The JROTC program at Junction City high school was the focus for the JC Breakfast Optimist Club at their meeting on Wednesday.

LTC Richard Hodgson, Senior Army Instructor for he JROTC program at Junction City High School; Cadet LTC Magdalena Solis, Cadet Commander of he JCHS Blue Jay Battalion and Cadet Major Savannah Green, Cadet XO of the JCHS Blue Jay Battalion.

Hodgson said there are 150 cadets in grades 9-12 enrolled in the JROTC program. The Battalion splits their class meetings every other day with some Cadets meeting on “Blue Days”  and others on “White Days.” Cadets are required to wear their JROTC uniforms on those days, when in parades, at the military ball and other special events of the Battalion.

Optimist Club members learned from Hodgson and Solis that their role “is not to recruit students for the military, but to develop quality citizens at school and in their community.” Ways Cadets contributed to the community this school year were through projects for the Food Pantry in Junction City, toy drives for younger children and a clean-up project at the Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park in Baldwin City, Kansas.

In addition to classes in which each student is enrolled, Cadets participate in competitions with other schools with similar programs. The competitions range from air rifle shooting and drill team to color guard and Raiders “which is the most physically demanding of all the competitions,” LTC Hodgson stated.  The JCHS Raiders team also captured first place in a national competition with 19 other programs this school year.

Another accolade for the Battalion this year was completion of their GPA, which is a rigorous review of the JROTC program held every three years. It involves an inspection of the facilities, program individual cadets and their community involvement. The Battalion received a 98% rating.

Solis plans to apply for an ROTC scholarship and attend Texas A&M with a career goal of becoming an anesthesiologist. Green will apply for an ROTC scholarship at the University of Oklahoma or enlist in the Army with a goal of eventually becoming a teacher of Biology students in USD 475.