John McLaughlin

R-4 NJROTC

NJROTC 

            My name is cadet Petty Officer third class McLaughlin and I am a member of the Curtis NJROTC program.  When I first started the program I was scared of it and wanted to drop the class, but my friends told me to stay in so I did.  When I first begun I was a squad leader which I really enjoyed and that is what made me want to come back each day.  While in the first few months of the ROTC program it was required the cadets attend a mini boot camp.  Of course I was scared of this idea but I was also excited for it.  On the bus ride there I was extremely nervous and so were all my friends.  After the boot camp I kept looking back and remembering what an experience it was, also following the camp each cadet got promoted, which made many cadets very happy.  In this program you will have lots of chances to have a leadership role.  Next year I hope to be an assistant platoon commander.  Also is you stay I the NJROTC program it will prove most beneficial if you decide not to go to college after high school it will teach you self discipline and if you decide to join the military after basic training you will get a triple promotion.  Another event that is fun is Devil Dog Days or DDD.  This event is extremely hard because we go out in the woods with actual marines and we do many exhausting activities and then we only get 5 hours of sleep.  Then the next day we get up and go on a 5 mile force march, which is extremely tiring.  But most of the benefits come at the end of the year when you look pack and remember all the activities and community service that you did you have a sense of pride and you feel really good about your self.  Also you get to look at al the ribbons and promotions you have had.   There are many reasons at the end of the year that people might not want to come back next year but, for anyone who reads this I highly encourage you to it is a very fun and rewarding program.

Holland, C.

6-13-03

Platoon 2

Squad 2

Final Paper

It has been approximately 276 days since I first set foot in the NJROTC classroom in the 400 hall of Curtis Senior High School. I cannot say exactly what I felt that day, or what I expected to happen over the course of the year. Certainly much of what happened was highly unexpected, but everything from Mini-Boot Camp down to the lolli-pop fund raiser has been a learning experience like nothing I've seen before. I don't know precisely what I hoped to lean when I first signed up for NJROTC, and I never thought I would learn the majority of it outside the classroom.

Mini-Boot Camp was a three-day trip to Bremerton Naval Base intended to teach the first-year cadets the basics of what they'd need to know for the rest of the year. The bus-ride there was silent and tense with nerves, no one was quite sure what would happen. I cannot speak for my peers, but during the entire three days we were there, I never once lost that initial nervousness. Not when we were running or marching in formation, eating, doing sentry duty, even during the trip to the swimming pool that was intended to be a break for the cadets I was on edge. Graduation from Mini-Boot was a new ordeal all in itself, hours of standing at attention and parade rest after the exhausting weekend left me numb and unable to think clearly. The only thing I remember clearly was that when it was announced that blue platoon made honor platoon, the one thought that crossed my mind was It was totally worth it. The exhaustion, hunger, nerves, homesickness, crying on the last day; it all narrowed down to the bronze star on a yellow ribbon with green, red, and white stripes. Mini-Boot Camp taught me that pride can be a reward in and of itself.

My next lesson was one that lasted throughout the course of the last three quarters and I only realized its existence at second semester. Cadet Esparza and myself maintained, throughout the year, the highest grades in our class, always within two or three percentages of each other. The higher grade switched between us constantly, as tests were retaken and inspections were passed with flying colors. When we realized this, it became an on-and-off verbal war, each of us arguing our superiority even in the face of contradicting proof. It never went beyond that, but it did fill most of our conversations for no reason other than both of us wanted to be better than the other, each of us wanted to be the best. In the end, Esparza was the victor but I learned a valuable lesson in the process: I live for competition. Mini-Boot taught me pride, Esparza taught me how to get it. I set a goal and went at it single-mindedly, striving to make the 95% of an inspection into a 100% at the next, for no reason other than to be better than one person, consequently better than 20 others. It was a one-sided obsession, I am sure; Esparza had always been a good student whereas I was striving to pull myself out of the rut I had been in for years, but I managed to come close enough that I can be proud of myself and happy for him at the same time.

Grades were never an easy thing for me to maintain; before I moved in with my mom I could never bring myself to care enough to do homework or study. My father was never an attentive or motivating person and I do not know if it was lethargy or a craving for attention that kept me at a steady C average. I do know, however, that the year I started NJROTC was the year I started getting A's in almost all my classes, and B's in the others. It could be because I was aware of my High School Transcript, or because it was a requirement to have good grades in order to stay in JROTC, but either way I found myself excelling at classes I'd once failed. Somehow I found myself paying attention in situations where I'd usually let my mind wander to other topics, and that lead me to better test scores and the ability to complete homework with less effort than before. It was not that I did not know the material before, it was that I could not bring myself care enough to apply it where it needed to be.

Where grades were only a minor problem, physical fitness has always been my topmost weakness, and the main reason I first considered NJROTC. Somehow the fact that P.T. was only every other Friday made me more willing to participate when it came around, though several times I was not in good enough health o do so. Even so, I found myself running longer than I had ever before, I am still no where near the levels of my peers; the result of ceasing my participation in sports and living with two smoking adults, but I still manage more with two days a month than I ever did with exercise every other day.

I do not know if I'll ever join the military; if I will ever need to utilize the drill, etiquette, uniform precision, or rank recognition that we learned in the classroom later in life. I do not know whether or not I will ever find myself in a situation where I need to know how to do a right face or counter march, identify the difference between a PO2 and a PO3, or place a row of ribbons exactly 1/4 of an inch above my breast pocket. But I do know that my other lessons, the ones learned with the help of peers and instructors outside of the classroom setting, will play a major role in my successfulness later on. It may be a little bronze star, competition, good grade, and running a few minutes longer now, but I know it will mean far more in the future, and for that, I am eternally grateful. 

Sarah Cargill

6/17/03

Platoon:1 Squad:3

NJROTC FINAL:

            I clearly remember registration night, my fellow peers and I were sitting in the bleachers at Curtis Junior High’s gym waiting for instruction.  One by one a representative from each class would come to the center of the room and speak to the students and parents about the different electives and courses available.  At this point Naval Junior Reserves Officers Training Corps or NJROTC was in the back of my mind; however, I was still considering the idea of taking the elective.  When it was time for our student counselor to discuss the course, I was particularly interested in what she had to say.  She introduced on a few of the general ideas such as leadership, discipline, motivation and even the academic appeal of two credits upon completion.  This fits well with my previous experience; I have done ballet for eleven years, five of which I have been a member of a pre-professional company in Tacoma called Washington Contemporary Ballet or WCB.  During my years in the company, I have been the company’s treasurer and president.  So with these two factors in mind, I was confident that I would grow with NJROTC leadership and disciplinary skills, knowing that without motivation I would not have reached these dance company positions.  The real catcher for me was the two academic credits offered and how well NJROTC would look on my high school transcripts.  Now, I do have to admit, I had a bit of competition in mind.  I knew that a friend of mine was joining and he had previously presented me with a challenge regarding the program, so I felt the internal need to accept.  With this I took a risky step and filled in the bubble sheet.  I had officially joined the class.

            Jumping a few months ahead to the first day of school as a freshmen at Curtis Junior High School.  The entire summer I had been dreading this day, I was having second thoughts about joining NJROTC and was seriously considering a schedule change.  With my personal drive to succeed, holding onto the challenge, I stayed with my decision and continued through the year.  I guarantee, even though it was not clear to me at this time, this was one decision I will never regret.

            I was doing mediocre with my grade as an “A”; I scored fairly well on my inspections and kept up during Physical Training.  Things remained as they were until the weekend of Mini Boot Camp. Again I remember getting stomachaches and goose bumps over my nervousness.  Once more I pulled through, not letting my fears subside.

            It was October tenth, 2002 at 0600; I arrived a few minutes late to hear cadets shouting out orders.  My adrenalin was rushing as I raced down the steps to rush into formation.  I hurried to put down my luggage and grab the gear I needed.  During the first few weeks of school, I had been appointed guide, so I ran to that position.  As we were all standing at attention, answering questions and orders, I remember cadet DeRoche coming to my side and asking for my name.  I answered, “Sir this cadet’s name is cadet Cargill sir!” He replied with, “We’re glad to have you join us cadet.”  At this single moment I was put at ease, I knew that I could make it through and succeed.

            I graduated from NJROTC Mini Boot Camp on October thirteenth, 2002.  I was extremely proud of my accomplishments.  I had passed the Physical Fitness Test, was appointed third squad leader of my platoon and more significantly I left graduation that day known as Green Platoon’s female Honor Cadet.  On that day I received my first two ribbons one consisting of a silver star and a promotion from seaman recruit to seaman.  My family and peers were proud of me, but most of all I was proud of myself.

            Throughout the rest of the school year, I have continued on my journey of finding what it means to be disciplined, motivated and a leader.  I have overcome obstacles and challenges, loving every bit of it.  Yes, the extra credit on my transcript is nice, but that’s not what NJROTC is all about. Naval Junior Reserves Officers Training Corps is about what you personally accomplish, who you become and what skills you receive to mold your being into your future.  Also referring to what we have discussed in class, having the ability to answer, “What can I get out of NJROTC?”

I have completed my freshman year of high school and my first year of Naval Science.  My early jitters have drifted away and I now have the ability to answer that question.  This year I have received a great deal of accomplishment, pride and honor in saying “Yes I am a member of Curtis High School’s NJROTC.”  I am truly looking forward to my following years in the unit and continuing my lifelong journey of reaching my goals, striving for my best and leading others, which are all in the midst of defining who I am.