Acknowledging the MJROTC Academic Team
Six cadets work diligently on a timed test.
Recently, the MCJROTC Academic team participated in the Level Two Leadership and Academic Bowl. Although they did not proceed to the next level of the competition, their hard work and perseverance is something to be admired.
“I believe within this school we are the least understood elective,” Master Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Fleming said. “Students and faculty often take note of the tangibles like wearing our uniform on inspection days or doing physical training; but it is the intangibles that this program teaches that far outweigh what folks see.
The Academic Team is one of the core branches within the JROTC program. Within this branch, cadets apply knowledge they have learned in class and out to help them prepare not just for competitions, but future careers as well. The program emphasizes qualities such as leadership, citizenship, and life skills.
“The competition is important because it gives you experience and sets you up for the types of things you may experience in the service,” Gunnery Sergeant Nathan Lee said. “It also motivates us to experience a new place and go back and teach others in the unit what we’ve learned.”
Through the ROTC academic program, the skills learned can greatly benefit cadets should they choose to join the armed forces after high school. However, learning skills such as leadership also benefit cadets who will not join the military in the future. Learning skills such as these shows the importance of the Academic Program as a whole.
“Unfortunately, we did not make it to Level III JLAB this year, but experience gained here will be used to prepare for next year’s competition,” First Lieutenant Sarah Harisis said. “Succeeding in competitions such as these in the future will impact the ROTC program by demonstrating that we promote all aspects of being a well-rounded citizen not only in fitness and character but in academics as well.”
As a whole, the Academic team is important to cadets for character building and
