Buena High School JROTC Course Syllabus

1. COURSE NAME AND NUMBER:

JROTC Leadership, Education and Training (LET), Levels 1-4

2. INSTRUCTOR(S) NAMES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Army Instructor (AI)- SFC (Retired) Centoria Young

Senior Army Instructor (AI)- 1SG (Retired) Todd Blanton

3. TEXTBOOK NAME AND NUMBER:

U.S. Army issued JROTC Textbooks

4. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The Buena High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Course (JROTC) is a congressionally authorized and funded course designed for high school students. It is a four year program that emphasizes citizenship and leadership with the program’s primary focus reflected by the mission statement “To motivate young people to be better citizens.” It's designed to teach high school students the value of citizenship, leadership, service to the community, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment, while instilling in them self-esteem, teamwork, and self-discipline. The Buena High School JROTC program is part of the Department of Defense commitment to America’s Promise for Youth through its emphasis on service learning, community service and anti-drug efforts.

5. COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The Buena High School JROTC program helps to prepare students for responsible leadership roles while making them aware of their rights, responsibilities, and privileges as American Citizens. The program is a stimulus for promoting graduation from high school and it provides instruction and rewarding opportunities that will benefit the student, Buena High School, the surrounding community and the Nation. Specific program outcomes describing what Buena High School JROTC Cadets will know and be able to do upon successful completion of the course include:

a. Maximizing potential for success through learning and self-management.

b. The development of leadership skills.

c. Incorporating principles of mental and physical wellness into behaviors and decisions.

d. Building effective relationships with peers, co-workers and the community.

e. Applying physical and political geography to building global awareness.

f.  Correlating the rights and responsibilities of citizenship to the purposes of U.S. Government.

g. Relating events in U.S. History to choices and responsibilities Americans have today.

h. Characterizing the role of the military and other national service organizations in building a democracy and maintaining peace in a democratic society.

The Buena High School JROTC curriculum also aids in the development of broad, life-long skills that are essential for success in the cadet’s life and future roles. These skills are not learned in one lesson or LET level, but are linked to lesson competencies and integrated throughout the curriculum. Additional core abilities which each cadet will learn include:

a. Building the capacity for life-long learning.

b. Communicating using verbal, non-verbal, visual and written techniques.

c. Taking responsibility for your actions and choices.

d. Doing your share as a good citizen at Buena High School, our community, country and the world.

e. Treating yourself and others with respect.

f. Applying critical thinking abilities.

6. COURSE PREREQUISITES:

Enrollment in the Buena High School JROTC program is strictly voluntary, however some restrictions do apply. All cadets must participate in all JROTC events, including marching and physical fitness, and parents are required to certify that they are in good health and able to participate in these activities. Buena High School JROTC classes are taught sequentially beginning with the freshman year and build on the skills learned in prior years. A cadet will not be allowed to re-enroll in the Buena High School JROTC Program if they received a failing grade in JROTC in the prior academic year.

7. CONTENT:

The Buena High School JROTC curriculum is a 180 hour academic program awarding full elective credit for each year completed. Each year is taught sequentially (starting with LET 1 and progressing through LET 4), and is a required prerequisite for the next. The Buena High School JROTC curriculum is characterized by active learning and is aligned with the McRel (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning) national standards. The curriculum also includes a number of additional activities unique to the JROTC cadets such as the Drill Team, the Color Guard, the Raiders / Orienteering, Cyber Patriot and the Rifle Team, along with associated competitive events and meetings. There is also the opportunity to attend a one week summer camp and a weekend leadership training weekend which stresses adventure type training and leadership skills training. Finally, there will be mandatory events such as the military ball, Veteran’s Parade, and Formal Inspection scheduled each year.

Specific courses and hours taught to each LET level include the following:

Mandatory Training                                                                                                    LET 1                              LET 2                              LET 3                              LET 4

Unit 1-Citizenship in Action                                                                                     18                                       0                                       2                                        6

Unit 2-Leadership Theory and Application                                                     18                                       0                                     12                                     10

Unit 3-Foundations for Success                                                                             30                                       0                                     36                                     16

Unit 4-Wellness, Fitness and First Aid                                                                  0                                     28                                      0                                        0

Unit 5-Geography, Map Skills and Environmental Awareness               0                                       2                                       0                                        0 

Unit 6-Citizenship in American History And Government                       0                                     36                                    16                                       0

Physical Activity/Leader Assessment

Leadership Application                                                                                                 20                                   20                                     20                                    20

Cadet Challenge                                                                                                               10                                   10                                     10                                    10

Activities

Service Learning                                                                                                               10                                   10                                     10                                    10

Administration/Testing/Inspections                                                                    24                                    24                                     24                                    24

Additional Required Teaching and Leadership Hours                                  0                                      0                                        0                                     34

State and JROTC Elective Hours                                                                           50                                    50                                    50                                     50

Total Hours                                                                                                                        180                                 180                                 180                                  180

8. DATES TO REMEMBER AND DEADLINES:

Specific guidance and information about important events will be handed out or posted in the classroom, briefed to all cadets and sent home to parents as applicable. While cadets are expected to attend and participate in class and all JROTC events, some events are classified as mandatory. Missing a mandatory event will result in the cadet receiving a zero for that event. The only exceptions will be if there is a verified family emergency (such as a death or serious injury) or if a doctor’s excuse is presented.

a. Important events requiring emphasis are the Military Ball, Veteran’s Day Parade, and the Formal Inspection or RFI. Participation in Fall and Spring Camps and Junior Cadet Leadership Camp (JCLC) is strongly encouraged.

b. Weekly Uniform Days. Uniform wear and personal appearance comprises 40% of a cadet’s grade. Cadets will wear the complete U.S. Army cadet uniform (A or B) on uniform day, usually Thursday. The uniform will be worn for the entire school day and will be worn correctly at all times. Refer to the Cadet Handbook for more specific grading and uniform wear information.

c. Special Team Practices. Specific dates and times for the Drill Team, Color Guard, Raiders / Orienteering, Cyber Patriot and Rifle Team(s) will be briefed by the instructor in class, however, for general planning purposes these teams will practice per a set schedule determined by the team coach and captain. Team Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are available on the JROTC Website.

10. EVALUATION AND GRADING.

Cadets are constantly being evaluated whether in JROTC class or not. In addition to the school policies on grooming and behavior, which will be adhered to by all cadets, there are additional policies that are unique to the Buena High School JROTC program. As a general rule, if a cadet is where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there and doing what they are supposed to be doing to the best of their abilities, they will receive a good grade in JROTC.

a. Grading Categories. The semester grade will be comprised of the following items and percentages.

Cadets will be graded as follows

Participation and Behavior     30%

Wear of the Uniform                  40%

Quizzes                                               30%

Final Exam                                        10%

b. Mandatory events. Mandatory events are of critical importance to the overall success of the Buena High School JROTC program. Missing a mandatory event without valid excuse (prior approval from the Senior Army Instructor or Army Instructor) will result in a grade of zero for the missing event that will be averaged into the cadet’s overall semester grade.