Unit recruits its way out of probation

The NJROTC program began the year with a numbers problem, but a coordinated effort by cadets, instructors, and administrators was able to overcome it. NJROTC started the year with only 52 cadets and now has 104 needed of the 100 required by October 3rd. If they hadn’t met the mark on recruitment, the NJROTC unit would’ve been at the Area Manager’s mercy. NJROTC accomplished this with two new instructors, former Social Studies teacher Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) David Morrison and former PLSHS NJROTC instructor Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) Jeff Nichols, both Navy veterans.

Reaching the goal of 100 cadets after starting with 52 required the cooperation and organization of several groups of people, but Nichols believes that one of those groups was the most crucial to the recruiting effort.

“We have outstanding support from the administrative and guidance staff. They were willing to work with us and the students to be flexible with schedules and desires to change classes to meet this challenge.  Additionally, LCDR Morrison visited other Titan Times in order to recruit for the unit. I believe that our BIGGEST and best resource was challenging the new cadets to go and bring a buddy to the class. They responded well and significantly helped boost our numbers,” Nichols said.

Despite starting the year with only 52 NJROTC students, Nichols had confidence that recruitment would be successful, because this wasn’t his first time in this situation.

“When I came in in 2006, we were on numbers probation then. And then myself and Lieutenant Commander [Mike] Vinkavich… we worked our tails off to get off probation and become a strong unit. They approached me down at the Central Office and said, ‘Hey, we’re in numbers trouble’… and they said, ‘The unit’s going to fold if you don’t come back,’” Nichols said.

For Morrison, a recently retired  Social Studies teacher in the PLCS district, becoming an NJROTC instructor was something special, especially because his job would be to help the unit recover and increase membership.

“There have been two institutions in my life that meant so much to me: the U.S. Navy, 21 years, and this school district, 21 years –16 in this building. It’s almost like two of my worlds came together. No, I’m not going to sit by and watch this program fail.”

Logan Pritchard, 12th, commanding officer, was hopeful about the unit’s future with the return of Nichols, who served as NJROTC instructor during his freshman and sophomore years.

“Senior Chief has just been a great asset to the ROTC program. He’s boosted our numbers so much in just a few short months. It’s honestly crazy to see, compared to last year, what he’s done for the unit.”

Nichols sees NJROTC not as a military recruiting organization, but an organization designed to build character in the cadets no matter what career path they pursue after graduation.

“Our main focus is character development, self-reliance, self-discipline, community service, and service before self. We’re trying to make that well-rounded community citizen, somebody that knows what they need to do; has the self-discipline to do what they need to do; has the self-reliance that if they aren’t quite sure, can take a look at the issue and say ‘I think I need to do this, but let me talk to somebody,’ have the self-reliance to do a bit of research, figure it out,” said Nichols.

NJROTC has been a fixture at Papio South since the school opened in 2003. Morrison witnessed the unit’s impact on students through his years of teaching history at the school.

“I saw what it does, what it brings out. It lets me, visually, see the potential in a young person, because they come to class four days a week in their regular clothing – sweatpants, shorts, and goofy – but the one day they wore the uniform, they seemed to polish themselves up a little bit. There’s a certain amount of pride there,” Morrison said.

Pritchard has been in NJROTC his whole high school career.

“It really is just a great leadership opportunity, and it helped me personally build up my confidence, because I know before, I was shy and anxious. Now I’m more of a leader,” Pritchard said. “That’s why I stayed in it, with the friends you make throughout it.”

Assistant Principal Mr. Brent Gehring worked with Nichols and Morrison to right the ship. He says the unit’s effects are too important for it to fail.

“The biggest thing is the people that it produces. The successful careers that it helps start, whether it is in the military or whether it’s professional, or collegiate, or whatever it is, the people that leave the program are what stands out to me,” Gehring said. “When you have conversations with students that just graduated and have been graduated for a long time, there’s a lot of pride that they have built in the community, in that institution, that we just love to hear and see.”

The unit was successful in competition last year, even without participating in several events. The new cadets spark hope for success this year.

“Last year we got third place overall [Sioux Falls Competition], and that was without an expedition for unarmed and armed. I’m hoping that this year, we can do even better. Our color guard is seeing pretty solid results right now, just with watching the new cadets,” Pritchard said.

Morrison said that younger cadets are the key to both competition success and a stable future for the unit.

“This year’s freshmen are the building blocks that are going to make this program not just survive but thrive in the coming years. This year’s eighth-graders are going to be the group that put all of this discussion behind us. I firmly believe that. There will be no more talk about numbers.”

Though NJROTC surpassed the minimum number of required cadets, they aren’t done yet.

“We still have more work to do. We did hit a hundred, but a hundred’s the minimum. We still want to get more every chance we can get,” said Pritchard

Nichols believes that NJROTC, while not a military recruitment program, gives cadets who decide to join the military experience.

“We are not a military recruiting entity, that’s not our job to get people to join the military. But being career military personnel, nothing pleases me more than when a young man or woman joins the military and wears the cloth of their nation for at least a tour, because it’s a worthy cause. Somebody’s got to protect us, and right now it’s 1% of the populace. 1% join the military, out of everybody out there,” said Nichols.