To Our Cadets, 

Whether you are a brand new addition or a seasoned returning cadet, welcome! My hope is that your time in the program is productive, mentally and physically challenging and enjoyable. I hope you will strive to learn how to be a leader and build your individual character by pushing yourself beyond your previous limits, and setting an example of compassion and teamwork for all CHS students to emulate. To accomplish these things, you must take every opportunity to improve your own self discipline.  If you do, I can promise the skills you learn and the friendships your forge will last a lifetime and propel you to the highest levels of success. 

While you're a cadet, I expect that you'll do your best to live by the Marine Corps JROTC Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Core Values emanate from inner most part of your being. They, in effect are you –the core of your being. HONOR is integrity, responsibility, and accountability. COURAGE is to do the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons. COMMITMENT is the devotion of oneself something greater than ourselves.

Remember that you requested to become a cadet. Be clear, there are high expectations for members of the CHS MCJROTC program. These expectations exceed that for average students at CHS and include a higher standard of personal integrity; greater respect for each other, our school and community; a willingness to work hard to improve individually as a group.

Our goals from this year are simple: strive to have our unite recognized as a "Naval Honors School," improve our cadets average SAT score by 25 points to increase opportunities for cadets acceptances into colleges, trade schools, and universities; and continue to improve the success of our extracurricular teams - Drill, PT, Color Guard, Marksmanship, and STEM.  The end state will be pride in our accomplishments for all cadets to share.

I am eager for another exciting and rewarding year of both adventures and accomplishments for our unit. I look forward to getting to know each cadet and their parents better, and working to make the cadets' time at CHS a great and memorable experience they'll cherish forever.

Your humble Cibola High School Senior Marine Instructor, 

R.M. Cruz
Master Sergeant, United States Marine Corps (Ret)