At every football game, assembly and event the JROTC program here at Chapman is present. However, the time, dedication and hard work they put in is often overshadowed, and many people don’t realize the extent of everything they do.

“I was blessed to have a great career in the Air Force and to be part of a great country,” Lt. Col. Mark Rumph said. “I appreciate everything the Air Force and the country did for me, and being a part of AFJROTC in the high school environment is a way for me to give back for all of the opportunities I had.”

Being a part of AFJROTC is an important part of high school for the students involved because of the opportunity to give back in a family environment.

“JROTC is important to me because you have a family,” Junior Jacob Jackson said. “If you need help, you can always go and ask them for anything, and they’re always there for you no matter what.”

Rumph, too, feels and sees the family aspect of JROTC.

“The JROTC programs allows cadets to feel like they are part of a family,” Rumph said. “They are given an opportunity, in a safe environment, to try their skills at leadership and learn to function within an organization.”

Being a part of the program creates community while also learning and participating in community service and teaching key leadership skills.

“JROTC is very important to me because it teaches key leadership virtues that I can apply to real life. It’s also going to help me with my future plans in the Air Force, which will give me a higher rank,” Senior Nick Lyles said.

These leadership skills are implemented in a learning environment alongside participating in activities outside of the classroom.

“Most folks do not know that we have regular classes like Aviation History and Science of Flight,” Rumph said. “While we spend time on academics, we also have a lot of fun and do a lot of community service.  We go to competitions for marksmanship, drill and athletic meets.”

The community service is a huge component of the program.
“We do adopt a road where we go to two different roads and clean up. We also go to certain local nursing homes and give them Christmas cards and Easter cards and any other service projects that people ask us to do,” Lyles said.

Overall, JROTC here at Chapman instills valuable components of leadership, knowledge and develops character in a caring and close-knit environment. We are thankful for their dedication to participating in the many activities throughout Chapman.