Brien McMahon Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC or just JROTC) is a high school program consisting of elective courses and extracurricular activities. The curriculum is a 4 year elective, but students may take it for only 1, 2, 3 or all 4 years. JROTC is not a military organization, nor is there any associated obligation to the United States Armed Forces.

     JROTC is organized using a military model for structure and function with a strong focus on character and leadership development, discipline, citizenship, patriotism, and community service. All students taking JROTC begin with the first year course, which is the prerequisite for the second year. All student / cadets will learn a great deal about followership and leadership.

     The JROTC unit is a student run organization with the JROTC teachers as mentors. Student / cadets earn rank (promotions) and through demonstrated performance, aspire to future leadership roles in the unit. Those student/cadets staying with the program become the leadership/ staff of the unit in their third and fourth years. Modeling a naval military unit, they have a cadet Commanding Officer, Executive Officer and all other positions one would expect to find in a naval organization. Student/ cadets progressing beyond the first year will be trained in areas including naval science and history, seamanship, leadership, health, orienteering, and future career planning. As a part of the NJROTC program there are field trips to historic sites, military installations, and ventures on the water such as a Boston whale watch and much more.

     The JROTC program has several extracurricular activities with associated competitions such as drill, academic, physical fitness, and sailing. Our drill, academic, and physical fitness teams compete all over New England. In keeping a focus on community service, the cadet staff undertakes several projects throughout the school year. BMHS Navy JROTC owns a donated powerboat and a certified sailing instructor (Chief Pascoe) to teach sailing, navigation and boating safety to cadets interested in this activity (April – November).

     The JROTC instructors are both retired military personnel certified to instruct JROTC by the US Navy and state certified to teach by the CT State Board of Education. They promote student /cadet involvement in all school and part-time employment activities to ensure the development of well rounded young adults. The NJROTC program has student / cadets involved in school sports teams, the Peace Project, School Band, and the Global Studies program.

     Whether or not a student has desires to pursue a post high school military career or not, the JROTC program provides a number of unique opportunities only available to student / cadets that are beneficial on a college transcript or a resume for employment. If a student / cadet want to pursue a military career, they have increased eligibility for several unique opportunities. If they are college bound and want to become an officer, they have increased chances for college ROTC scholarships or even a nomination to the US Naval Academy. If they chose to enlist in the United States Armed Forces, they can receive accelerated advancement upon successful completion of basic training, which ever service they enter.

     Whether a student seeks to make new friends, learn about how to become more self-disciplined and serve their community, or would enjoy some of the extracurricular activities – BMHS Navy JROTC has something to offer any student with a positive attitude.

For more information on the NJROTC program click here