the absence of the battalion commander.”
Lemmon, the S-1, said, “Some of my duties are to perform and to keep records of all cadets and to perform tasks as passed out by the battalion commander.”
Carlson and Harrison are the S-3 and S-5, respectively. “My job is basically to update and keep track of the long-term and short-term calendars and plan certain events for our program,” Carlson said, while Harrison said, “I basically plan any extracurriculars that are needed and other tasks assigned by our staff.”
Each cadet also began his or her introduction by greeting DAR members in various languages: French, Italian, Russian, Slovak and Spanish.
“Just a little bragging on them — they took the initiative to learn these various greetings in these different languages,” Hall said.
Hall said the KHHS JROTC consists of approximately 80 cadets. It’s the only Army JROTC in Clay County. The other programs in the county are affiliated with the Navy.
“We’re the only green here in Clay County,” Hall said.
Anderson presented a little history on the KHHS program, saying it was established in 2013, but not accredited until 2016. She also mentioned that in February, the KHHS program was recognized as an Honor Unit with Distinction, demonstrating exceptional performance in all areas of the JROTC Program of Accreditation (JPA).
Harrison provided more information on the JPA, saying programs provide briefings on their service-learning and continuous-improvement projects as well as undergoing color-guard and drill evaluations. Programs also have their portfolios checked, Harrison said. Portfolios contain a collection of a cadet’s work based on accomplishments, personality, goals and inspirations.
Hall said being recognized as an Honor Unit with Distinction gives him a reason to brag on his cadets.
“This JPA is a very extensive evaluation by the Army Cadet Command,” Hall said, adding, “It’s on (the cadets). They are the ones who are looked at.”
Cadets to citizens
Lemmon said the KHHS JROTC mission is “to motivate young people to do better and to be better citizens.” She and Carlson provided some examples of the program’s citizenship efforts, which include partnering with the ESE program to participate in fall festivals and other events as well as to coach in Special Olympics events; participating in service-learning projects, such as cleaning up local parks; participating in CPR/AED certification with American Legion Post 202; and posting color guards at football games, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and 9/11 ceremonies.
The color guard’s had some high-profile opportunities, such as presenting the colors in front of approximately 35,000 spectators at last year’s Daytona Supercross.
“That’s pretty good for a little, small town like Keystone to have that kind of visibility,” Hall said. “We’re actually going again in February for the weekend of the 500 — the Friday night race and the Saturday race before the 500. We’re supposed to be on national TV, so it’ll be pretty high visibility for our program.”
During her discussion on citizenship, Lemmon pointed out a photo of the program’s Raiders team that was shown as part of an accompanying slide show. She said those who participate on the Raiders team learn various skills, such as how to work together as a team.
Hunter later talked more about Raiders, explaining that it’s a “physical-fitness team, which develops camaraderie, esteem and esprit de corps.” A Raiders team consists of 12 cadets.
Raider competitions consist of five timed events: tire flip, where cadets flip a tire 50 meters; cross-country rescue, where cadets run through an obstacle course as part of a simulated battlefield rescue; one-rope bridge, where cadets, employing a variety of knots, construct a rope bridge to span a distance of 50 feet; 5-kilometer team run; and Raiders Fitness Test, which is akin to a shuttle run where cadets carry weighted ammo cans.
At an Oct. 30 competition, the KHHS Raiders team placed third out of 11 teams in the one-rope bridge event with a time of 4:11.
Hunter also mentioned that KHHS had a female color-guard team place first and a mixed color-guard team place third in a drill-team competition last year.
KHHS cadets have proven to be helpful citizens in times of medical need, putting their CPR/AED certification to use. Hall said the last three or four years have included several opportunities to put that training to use. One cadet helped a neighbor who had a stroke, while another, traveling with his father, provided help at the scene of an automobile accident. Of course, those skills can be useful at home, too, as Hall said one cadet helped his infant sister who was choking.
Hall said JROTC was established in 1916 to create manpower for the Army during World War I. Though it’s still a steppingstone for some from high school into the military, its emphasis has changed.
“What we are now is a citizenship program, really,” Hall said. “I think you would agree with me that the United States certainly needs more of that within our curriculum — teaching people how to be good citizens.”
Well-rounded cadets for a better life
Hall said JROTC classes feature curriculum in which cadets learn life skills as well as their country’s history.
“It’s teaching them to do things like conflict resolution,” he said. “It’s teaching them things about personal finance. It’s teaching them things about our Constitution and our history. I was amazed, quite frankly, when I first got there how little of civics and things like that they’re teaching in the core classes nowadays. JROTC kis kind of filling that void that exists in some of our schools.”
Cadets also benefit from physical activity, with Hall saying they get credit for PE by being in JROTC.
“We go out every Friday and do some type of PT, we call it — physical-training activity,” Hall said.
At the national level, JROTC cadets tend to perform better in regard to academics, while absenteeism is less of a problem, Hall said, adding, “They seem to be more driven, I guess, for lack of a better word, and motivated.”
Granted, not every cadet is a “perfect cadet,” Hall said. The goal, though, is to make a difference in a young person’s life, to affect a positive change of some sort.
It’s a goal that’s near and dear to Hall’s heart. The slide show featured a picture of Hall and fellow instructor Sgt. Todd Blatchford dressed up as Cheech and Chong as part of anti-drug education curriculum. The photo resulted in laughter, but Hall, beginning to tear up, said, “I would dress up in a gorilla suit if it would keep one of them off of drugs.”
There’s no doubt that Hall takes the KHHS JROTC Instructor Creed seriously. It reads:
A cadet is the most important person entering our JROTC classrooms.
A cadet is not an interruption of our work; they are the purpose of it.
We are not doing the cadets a favor by helping them; they are entitled to our assistance.
A cadet is a flesh-and-blood human being with feelings and emotions like our own.
A cadet is a person who brings us their needs, and it is our job to handle them as expeditiously and courteously as possible.
A cadet is a young person with hopes and dreams; it is our responsibility to support them and inspire them to develop and fulfill their goals.
“Basically, the gist of it is the cadets are not an interruption of our work,” Hall said, adding, “They are the reason we’re there.”
Hunter said he and his fellow cadets adhere to the Army’s seven core values, which are represented by the LDRSHIP acronym: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.
“These values are one of the many things that set cadets apart from other students and young people,” Hunter said, adding, “We take great pride in properly displaying each value.”
That pride was evident as the cadets who attended the DAR meeting recited the JROTC Cadet Creed:
I am an Army Junior ROTC cadet.
I will always conduct myself to bring credit to my family, country, school and corps of cadets.
I am loyal and patriotic. I am the future of the United States of America.
I do not lie, cheat or steal and will always be accountable for my actions and deeds.
I will always practice good citizenship and patriotism.
I will work hard to improve my mind and strength and my body.
I will seek the mantle of leadership and stand prepared to uphold the Constitution and the American way of life.
May God grant me strength to always live by this creed.
