As the 2016-17 school year kicks off, the cadets of Santiago’s own Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Program.
The original JROTC unit (an Army unit) was created in 1916 as part of the National Defense Act in hopes of creating better citizens for America, later expanding to include the other branches of the military under the 1964 ROTC Vitalization act. According to first-year cadet Andrew Castellano, the program “…has been an effective way of making better citizens and teaching them things such as integrity and discipline”.  Curriculum of the program is spread out over four years with a new lesson every year. Cadets learn valuable skills such as how to handle finances, various international cultures, and leadership skills.
Community service also plays a key role. Various tasks throughout the year include teaching elementary children how to properly fold the American Flag and visiting retired veterans at a retirement home during the holidays, which our own Air Force unit here at Santiago has been doing for the past 3 years.
While not mandatory, many cadets do go into the service and generally excel in their chosen fields by incorporating the lessons of the program into their daily lives. Alumni of the program include General Douglas MacArthur, famous astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and Head coach of Duke University Basketball- Mike Kryzewski.
Our own unit here, Santiago High School Unit Ca-20065, has made marvelous achievements of its own. Last year they won the Distinguished Unit award -meaning top Air Force unit nationwide- for the third year in a row. On top of that, a graduating senior was offered admission to both the Air Force Academy with a respective acceptance rate of 16.6% and West Point with an even more respective acceptance rate of 9.5%. Santiago cadets take the motto: “Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do” to heart; always trying their best in whichever path they choose.
This year, and the years to come, will be interesting to watch and see what they will achieve next.