Marching with a Purpose
The JROTC goes above and beyond for the community
The JROTC aiming for their target at a competition.
December 2, 2021
The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, better known as the JROTC, is a federal program sponsored by the Armed Forces that works hard with high school students to teach the values of citizenship, leadership, service to the community and personal responsibility. The motto of the JROTC is “Building Better Citizens for America,” and at Spartanburg High School, the cadets that participate in the JROTC have made strides in helping the community.
Most years the JROTC participates in the Veterans Day parade that starts at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church on Church Street and ends at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, across the street from Krispy Kreme. However, this year they were not able to participate this year due to inclement weather. This parade is very important because the JROTC believes that what veterans have done for this country is brave and merits recognition. This event helps members of the JROTC recognize what brave men and women have done and helps members bond with one another.
The parade is a way for the cadets in JROTC to bond with each other over an activity that is very important to each one of them. Since the parade was canceled, Robbie Owensby (11) was not able to enjoy one of his favorite holiday activities.
“My favorite part about Veterans Day is being able to see the nation come together as a whole to celebrate our fallen and current veterans regardless of who they are or where they served,” Owensby said.
The JROTC not only participates in the Veterans Day parade, but the cadets also participate rifle shooting competitions.
On October 1st at Walhalla High School, the JROTC rifle team participated in a competition where cadets were able to show off their shooting skills and demonstrate what they learned. Cadets that participated were Lily Boucher, MunTaiya Dillard, James Lomax, Julia Nesbitt, Mya Aguero, David Orellana and Trey Papola.
Another big project is sending veterans in the hospital cards to make them feel better. Within every project or activity, upperclassmen work in leadership roles, so once seniors are gone, juniors and other underclassmen can fill in.
Cadet Oscar Murphy (11) enjoyed getting to send a veteran who is in the hospital a card and felt like he was making a difference.
“It made me feel like I was making a difference. I wanted to make sure they felt like they were still cared for even if they were in the hospital,” Murphy said.
