NJROTC's Mission

What Is NJROTC?

NJROTC stands for the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, and is a cadet lead program which teaches discipline, leadership, and military values. The National Defense Act established (army)JROTC in 1916, with NJROTC later being established by public law in 1964. The program is supported by retired Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel (Officers and Enlisted alike), with there being a Senior Naval Science Instructor who is usually a retired officer, and an Naval Science Instructor who is usually a retired enlisted service member. The NJROTC accredited 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 extra-curricular activities of community service, academic, athletic, drill and orienteering competitions, field meets, flights, visits to naval or other activities, marksmanship sports training, and physical fitness training. Electronic classroom equipment, textbooks, uniforms, educational training aids, travel allowance, and a cost-share of instructors' salaries are provided by the Navy. 

What Does the Program Do?

• Promotes Patriotism

• Developed Informed And Responsible Citizens

• Develops Respect For Constructed Authority

• Develops Leadership Potential 

• Promotes High School Completion 

• Promotes Higher Education

• Promotes Community Service

• Develops A High Degree Of Personal Honor, Self-Reliance, Individual Discipline and Leadership

• Promotes A Basic Understanding Of The Basic Elements And Need For National Security 

• Provides Information On The Military As A Possible Career

• Provides An Alternative To Gangs

• Provides An Incentive To Live Healthy And Drug Free Lives

What Are The Benefits?

• Approximately 60 percent of the NJROTC cadets who are graduating seniors continue to higher education.

• The NJROTC program is motivational in encouraging cadets to graduate from high school and continue to higher education offering free ACT/SAT preparation.

• NJROTC cadets are better behaved, have higher attendance, are role models for the avoidance of substance abuse, have higher self-esteem, develop positive life skills, on average have higher grade point averages and graduate at a higher rate.

• Cadets learn the value of teamwork and individual accomplishments from belonging to NJROTC.

• The character education in NJROTC teaches values, principles, and self-discipline promoting positive, productive behaviors and provides a support structure that is critical not only in helping cadets avoid the use of drugs, but living a healthy and fit lifestyle.

• NJROTC provides the opportunity for secondary school students to learn the basic elements and need for national security and their personal obligations as Americans.

• The program enhances the image of the military in the eyes of the community by providing a chance for success to the nation's youth.

• While the training is along military lines, it is conducted so as to encourage initiative and individuality to develop natural gifts, to teach self-control, develop personal character, responsibility and qualities of integrity, loyalty, and dedication.

• Cadets accepted for enlistment, who provide evidence of successful completion of at least 3 years of NJROTC are entitled to advanced promotion to pay grade E-3 upon initial enlistment in an active or reserve component of the Navy, or Air Force, and pay grade E-2 in the Army or Marine Corps; or completion of 2 years are entitled to E-2 in the Navy.

• Senior Naval Science Instructor is authorized to nominate a maximum of three eligible cadets each year to compete for U.S. Naval Academy appointments.

• Administrators of host schools that are designated as Distinguished Units with Academic Honors may nominate three eligible NJROTC cadets as candidates for appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy, and U.S. Air Force Academy in addition to the three nominations above to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Eligibility Requirements 

• Be enrolled in and attending a regular course of instruction in a grade 9 through 12 at the school hosting the unit.

• Be physically qualified to participate fully in the physical education program of the host school.

• Be selected by the NJROTC instructor with the approval of the school principal or his/her representative.

• Maintain acceptable standards of academic achievement and an academic standing that warrants at least normal progression leading to graduation.

• Maintain acceptable standards of conduct.

• Comply with specified personal grooming standards. Common sense and good judgment apply to the attainment of these standards. Standards will not be relaxed so as to reflect discredit upon the naval service.

• Under the secondary school open enrollment policy and when desired by the principal of the host school, students in grades 9-12 who are otherwise ineligible for regular NJROTC enrollment may enroll as special NJROTC cadets. Special NJROTC cadets may participate in school approved NJROTC activities, be called naval cadets, wear the uniform, participate as cadet officers, and go on field trips and orientation visits to military installations. Special NJROTC students may not, however, be counted with that number required to maintain an NJROTC unit. Any special equipment or additional staff that may be needed to instruct special NJROTC students is provided by the school.

What Are The Expectations 

As a cadet within Firehawk Battalion, cadets are expected to keep upstanding appearances, and moral behavior, with integrity being the forefront of that. Cadets are expected to keep within grooming standers, which will include the school dress code, the way their hair is styled and cut, the jewelry they wear, and the cleanliness and wearing of all uniforms (SU's, SDB's, Polos, etc.) 

Cadets are also expected to keep all class grades at a C or above. If they fail to meet this requirements, they will be put on probation if apart of staff (or even fired), and will be limited from attending any and all events within a set amount of time, or until the cadet fixed their grades. 

Cadets are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of community service each year, with each quarter of the school year requiring 5 hours of community service. Upon completing 20 hours of community service, cadets will be rewarded with the community service ribbon to wear on their uniform, and a star if they complete a minimum of 20 hours in another school year. 

Cadets are expected to attend ALL classes till the end unless there is a valid and excused reason. If it has come to light that a cadet has skipped a class once or multiple times, they will be subject with a meeting with both of the Naval Science Instructors, and possibly kicked out of the NJROTC program entirely. 

As the program aims to promote physical fitness, all cadets are required  (for grade)  to take the Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)according to their age and gender. The PFA consists of 2 minutes of push-ups and setups, and a 1-mile run. In order to Take the PFA, or any official unit event, a cadet must have a completed physical turn in. A cadet is considered passing if they receive at least 1 point in every section (3 points). If they continually fail to meet the physical fitness standards, they may be subject to being removed from the program. 

Opportunities

As a cadet in Firehawk Battalion, and in JROTC in general, there are many opportunities to earn awards and points to add to their resume. Every year, Sundevil Company takes a group of about 40 cadets to Sand Diego for orientation. There, they learn about naval history, potential military careers regarding the Department of the Navy, go underway to sea, look around active duty naval vessels, and hear from field experts within the US Military. Cadets also get the chance to travel all around the country to visit colleges and compete in competitions. Cadets in the orienteering team frequently travel to California (average about twice a month), and they also can travel to as far as Georgia for NJROTC Nationals. Cadets who have earned the privilage to go to a summer camp can go to Oregon for the North West Leadership Academy in Camp Rilea, or Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Junior CMP Air Rifle Camp (the location changes every year). Cadets in the Academic team have the chance to compete in the National Academic Competiton called Brain Brawl, where the location changes every year (California, New Jersey, etc.) Along with all that, cadets can travel in and out of state to compete in drill competitions such as All Navy (Reno, NV, and Salt Lake City, Utah).

With Community Service being a requirement for every cadet, cadets are able to earn community service hours for their clubs and resumes. They also are able to gain leadership experience and confidence with their communication skills, as well as look at potential careers and make connections.