The national effort to expand JROTC occurred in 2002, and Albert Gallatin School District accepted the JROTC Program for the school district in August 2003. This program was an honor for both the school and community, since there are only 23 other high schools in Pennsylvania that have JROTC Programs. The Albert Gallatin Area High School is the first and only JROTC Program in Fayette County. This class can be taken up to four years. The program is the single most comprehensive course in high school. Most of our cadets are involved in extra curricular activities such as Drill Team, Color Guard, Raider Team, Exhibition Drill Team and Community Service.
Perhaps the most unusual part of the JROTC Program is the fact that we teach personal skills such as studying effectively, test taking, developing winning habits, job interviewing, overcoming fears of failure, and setting goals for themselves. We also teach leadership skills such as motivating others, making decisions, planning, speaking and writing effectively, working as a team member, and problem solving. Cadets leave with much more than what we teach in the classroom. They take the lessons learned out in the community such as:
- Help charities.
- Assist in fundraisers.
- Volunteer in homes for the elderly/Habitat for Humanity.
- Participate in community parades.
- Concerts, and civil events.
- JROTC Color Guard marches in community parades.
- Cadets serve as ushers at numerous school events.
- The drill teams perform with an inspiring precision marching.
The JROTC program is a valuable addition to the Albert Gallatin Area High School education program. The goals of JROTC are:
1. To motivate students to learn, not just in JROTC, but in all their classes.
2. To foster a disciplined and constructive learning atmosphere, not just in JROTC classes, but throughout the school.
3. To teach and instill essential skills like time management, planning and organization, responsibility, goal setting, and teamwork.
4. Provide extracurricular activities that build students' confidence and their involvement with their peers, the school and the community.
5. For students who choose to enter the military, provide the opportunity for advanced promotions upon enlistment or placement in college ROTC.
6. JROTC helps students compete for Army ROTC scholarships, and position outstanding cadets to hopefully win appointments to one of the Military Service Academies. While nothing worth while is ever easy, uncovering the leadership qualities and personal skills already brewing within cadets pays off big time: both in the present and in the future. JROTC helps you discover that quiet confidence and inner strength that makes goals a reality.