Leadership, discipline and honesty are values that parents try to teach their children the second they are born. The instructors of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) at OHS do their best to instill these same principles when students enter their classroom.
Students who decide to join the class learn many important skills that will help them even if they decide not to join the military.
According to Lieutenant Colonel John Simmons, they do this by teaching students self-responsibility, teamwork, how to plan and organize activities, dress professionally and prepare for interviews for either a job or school.
AFJROTC is a rigorous class where students are forced to come out of their comfort zone.
“When you first go into ROTC you’re very scared but then you realize, it’s a brotherhood, they make you feel at home and welcome, they want to see you do good,” said Josh Taylor, junior.
Taylor got involved in ROTC his freshman year. Taylor’s favorite activity of all is going into the mountains and paintballing.
Nathaniel Laidlaw, senior, joined AFJROTC his junior year. According to Laidlaw, the activities and skills acquired in AFJROTC are helping him get used to what the military will really be like when he enlists. Laidlaw would like to join the Air Force and do pararescue because it sounds fun and dangerous.
An average of five out of an entire class will enlist, although they all say they will in the beginning said Simmons.
According to OHS principal, Bryce Anderson, the curriculum through four consecutive years of ROTC is set up to teach students survival and things about the military, but offers a whole host of opportunities.
AFJROTC is the study of aerospace science or science of flight and communications like understanding the chain of commands and reporting to officers.
According to freshmen Victoria Williams and Ryan Bennett, each day in ROTC is something different. The things they do make them able to be interactive in the classroom while getting out.
The Monday to Friday schedule consists of notes, drill, uniform inspections, physical training and more notes.
However, each student participating in the program has their own unique understanding of what ROTC is and what it teaches them.
“It’s the leadership and how to speak loudly to other cadets,” said Bennett.
Williams agreed.
“It teaches people-skills and being able to talk in front of a class,” she said.
According to Taylor, ROTC places a high value on academics while also being able to have fun.
“Basically it’s just like one big, very important family; if you need something just asks for it,” Laidlaw said.
The members of AFJROTC get themselves involved in many things on and off campus.
“The area I am most impressed with is the focus on service,” Anderson said.
AFJROTC does a total of 4300 hours of community service and has helped with 11 events for the Special Olympics according to Simmons.
“I really push community service so they can see that people don’t have it as well as we do,” Simmons said.
Anderson said that ROTC seems to always be there providing assistance with almost all the events that take place on campus.
In addition to the importance of academics, leadership skills, military education, survival and the many other skills ROTC provides, there comes a deeper benefit.
“It gets you good, close friends you want to be around,” Taylor said.
“Yes it’s like a little family, they are very accepting of each other, ” Simmons said.
Anderson feels that AFJROTC does a great job in putting a real focus on structure, community and
support.
“It is the single finest program that a school can offer, “Anderson said.