NH Junior ROTC: JROTC in the North Country. Programs in Langdon & Whitefield are making a difference. Click here.

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The Cadets

The students making up the White Mountains JROTC program certainly form a diverse group. About sixty cadets participate each year-though Gearhart says he would like to get this number up to one hundred-with fifteen or so coming from other nearby schools through bus-in programs as their own schedules and curricular requirements allow. According to Gearhart, the program takes all types:

"They run the whole gamut. We've had Valedictorians, NH JROTC: There's a lot of physical fitness training, usually once a week.

NH JROTC: There's a lot of physical fitness training, usually once a week.

several who want to go into the military, some are athletes-our Battalion Commander is on the cheer squad-many have part-time jobs... One student was actually incarcerated while he was in school. He did get out of jail, and he's doing well. He's married now and has a child."

Opportunities for Students

Part of the reason for JROTC's widespread appeal is the range of opportunities available for those interested in joining.

"It is an elective course, one period a day. Kids can take just the classroom course, but we encourage them to get involved (with extracurricular teams and activities) as well," says Gearhart.

As part of the regular coursework, students receive time management, leadership, citizenship, land navigation, marksmanship, health and physical fitness training

In addition, a number of after school teams and activities offer those who are drawn to particular aspects of the JROTC coursework additional time in the field. These include Color Guard, Drill, Marksmanship, and Academic & Leadership Teams, the Raider Challenge-a military skills competition that includes a grueling Army fitness test and a five kilometer road march-and regular (optional) community service outings.

JROTC at White Mountains also encourages students to see the world beyond their local community:

"If you stay four years," Gearhart says, "you have the opportunity to go to Washington D.C., Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Battleship Cove in Fall River, Boston, New York City, and West Point."

Interested cadets in Gearhart's most recent class have had the opportunity to travel to all of the previously mentioned locations. While the Lieutenant Colonel emphasizes that the trips are strictly voluntary, he is particularly enthusiastic about what they have to offer those who choose to participate:

"Most kids say the field trips are their fondest memories. For many, their first opportunity to leave home is JROTC."

Still, though, he admits that what students take away from the excursions is often not what he would expect:

"On our first trip to Washington, the students were able to decide which sights they wanted to see. They had to do research and present their case," says Gearhart, "The National Zoo kept coming up, and it stayed on the list." At first, the Lieutenant Colonel could not understand the students' fixation, but then it hit him: "There are no zoos here."

But, Gearhart notes, the zoo was only the second most exciting sight for the cadets:

"At the Smithsonian, the kids were fascinated by the escalator - some of them had never seen one."

Looking Beyond High School

Joining the White Mountains JROTC program has even more perks for students considering their post-high school education or career.

The program has an affiliation with Adams State University (Alamosa, CO) which allows students to take courses in History, Citizenship, and Leadership for college credit. The cost to students is approximately one hundred eighty dollars per course, though fundraisers are often able to pay for the classes.

For those students who complete at least two years of JROTC and decide to go on to serve in the military, they enter at a higher pay grade (E3) than they would with just a high school diploma (E1) - a pay raise of approximately four thousand dollars in annual salary. (continued...)