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The 2019-20 school year wasn’t kind to Apache Junction High School’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.
The NJROTC was put on probation because it didn’t have at least 100 members or 10% of the student body. The probation status meant the NJROTC didn’t qualify to win a “Distinguished Unit” award, something it had captured 14 of the previous 15 years.
That’s what makes this year’s designation as a Distinguished Unit — the award goes to the top 20% of the more than 500 units in the country — all the more remarkable. Not only did Apache Junction NJROTC recruit well enough to have 103 members, it did so in a year disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Traditionally we’ve done very well with this but since we got put on probation we couldn’t win the award,” said Gary Lock, lieutenant commander of the NJROTC. “We did enough this year to get back in the top tier.”
The award is points-based; Lt. Cmdr. Lock said the Apache Junction NRJOTC earned points for its physical fitness, college entrance exams, drills, etc. NJROTC’s students also performed 1,102 community service hours and school support hours. Those hours included presenting the colors, working as the chain gang during football games, helping teachers set up their classrooms and doing other events to help the community.
In addition to winning the Distinguished Unit award, the Apache Junction NJROTC was designated the “Most Improved Unit” in Area 11, which encompasses Arizona and California. That award reflected as well what the NRJOTC was able to accomplish amidst the pandemic.
“It’s subjective and I did not push for us,” Lt. Cmdr. Lock said. “But the Area 11 manager put us for the fact we went from being on probation to continuing to do a bunch of terrific things during COVID.
“The thought was, ‘They’re on probation, their backs are against the wall but they obviously did a great job recruiting.’”
The NJROTC at Apache Junction High School is one of just six to eight schools in the country participating in a pilot program in which eighth-graders can join the high school unit. Six Cactus Canyon Junior High School students signed up for the program this year.
Lt. Cmdr. Lock said current membership in the NJROTC sits at 91, but he’s hopeful the numbers will increase when the official count is taken in October.
Editor’s note: Scott Bordow is Apache Junction Unified School District’s director of communications and community engagement.
