Captain’s Column

The future of our Navy is heavily dependent upon the young Sailors and officers, the young men and women, who volunteer to serve their country. The Sailors of today’s Navy come from across the globe and every corner of the United States.

Many of them start their military training as members of a Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) in high school. This past week, I had the opportunity to be the Inspecting Officer of the Mary Carroll High School NJROTC unit. It was an awesome experience.

Upon arrival I recognized that this was not a normal inspection. For many of us who have been around awhile, inspections, unfortunately, have a negative connotation. The NJROTC inspection requirements include drill, personnel and knowledge components. Carroll NJROTC has a membership that varies from 80 to 115 students, depending on the time of year and performance, spread across all four years of high school. Everyone one of the students was excited. There was a sense of nervous energy but it was from a desire to show their stuff. They had been working hard and inspection day was the time to prove it.

The unit did a great job drilling in the parking lot. Not only were they performing for the inspection team, but many parents were also in attendance. Some parents were more nervous than the students. As I talked with many of the parents, I learned that a number of the seniors already had report dates for either Navy or Marine Corps boot camps this summer. I cannot begin to explain how excited and proud the parents were of their students.

After the drill and personnel inspections, I had time with most of the Cadet staff to hear their command presentations. The presentations were an opportunity for them to tell me about themselves, their reasons for joining ROTC and their plans for the future. Not everyone was looking to pursue a military career, but just about all of them highlighted NJROTC as a key part of their high school experience. Many of them expressed a lack of organization and direction, and not feeling like they belonged to any specific group prior to NJROTC. They all stated that NJROTC gave them direction and a sense of being a part of a team.

The dedication to their unit and to each other was obvious. They constantly encouraged and supported each other. They were a team.

Even if only a few of them joined the Navy or Marine Corps, it is exciting to know that there are some talented men and women who are dedicated to their hometown and their country.

Thanks again, Mary Carroll High School NJROTC. It was a pleasure to spend the day with such a great group.

Best of Luck...GO NAVY!