​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 Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps came into being with the passage of the National Defense Act of 1916. It was originally started by army lieutenant Edgar Steevers in 1911. The focus of JROTC was on secondary schools. Under the provisions of the 1916 act, high schools were authorized the loan of federal military equipment and the assignment of active or retired military personnel as instructors on the condition that they followed a prescribed course of training and maintained a minimum enrollment of 100 students over 14 years of age.

 

Each branch of the US Armed Forces maintains a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, organized into units. Prior to 1967 the number of units was limited to 1,200. The cap was increased to 1,600 units in 1967 and again to 3,500 units in 1992; the statutory limitation on the number of units was struck from the law in 2001. Their goal is to reach 3,500 units by FY 2011 by encouraging program expansion into educationally and economically deprived areas.

 

Units are set up according to the layout of their parent service, often referred to as the "Chain of Command. Army and Marine Corps JROTC units follow the battalion, or in cases of larger size, brigade structure. Air Force JROTC units are composed structurally based on size (wing if more than 251 cadets, group if more than 101, squadron if more than 51). Navy JROTC typically follows the company (100-149 cadets), battalion (150-299 cadets), or regiment (300+ cadets) structure depending on the size of the unit.

 

Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps

 

The NJROTC program was established by Public Law in 1964 and may be found in Title 10, U.S. Code,  and Chapter 102. The program is conducted at accredited secondary schools throughout the nation, by instructors who are retired Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel.

 

The NJROTC curriculum emphasizes citizenship and leadership development, as well as our maritime heritage, the significance of sea power, and naval topics such as the fundamentals of naval operations, seamanship, navigation and meteorology. Classroom instruction is augmented throughout the year by community service activities, drill competition, field meets, flights, visits to naval activities, marksmanship training, and other military training. Uniforms, textbooks, training aids, travel allowance, and a substantial portion of instructors' salaries are provided by the Navy..” Other things that the JROTC Program does are 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 enter at a higher rank/rate if they pursue a military career.

 

Note: NJROTC is NOT a recruiting tool of any branch of the armed service. There is absolutely ZERO obligation of service in the military upon completion of high school.