Clarke Central High School JROTC Instructor Sergeant Donald Holman poses in the JROTC building on Feb. 5. JROTC, a student-led military-based elective, has worked to instill leadership in its students by teaching them military values and stating the JROTC Cadet Creed every day. “We have a class on leadership. We talk about all the core values (of the military). I’m a big person on loyalty, so for me, if you commit to something, then you got to stand on it,” Holman said. “When (JROTC students) get to (JROTC Army LET 2 Alpha), they’ll know a little bit more about the values and why we do stuff the way we do it.” Photo by Miriam Silk
CCHS’ JROTC sergeants empower students to take on leadership roles through different facets of the program, with an emphasis on serving the Athens community and demonstrating core values.
The Army JROTC Cadet Creed is made up of 109 words and guides the behavior of Clarke Central High School JROTC students beyond the classroom through its core values and leadership principles.
JROTC, a student-driven military-based elective, allows for students to practice managing a classroom. One way this is done is through student-led companies: Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Company, in order of the amount of responsibility students hold. These sections are split by class periods, giving students opportunities to take on leadership roles.
“(In JROTC,) we talk about the core values of the Army: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. We take the cadets that buy into the program, and we groom them to be the leaders of the companies,” CCHS JROTC Instructor Sergeant Donald Holman said. “(The company) is their baby. They see what (the sergeants) do and try to imitate it on their level.”
An infographic with the JROTC Cadet Creed and facts about it is shown. For JROTC Bravo Company Commander Daniel Mosqueda, a junior, the Cadet Creed has guided him in his leadership role. “One of the first lines of (The Cadet Creed) is, ‘I don’t lie, cheat or steal.’ The way I think of it is (that the sargeants) told me (to) always do right, even when no one’s watching, so that really guides me on my path,” Mosqueda said. “I always strive to do right, and my efforts will pay off eventually.” Graphic by Isabella Gresham
CCHS junior Daniel Mosqueda serves as the Bravo Company Commander. In his role, he oversees the training of cadets, demonstrates how to properly hold a rifle and teaches the basics of JROTC.
“(During) my freshman year, I was shy and didn’t want to learn anything. But, (now) getting to teach people, I (know) how it felt to be a freshman, and I see it in other people,” Mosqueda said. “It makes me feel good to be able to get people out of their comfort zone, like how my leaders used to (for me).”
“It makes me feel good to be able to get people out of their comfort zone, like how my leaders used to (for me).”
— Daniel Mosqueda,
CCHS junior and Bravo Company Commander.
Beyond the classroom, JROTC cadets take on community service such as helping with homeless shelters, performing color guards and giving Quilts of Valor, which both empowers cadets and aids the Athens community.
“(The sergeants and I) try to let (the cadets) understand it’s not (just) you when you’re a leader, it’s everyone else. You own this. This is your company,” Holman said. “We do a lot of things outside of these walls. The kids gotta buy in, and you have to make them (feel) important. When they feel like they’re important and that someone really cares, most of them (can) do anything.”
