Thursday, February 7, 2019 witnessed the annual Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) “Pass in Review” held at Tropical Park in Miami. Reviewing the troops was Miami-Dade County School Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. Joining the Superintendent were other School Board Members, parents and community members.
Miami Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho and Col. Eddie Santana USA (Ret), Camp Commander of Miami-Dade County JROTC and Senior Army Instructor at South Miami Senior High School.
The M-DCPS JROTC program currently includes over 4,000 students districtwide from 27 high schools. About 1,200 Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) participants from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard branches marched in formation and performed a series of maneuvers following the orders of their battalion commanders and some received special recognition for exemplary performance at their respective schools. On average, approximately 10 percent of cadets enlist in the armed forces. All of them, however, pledge to bring credit to their family, country, school, and the corps. The skills and lessons they learn while enrolled in JROTC can become an integral part of their being and can be incorporated in every area of life.
The Superintendent presenting medals to cadets.
The JROTC is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and United States military bases across the world. The program was originally created as part of the National Defense Act of 1916 and later expanded under the 1964 ROTC Vitalization Act.
The JROTC experience provides meaningful leadership instruction of benefit to the student and of value to the Armed Forces. Among the objectives of the program for each cadet as established by the service departments of the Department of Defense are: denveloping citizenship and patriotism, developing self-reliance and responsiveness to all authority, Improving the ability to communicate well both orally and in writing, developing an appreciation of the importance of physical fitness, and increasing a respect for the role of the U.S. Armed Forces in support of
national objectives.
