AIR FORCE JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS

 

In order for a cadet to fully understand AFJROTC they must know the roots on which the program was founded.

AFJROTC Beginnings

Army Lieutenant Edgar R. Steevers founded the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program in 1911 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Lieutenant Steevers was assigned as an inspector-instructor of the organized military of Wyoming. During his assignment he envisioned a non-compulsory cadet corps comprised of high school students. His program was aimed toward making better citizens. He wanted to teach young men the advantages of having a strong body and mind, the value of self-control, and the importance of community service.

The National Defense Act of 1916 authorized a junior course for non-college military schools, high school and non-preparatory schools. The Army implemented JROTC in 1916. Public Law 88-647, commonly known as the ROTC Vitalization Act of 1964, directed the Secretaries of each military service to establish and maintain JROTC units for their respective services.

With a modest beginning of 20 units in 1966, Air Force JROTC (AFJROTC) has grown to more than 889 units throughout the world, with a current enrollment of over 112,000 cadets. Though the original units were comprised of only men, the admission regulations changed in 1972 to allow women to join. By the end of that year, over 2,100 females were admitted as new cadets. Since then, the number of females has increased to over 40,000.

 

Females and AFJROTC

On 29 November 1973, President Nixon signed Public Law 93-165 stating that females could be counted for enrollment in JROTC. Prior to this, women could participate in JROTC activities, but could not be counted toward enrollment quotas. Further, women were not issued uniforms, nor could they wear the corps insignia or receive a Certificate of Completion.

Even before females were fully admitted into the JROTC program, they were making history and contributing to their respective units. If fact, the first female pilot soloed in the AFJROTC program in 1972. The same year, the AFJROTC Directorate wrote, “The approval to enroll females as cadets in AFJROTC in indicative of the strong position the Air Force and the Department of Defense hold concerning equality for all their members.” About the same time that females were being admitted to the Air Force Academy, several AFJROTC units were formally welcoming young women to their ranks. From the start, the Air Force has always championed the cause of educational equality for women. This proactive involvement in educational opportunities for young women continues from AFJROTC all the way into college and beyond.

JROTC Expansion

The JROTC expansion began on 24 August 1992 when President George Bush announced during a speech at the Lincoln Technical Institutes in Union, NJ, “Today I’m doubling the size of our Junior ROTC program. We’re going to expand it from 1,500 to 2,900 schools. JROTC is a great program that boosts high school completion rates, reduced drug use, raises self-esteem, and gets these kids firmly on the right track.”

This idea by President Bush reflected an earlier proposal by the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff; General Colin Powell characterized JROTC as the “best opportunity for the Department of Defense to make a positive impact on the nation’s youth.” General Powell urged that particular emphasis be placed on establishing JROTC units in the nation’s inner cities—areas where drugs, gangs and juvenile delinquency flourish.