NJROTC is well into the swing of things as they continue in their success this school year.

NJROTC, or the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, was first founded in 1964 and came to Elk Grove after that. It is established in high schools across the nation, and all sponsors are retired Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard officers or enlisted personnel. NJROTC intends to instill character in the students, promote high school graduation and develop a more well-informed public.

While science teacher Cindy D’Alessandro used to sponsor NJROTC, Jeff Morse has taken the reigns and is now conducting the practices off-campus. The students meet weekly after school, where they take the bus to Wheeling High School and also meet on Wednesday mornings.

Junior Thomas Brautigam has been in NJROTC since freshman year, and he is hoping to work with the armed forces.

“After high-school, I want to pursue a career in the United States Navy, hopefully as a nuclear engineer,”
Brautigam said. Even if students do not join the military, they learn a new set of skills.

“As a result of NJROTC, I have been able to develop my abilities as a leader. Because of the responsibilities I have held, I have come to develop a solid work ethic, as well as strong communication skills,” said Brautigam.

They have been involved in a variety of events in the school year thus far, including the Homecoming assembly. Additionally, NJROTC has a monthly awards ceremony, and last month’s ceremony took place on Wednesday, October 18.

NJROTC is also service oriented. They did community service at the Arlington Heights Library on October 29, and they are going to be involved in the Toys for Tots banquet.

Furthermore, NJROTC has some events farther away than Wheeling. Their marksmanship match is scheduled to take place in November, and their drill meet will be in Michigan City.