JROTC at Henry Clay a path to self-confidence
Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, January 04, 2010
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Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hunt is an instructor in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Henry Clay High School.
Two of Fayette County’s high schools -- Bryan Station and Henry Clay -- offer JROTC programs. Though they represent different branches of the military, they share a common purpose: helping students develop leadership skills, confidence and self-discipline.
At Henry Clay High School, the JROTC program breaks through the imaginary lines of cliques and draws together students from all walks of life, pushing them to develop self-confidence and self-discipline under the guidance of U.S. Army veterans.
“We get everybody, from the AP kids to football players and cheerleaders. Anybody can join and feel like they belong,” said Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hunt, an instructor in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
ROTC is a college-based, officer commissioning program that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning and professional ethics; it’s designed for college students who plan to enlist in the armed forces. JROTC is the high school model, which is offered as an elective course.
Hunt and his colleague, Maj. William Larkin, see their role as advisors and encouragers to the nearly 150 students in the program.
“As they go into their senior year, they get put into leadership positions. They make things happen. It’s in the hands of the kids,” Hunt said, noting that students organize everything from drill competitions to the military ball.
“My kids have learned that when things get hard, that’s when they try harder,” he said. “When times are bad, that’s when real leaders step up to the challenge.”
For freshmen new to the program, the benefits are obvious even in their first semester.
“ROTC helps you mature and get your stuff into perspective,” said Chasity Allen, who is considering joining the Army like her older brother.
Classmate Kirby Osborne, whose father is a Marine, is also leaning toward a military career and hoping his experience in JROTC will help lay the foundation for future success.
“I thought it would be pretty cool to learn leadership and discipline,” Kirby said. “It keeps you up at a higher standard and wanting to do better.”
Hunt can share first-hand knowledge of life in the military. He is a 20-year Army veteran who served all around the world, including Korea, Malaysia, Israel, Egypt and Africa. Before joining Henry Clay nearly five years ago, he taught at Western Kentucky University.
At the high school level, he encourages kids to get involved in student government, focus on their academics and strongly consider college.
“This is an Army-sponsored program, but this is not the Army. I’m not here to make them soldiers. I’m just here to make them better citizens,” he said.
Henry Clay’s program also emphasizes physical fitness and uses an endurance-building type of training called CrossFit. In the classroom, the JROTC curriculum covers a wide spectrum, from history and geography to citizenship and leadership theory and application. The students also do community service projects, such as collecting barrels of food for God’s Pantry in the fall.
“We have to prepare them for life,” said Hunt, who said the most satisfying thing about his work is seeing the change in students as they grow and excel. “We’ll set a standard, and they’ll achieve it and go right by it.”