Junior ROTC could be heading for Enumclaw
Published 3:53 pm Thursday, April 30, 2009
By Brenda Sexton, The Courier-Herald
"We are here from Enumclaw High. We don't swear and we don't lie. We are the best of all around. We are the talk of this small town. Sound off."
The cadence could soon be part of the Enumclaw High School campus if a handful of students and school security leader Randy Gallatin get their way.
They are working on forming a United States Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program at EHS.
The group made its proposal for a JROTC program to the school board at its regular meeting Jan. 26. The board had heard a more in-depth proposal at an earlier study session. The board gave the group its blessing.
"It motivates young people to be better citizens," Gallatin said, making a reference to the JROTC mantra.
Gallatin explained JROTC is designed to teach high school students citizenship, leadership, community service, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment, while instilling in them self-esteem, teamwork and discipline.
According to information from the JROTC, the program prepares high school students for responsible leadership roles while making them aware of their rights, responsibilities and privileges as American citizens. The program is a stimulus for promoting graduation from high school, and it provides instruction and rewarding opportunities that will benefit the student, community and nation.
"I'm looking forward to working as a team and being a leader," EHS sophomore Ryan Atkinson told the board.
The JROTC Program has changed greatly over the years. Once looked upon primarily as a source of enlisted recruits and officer candidates, it has become a citizenship program for American youth. The program has retained its military structure and ability to provide a sense of discipline and order, but has shed most of its early military content.
"It's a life skills class that's had a lot of success," fellow classmate Steve Jones informed the board.
"This program's availability is the direct result of their work," Gallatin told the board of the boys' determination.
Gallatin explained to the board and audience he didn't think EHS would be getting a program so quickly. The Hornet application recently was moved from the bottom of the national waiting list to No. 1 because of its location in Washington state. Most of the nation's programs are in the eastern and southern states.
Currently Washington has JROTC programs in Puyallup, Tacoma, Walla Walla and Yakima.
From a modest beginning of six units in 1916, JROTC has expanded to 1,555 schools today and to every state in the nation and American schools overseas. Cadet enrollment has grown to 273,000 cadets with 3,900 professional instructors in the classrooms.
EHS's program is expected to begin this fall.
Gallatin said those interested in forming the group sent out a survey in December. He said 217 middle and high school students expressed an interest. Gallatin said if half those interested decide to participate that is more than enough for a program. A staff of two would be needed. Instructors are non-commissioned retired Army officers.
JROTC came into being with the passage of the National Defense Act of 1916. Under the provisions of the Act, high schools were authorized the loan of federal military equipment and the assignment of active duty military personnel as instructors. There was a condition that the instructors follow a prescribed course of training and maintain a minimum enrollment of 100 students over the age of 14 years who were U.S. citizens. In 1964, the Vitalization Act opened JROTC up to the other services and replaced most of the active duty instructors with retirees who worked for and were cost shared by the schools.
Enumclaw's program would need two instructors. Gallatin estimated the district's program annual cost at about $47,000 or less.
Brenda Sexton can be reached at bsexton@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald
