A Look Into NJROTC

The Navy Junior ROTC unit at Carolina Forest has been active since 2001. Presently the program has 175 active cadets who are participating in the class, as well as community service and teams.When the cadets are not currently enrolled in the class, they are still able to participate in events as well as the after school teams.

The day to day life of an NJROTC cadet looks very similar every week throughout the semester. Mondays and Fridays are spent doing physical activities (P.T.) like kickball and workout cards created by fellow cadets. Tuesdays and Thursdays are spent learning Naval Curriculum based on your class level in the unit. These levels range from Naval Science one to Naval Science six, a leadership based curriculum. On Wednesdays the unit wears their naval uniform consisting of a khaki top, black garrison cover, slacks, and shined dress shoes for the enlisted cadets as well as dress blues for the officers of the unit.

NJROTC has a multitude of teams that cater to almost everyone: the academic team takes tests based on the knowledge learned during class, the marksmanship team shoots precision air rifles, drill team practices military marching as well as fancy armed and unarmed routines, and orienteering uses a compass and runs cross country style in order to find point markers.

Recent accomplishments of the unit team’s include the drill team placing first in the Tiger Drill Meet, competing in a sanctioned drill meet for the first time in the unit’s history, the rifle team placing second at the North Augusta Rifle Meet, as well as the orienteering team placing second at a meet this past weekend.

Senior Naval Science Instructor Capt. Boyle shares, “I believe that ROTC is beneficial to high school students because it teaches precision, attention to detail, teamwork, and self-discipline. Anyone who develops these skill sets will be successful in anything they decide to do.”

Within the unit there is a rank system based upon The United States Navy. These ranks range from an E1 (typically a freshman in the unit) to an O-4, the highest ranking senior cadet in the unit. In order to proceed through the ranks cadets must pass tests based on the knowledge that the rank must possess as well as participate in community service events focused on building character and show leadership within the unit.

Recent community service events include Postal Way trash pickup, S.O.S Adult Autism Center cleanup, The Shepherd’s Table food distribution, as well as many other events within our community. Many of our active cadets in the unit range from 100-200 hours of community service accumulated during their years in the unit.

Senior Commanding Officer Summer Carroll shares, “Just do it! It’s not for everyone but at least you tried and everyone deserves to find something that they belong in and can excel at. ROTC teaches you important life skills that will help you later in life, as well as gives you scholarship opportunities.”

The NJROTC unit in The Forest provides students with scholarship opportunities, the skills needed to lead, and the ability to have an impact on the community around them.

OORAH, Carolina Forest!