About JROTC

Did you know: The Marion High School JROTC program is open to anyone of high school age in Grant County!

MHS JROTC cadets stand at ease during the annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, planned and put on each year by the cadets.

JROTC is a leadership program designed to motivate young people to become better citizens. Studies show that JROTC helps students get better grades, be more active in school, and perform better on tests, and it decreases disciplinary problems. The Marion JROTC program has been ranked as one of the top programs in the nation by the U.S. Army.

Though JROTC is a military-regulated program, participation does not require future plans for military service. Cadets who do choose a military career can get important benefits from their JROTC participation, but the JROTC program offers important lessons that can benefit cadets in all areas of life, including self-discipline, teamwork, leadership skills, and more.

The MHS JROTC also offers co-curricular activities including several award-winning competitive teams: Drill, Color Guard, Raiders, Marksmanship, Academic Bowl, and Leadership Bowl. These teams have earned several state and national championships!

MHS JROTC cadets work together to conquer an obstacle during a Marion High School Raider Challenge competition.

We have seen the positive effects this program has had on our own students in Marion, and starting in 2015 the program opened to students throughout the county, whether they are enrolled at a local high school, or homeschooled.

Students must arrange their own transportation to and from MHS, but there is no cost to the student to enroll in the program. Marion Community Schools will work directly with sending schools and the state to claim appropriate funding for the programming provided.

Anyone interested in becoming a cadet in the JROTC program will need to work with the guidance department here at MHS and at their home high school to arrange their schedule appropriately. 

The MHS JROTC color guard presents the flags at the end-of-the-year Formal Banquet.

Call the Student Services Department at Marion High School, 795-664-9051, to make scheduling arrangements. (Please note that the office does close for several weeks in the summer.)

Originally published March 2022

The Marion High School JROTC program this week received the highest rating possible from the U.S. Army — Honor Unit with Distinction — following its formal inspection of the program. Only the very best JROTC units in the country receive this rating!

The rating is the result of a formal inspection conducted by a representative from the U.S. Army Cadet Command. 

The inspection, which occurs every three years, seeks to validate the instruction the cadets are receiving and the general operation of the program. Units are rated in one of three categories: Unsatisfactory, Proficient, and Honor Unit with Distinction. Only the very best JROTC programs receive the highest rating.

“Your cadets and the program itself are outstanding,” Mrs. Tamiko Riley, the inspector from the U.S. Army Cadet Command told Marion High School Principal Lloyd Bryant following the inspection. “The cadets do not just know the subject matter. They also know how to analyze, problem solve and communicate. They truly did a great job.”

Members of the Marion High School JROTC Drill Team “present arms” (salute) as part of the JROTC unit’s formal inspection by representatives from the U.S. Army Cadet Command. The inspection looked at all aspects of the cadets’ training and accomplishments. 

 

The inspection encompasses several activities, all designed to enable the inspector to get a true sense of what the cadets have learned and how they can apply what they have learned.

The first event was a briefing by the cadet leadership on their Capstone Project, a year-long Continual Improvement Plan. The cadets select an aspect of the JROTC program that needs to improve. They then develop a plan, implement the plan, analyze the results and reflect upon what they have accomplished and learned in the process.

Cadet Lt. Col. Nic Elliott, the JROTC Battalion Commander, started the briefing by stating he was responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen within MHS JROTC. He and his staff of cadets then presented their project to the inspector.

“I was not really nervous,” said Elliott, a senior at Marion High School. “We knew what we had done and had rehearsed our briefing well. I was excited to finally be able to demonstrate what we are capable of doing.”

The next briefing was conducted by Cadet Stephany Miksch, an MHS junior, Cadet Dajaia Weaver, a senior, and Cadet Alsya Yancey, a junior, who discussed a Service Learning Project they had conducted to serve the local community.

While both these briefings were being conducted, two U.S. Army Recruiters conducted an in-ranks inspection of the remaining cadets. Each cadet was quizzed upon general JROTC knowledge while their uniforms were inspected. Cadets were also evaluated on their military bearing (poise) while answering the questions.

Local U.S. Army recruiters inspect the Marion High School JROTC cadets during the unit’s formal inspection by the U.S. Army Cadet Command. Every cadet had their uniform inspected for proper wear and appearance, and cadets had to answer general knowledge questions about JROTC demonstrating their composure and military bearing.

Continuing the inspection, the MHS JROTC color guard and drill teams both had to demonstrate a series of commands and movements, similar to what they do when they attend regional drill team competitions.

Finally, 16 cadets representing each of the four year groups of JROTC presented their cadet portfolio to the inspector, which demonstrates the coursework they have completed. The cadets were quizzed upon what they had learned and how they were applying it in both JROTC and their lives in general.

“They smoked it!” exclaimed retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jon Smith, Army Instructor for the MHS JROTC. “They really did a great job.”

Marion High School JROTC Cadets reviewed their individual portfolios with an inspector from the US Army Cadet Command during the unit’s formal inspection. The cadets were asked about what they had learned and how they applied what they were learning in school and in life in general.

In the 11 years of the JROTC program at Marion High School, the Giants have consistently received the top rating.

“We have very high standards for our cadets,” said retired Lt. Col. David Farlow, Senior Army Instructor for the MHS JROTC. “We want the cadets to strive for excellence, to work hard, and to achieve great things. And that is just what they did during this inspection.”

As a result of being evaluated as an Honor Unit With Distinction again, each cadet will wear a Gold Star indicating that they serve in one of these select few elite JROTC programs.

The Marion High School JROTC Raider team has made history once again on Oct. 21, 2023, winning the Indiana Raider State Championship for the third time in the four years the event has been held.

 

The Giants faced off at Camp Atterbury on Oct. 21 against 21 other teams representing JROTC programs from the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps in an event hosted by the ROTC Department at Indiana University-Indianapolis. 

 

 

The Marion High School JROTC Raider Team traveled to Kentucky Nov. 4 and 5, 2023, to face the very best teams from across the country in the All-Army National Raider Challenge hosted by the U.S. Army Cadet Command. 

 

Nearly 400 teams, with over 5,000 cadets, battled in three separate ability Divisions. The Giants were placed in the toughest and highest level: the Masters Division. Fielding a team in the mixed/co-ed category, the Giants were in direct competition with the huge private military academies, and JROTC programs with several hundred cadets. 

 

The Giants ended up with an amazing fifth place finish overall.