What is AFJROTC?

AFJROTC is a 4-year program here at Santiago High School in Corona, CA. This is a program dedicated to teaching leadership, teamwork, and teaching students self-discipline. The students who have enrolled in the program are offered a wide variety of curricular leadership development activities as well as explores the history of AFJROTC and the science of aerospace technology. This program is open to all 9th-12th graders students at Santiago. The AFJROTC program isn’t a recruiting tool for the military services and the students who participated in AFJROTC do not have any obligation to the Air Force.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AFTER-SCHOOL TEAMS?!

The Santiago AFJROTC cadets can earn a flight academy scholarship. The flight academy allows aspiring young aviators to get their private certification, at no cost during an Eight-Week summer course at partner universities. AFJROTC’s mission is to develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community.  They learn personal responsibility and get a sense of accomplishment. It has six after-school teams that are amazing. Normally the times are from 3:30-4:30 pm every day. The six after-school teams are the Color Guard, the Commanders Honor Guard, Kitty Hawk Air Society, Drill team, Raider’s, and Marksmanship. Most people don’t know what the AFJROTC stands for – it is the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. The U.S AFJROTC program currently operates in more than 1,700 public and private schools, for Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. If cadets work really hard in their AFJROTC they can become Chief of the whole core. There is a motto for AFJROTC its “building better citizens for America”.

Uniform’s: We wear two different uniforms for different occasions. We wear ABU’s which are camo light and dark green they are more comfortable than the blue uniform it looks nicer but the shoes hurt and the uniform is tighter because we have to tuck in our blue shirts and the pants are really tight also they aren’t comfortable for ABU’s the shoes are green BOOTS and for the BLUE uniform, the shoes are Black.  In my opinion, The ABUS (camo uniform) are way more comfortable because the ABUS are thick and heavy and the Blue uniform is really really tight in my opinion some cadets like the blue uniform, and some cadets do not like the blue uniform so they choose to wear the ABUS.

Physical Training Thursdays and Fridays: Every week Cadets on Thursdays and Fridays have physical Training. Depending on the PT that is in charge of physical training she or he gets to choose what we do like for example we stretch first so we don’t pull anything we do 2 sets of stretches and then sometimes we would do community service after lunches depending on what lunch you have. Cadets go around the school picking up all the trash there is and then we run miles and do pull-up bars and flex arm hangs and see who will drop first and see who is the strongest it’s fun for cadets. For physical training cadets do sport so we choose between basketball, dodgeball, or soccer, or frisbee or if the PT person wants to do Drill.

In conclusion:

The AFJROTC is a great program for high school students because they get to meet new people and the students get a new family. The instructors are very nice and funny our 2 instructors are Master Sergeant Randel and Major Manney. Master Sergeant is the coolest instructor. Master Sergeant Randel will tease and make fun of you in a funny way almost every day and he will embarrass you.  Also, Master Sergeant and Major Manney have been the cadet’s family for four years. The cadets are brothers and sisters even though they are not by blood, they are there for you every day if you need to talk they are there to listen if you need help with academics or with your basic steps for AFJROTC they will help you any day. Major Manney is super chill if you tell major what you did on the weekends he will laugh because cadets comment all the time on other people’s weekends and we just get Major to laugh. When Major Manney isn’t teaching the cadets Major is normally in his office or you will see Major walking around the school.