Impact Of Junior ROTC
by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Holder L. Biemeret April 5,
2022
The Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps
can be a significant stepping-stone for a high school student. When
someone hears about JROTC, they might think that it is designed for
cadets to join the military after they graduate high school. That is
not always the case.
JROTC is a citizen development program that
prepares high school students for life beyond the classroom. Being a
cadet provides numerous opportunities to develop leadership skills,
self-confidence, and communication skills.
“The way these
kids are going to carry and conduct themselves goes leaps and bounds
when they apply for a scholarship and when they apply for a job,”
said U.S. Marine Corps retired Capt. Juan J. Fernandez, the Senior
Naval Science Instructor at G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School.
Fernandez has witnessed the transformation of his cadets first hand
for the last 12 years as the Navy JROTC instructor.
After being in the program for two years,
cadets are given the opportunity to step into leadership positions.
At the lowest level of leadership, a cadet could be responsible for
10 other cadets, and at the highest level of leadership the cadet
could be responsible for up to 80 of their fellow cadets. The amount
of leadership experience these opportunities can grant them will put
them ahead of their peers and set them up for the future. “It’s
really rewarding seeing kids come in super shy, and three to four
years later they are super confident in their abilities,” said
Fernandez.
“We are developing a better citizen for our
community,” said Fernandez. In the end, Fernandez’s primary goal is
to develop a cadet in a way that will set them up for success and
have an impact on them long after graduating from high school.
Fernandez holds his cadets to military standards and takes pride
in how his cadets act and perform. “If I can produce a higher
quality cadet that ends up being a higher quality poolee … that’s
going to make a higher quality Marine or Sailor.”
If a student is interested in pursuing a
career in the military, JROTC might be the perfect program for them.
JROTC teaches cadets how to have a neat appearance, basic drill, how
to conduct themselves in a professional manner, and basic military
knowledge. “If they do join the military, it gives them a boost,”
said Fernandez.
“You can see the difference in cadets versus
other students,” said Sgt. Luis Acosta, a canvassing recruiter for
Recruiting Sub-Station South Dade. The relationship allows there to
be transparent communication with the cadets of the Bulldog
Battalion and Acosta.
“He
takes the kids and mentors them. He does what Marines do best, and
that’s lead,” said Acosta. The leadership is taught from day one
with cadets. They learn from their squad leaders, the cadet Command
Master Chief, and all the way to Captain Fernandez and Navy
Counselor First Class Martinez, who lead the program.
The
knowledge cadets get while in the program gives them the information
to see what is the best fit for them and their future, whether that
is to join the military or not.
The passing of knowledge is
something the Marine Corps strives to consistently do to prepare the
future generations of our nation. Lt. Col. José L. Montalván, 6th
Marine Corps District Readiness Operations Officer, was invited to
be the inspecting officer for G. Holmes Braddock’s Annual Military
Inspection. After the ceremony, Montalván addressed the cadets about
leadership and his journey from being an immigrant to a Marine.
Not a lot of students in Miami-Dade County have knowledge about
the Marine Corps. Having Lt. Col. Montalván, Capt. Fernandez and
Sgt. Acosta in schools to teach students the foundations of
leadership, share their story, and teach kids about the Marine Corps
could impact their life no matter the path they chose upon
graduating high school.
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