Veterans Memorial High School chosen for Coast Guard JROTC unit

Veterans Memorial High School will host a U.S. Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps unit next year.

"We're so excited to bring this program, this addition, to our campus," Principal Scott Walker said. "With our name being 'Veterans Memorial High School' we have a rich military tradition on our campus."

The school serves more than 100 military-connected students and has a Purple Star designation from the Texas Education Agency for meeting the needs of military families.

The school does not currently have a JROTC program, but Walker said there is student interest.

"I've been on campus since 2016, and it is a question that we have fielded frequently from students and families and the community," Walker said. "I do feel that there will be quite a bit of interest in this program and we really look forward to promoting this program within our feeder campuses and the community as a whole."

The Corpus Christi ISD unit will be one of only 16 in the country. Across the district, there are four other high school JROTC programs.

“We are honored to be a large public school district in a community with a large military population,” Superintendent Roland Hernandez said in a news release. “As the ‘Sparkling City by the Sea,’ we see the Coast Guard positively impacting our community on a daily basis. It is our mission to serve those who serve, and this new JROTC unit is a significant milestone in our well-established support for military students and families.”

The Coast Guard is working to add a JROTC program in every Coast Guard District by 2025. The purpose of the program is to instill the values of citizenship and service in educational institutions, as well as to build personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.

“The Coast Guard looks forward to partnering with our new host schools to realize the program’s mission of developing service-minded citizens of character,” JROTC program manager Commander Clay Cromer said in the release. “Cadets will grow in a wide variety of skills from personal discipline and self-confidence to leadership and teamwork. Each school’s unique values and strengths will also elevate the heights to which the program and its cadets will climb.”

Students in Coast Guard JROTC program earn community service hours, participate in drill team and raider competitions, represent the Coast Guard in ceremonial events and visit local Coast Guard units.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: U.S. Coast Guard chooses Corpus Christi ISD for JROTC program