Mooseheart's JROTC students pass inspection
In the military, there is always a chain of command, from the rawest recruit to the commander-in-chief.
Mooseheart's Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps students have a chain of command as well, moving from their unit all the way to the president of the United States. In fact, there are nine names in that chain of command, something the students are required to learn as part of their studies.
In that chain, Cmdr. George Clifford sits just above Mooseheart officers, U.S. Navy Warrant Officer (Ret.) Rick Smith, who is the corps' lead officer and U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. (Ret.) Ruben Hinton.
On Feb. 18, Clifford got a chance to see the Mooseheart group firsthand when he conducted the annual Military Inspection at the school's field house. He walked the ranks of the corps, asking questions, commenting on matters of appearance that could be improved, but also mentioning when students looked sharp.
Not only did Clifford give a series of high scores to the Mooseheart corps members, he mentioned that he feels the overall program is running well.
"The Mooseheart NJROTC program is thriving," Clifford said. "Along with the enrollment with the school, it is growing. This year, the instructors and the students did a super job. Administratively, militarily, they're running on all cylinders. They're doing a great job in the curriculum in the classroom and I couldn't be more pleased."
The military presence in a Mooseheart child's life began in 1916 with the foundation of the Mooseheart Cadet Corps. It has undergone many changes to its current NJROTC framework, which dates to 1974.
Every Mooseheart high school student participates in the program as a mandatory component in his or her education. In addition to marching practice, inspections and other activities, students take daily classes in which they learn such things as the history of the U.S. Navy as well as nautical terms and how to operate a ship.
"It brings its own challenges," Clifford said. "But here and at the one other school in my area where this is the case, it helps foster a team spirit and a cadre of cadets that generally work well as a team and become friends for life because of the relationship."
Despite the naval knowledge imparted into the students, there is no requirement for any NJROTC student to follow on and join the Navy or any branch of the U.S. military.
"NJROTC is not a recruiting program," Clifford said. "It's not our goal to bring them even into college military programs. It is to instill in our young people those qualities of respect for authority, self-confidence, leadership, teamwork and to gain those skills in order to be productive, good citizens."
Smith said there might be one or two at Mooseheart of whom he is aware of plans to join the military after graduation. He reiterated Clifford's comments that the goal is not to have half of Mooseheart's graduates speaking to military recruiters immediately after graduation. But there are benefits for those who choose a military career.
Junior Levi Chavez received a "circle 10," the highest possible score for appearance in the inspection. Those who received the highest marks were honored with a ribbon and a pin to place on their uniforms.
"He never would have gotten that last year," Smith said. "But he's come a long way and understands what this means. ROTC's not just about marching and inspections; it's what those things mean. And it means they're learning to be part of a team and how to function as part of a team."
Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations. Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten through high school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. For information, visit mooseheart.org or call (630) 966-2229.