The Junior Reserve Officers’ Reserve Training Corps (JROTC) is a program designed to teach high students leadership and citizenship skills. It’s sponsored by the United States Armed Forces and is available at over 3,500 public and private high schools across the country. Since January 2023, Springfield School District 186 has offered JROTC programs at all three of its high schools, in partnership with the U.S. Army. Participation in JROTC does not include any obligation to join the military. The Army JROTC mission statement is simple, “To motivate young people to be better citizens.”
While new to Springfield, JROTC is not a new concept. The National Defense Act of 1916 established the first organized JROTC programs in connection with the U.S. Army. Today, six service branches – the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force – maintain JROTC units. Army JROTC remains the most popular, with more than 1,700 public and private high schools offering an Army JROTC program. JROTC instructors, most of whom are retired from active duty, reserve duty, or National Guard Service, are trained and qualified in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act to teach and mentor JROTC participants. Students participating in JROTC receive leadership training and learn how to work as a part of a team. Academic success and physical fitness are encouraged. JROTC offers service opportunities and promotes reflection on each participant’s rights and responsibilities as a citizen.
The path to establishing JROTC in Springfield began in 2016, when Springfield District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill traveled to Washington, D.C. with the Chamber of Commerce and Springfield Growth Alliance. Discussions were held with the Illinois Congressional delegation about bringing a JROTC program to Springfield’s public high schools. The trip was successful and resulted in a bi-partisan letter of support, starting the process of establishing JROTC in District 186. When asked about her efforts early on Superintendent Gill emphasized the importance of giving students in District 186 “as many opportunities as possible.”
Training for Springfield’s JROTC instructors began in September 2022. Instructors were set up in each of the three public high schools. The first JROTC Leadership Education and Training Course classes were offered in January 2023, with two sections at Lanphier and one section each at Southeast and Springfield. Two years later, the totals for this semester are 67 participants at Lanphier, 57 participants at Southeast, and 22 participants at Springfield. Numbers are trending up for the 2025-2026 school year. After seeing the program take hold, Superintendent Gill is delighted that this option is available to District 186 students, noting that “the leadership skills the students in the program learn help set them up for success in the future.”
The Army provides each JROTC student with a uniform, which must be worn once a week. District 186 JROTC activities for this school year have included Junior Cadet Leadership Camp in Marseilles, IL; participation in the Springfield Veterans Day Parade; maintaining a Color Guard for each high school with presentations at the city basketball tournament and an All-District 186 combined Color Guard for Saturday’s games; inclusion at the “Senior Recognition” football games; and volunteering with Wreaths Across America at Camp Butler Cemetery.
To learn more about District 186 JROTC, contact one of the District 186 high schools or visit https://www.sps186.org/page/secondary-schools-and-programs.
