JROTC, or Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, is a military program for high school students, enabling them to learn responsibility and a sense of accomplishment, as well as receive a boost in the military after registering. I interviewed Ashley Taylor to find out more about the inner workings of the program.
VAN NORT: What does ROTC offer students?
TAYLOR: ROTC offers three auxiliary teams- drill, raiders and marksmanship team.
VAN NORT: What rank are you currently?
TAYLOR: I am a Cadet Major.
VAN NORT: What are your instructors like?
TAYLOR: There’s Command Sergeant Major, he’s pretty cool. If you don’t make it through his class, you don’t make it to the other classes but he’s not scary like he seems to be. Then you have Retired Sergeant First Class Penny. His class is actual class work and he likes it a certain way so it can be a little difficult. Then you reach Ret. LTC Covington’s class, which is like the top of the ROTC food chain. you have so much responsibility in that class, so you do a lot of behind the scenes work. So the instructors are pretty nice you just have to get in their office and talk to them.
VAN NORT: What’s an average week in ROTC?
TAYLOR: All three classes have a structured week plan. Monday you do drill, leadership lab or admin. tuesdays and thursdays are actual class periods. wednesdays we have inspection, which is why you’ll see us in uniform. And then Friday is when we have P.T.
VAN NORT: How has ROTC helped you grow as a person?
TAYLOR: It teaches you leadership, which I feel is an automatic effect of ROTC, you don’t leave without becoming a leader. They force you to be one, and sometimes you don’t even realize it. It’s given me a better sense of taking responsibility for what I’ve done and how to be a mentor and a mentee, because that’s a hard thing to do too.
VAN NORT: What’s the difference between dress greens and dress blues?
TAYLOR: [laughs] We’re slowly transitioning from the old greens to blues because we have less sizes in blues but more sizes in greens. There’s actually no status difference.
VAN NORT: How do you get promoted?
TAYLOR: Your teachers will recommend you be promoted and different promotion requirements like having all assignments turned in and no demerits
VAN NORT: Then how do you get a demerit?
TAYLOR: Being late to class, not wearing your beret, being disrespectful and not turning in assignments are some of the ways you can get a demerit.
VAN NORT: Why should someone join ROTC?
TAYLOR: Join because you genuinely want to, because you have a connection, because you want more responsibility, because you want to be a leader. It’s a great way to get involved with school and it looks great on transcripts.
- Kat Van Nort
VAN NORT: What does ROTC offer students?
TAYLOR: ROTC offers three auxiliary teams- drill, raiders and marksmanship team.
VAN NORT: What rank are you currently?
TAYLOR: I am a Cadet Major.
VAN NORT: What are your instructors like?
TAYLOR: There’s Command Sergeant Major, he’s pretty cool. If you don’t make it through his class, you don’t make it to the other classes but he’s not scary like he seems to be. Then you have Retired Sergeant First Class Penny. His class is actual class work and he likes it a certain way so it can be a little difficult. Then you reach Ret. LTC Covington’s class, which is like the top of the ROTC food chain. you have so much responsibility in that class, so you do a lot of behind the scenes work. So the instructors are pretty nice you just have to get in their office and talk to them.
VAN NORT: What’s an average week in ROTC?
TAYLOR: All three classes have a structured week plan. Monday you do drill, leadership lab or admin. tuesdays and thursdays are actual class periods. wednesdays we have inspection, which is why you’ll see us in uniform. And then Friday is when we have P.T.
VAN NORT: How has ROTC helped you grow as a person?
TAYLOR: It teaches you leadership, which I feel is an automatic effect of ROTC, you don’t leave without becoming a leader. They force you to be one, and sometimes you don’t even realize it. It’s given me a better sense of taking responsibility for what I’ve done and how to be a mentor and a mentee, because that’s a hard thing to do too.
VAN NORT: What’s the difference between dress greens and dress blues?
TAYLOR: [laughs] We’re slowly transitioning from the old greens to blues because we have less sizes in blues but more sizes in greens. There’s actually no status difference.
VAN NORT: How do you get promoted?
TAYLOR: Your teachers will recommend you be promoted and different promotion requirements like having all assignments turned in and no demerits
VAN NORT: Then how do you get a demerit?
TAYLOR: Being late to class, not wearing your beret, being disrespectful and not turning in assignments are some of the ways you can get a demerit.
VAN NORT: Why should someone join ROTC?
TAYLOR: Join because you genuinely want to, because you have a connection, because you want more responsibility, because you want to be a leader. It’s a great way to get involved with school and it looks great on transcripts.
- Kat Van Nort