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From the Chairman

August 2022

I would first like to thank Commander Eunice Butts for appointing me as the ROTC/JSSP Chairman for this 2022/23 year. It’s a program that I take most pride in for the lives that it has changed both in the past and will in the future.

The ROTC Program is one of the Legion Programs that needs more support by our posts throughout Florida. We focus most on the JROTC Program which has a Mission Statement to “Build Better Citizens”. This year let’s make an effort to bring more support to the ROTC Units in the State of Florida. Please follow up with me with any Units that you are supporting so we may document your progress. We have both the Silver and the Gold Medals that are available on Emblem Sales that would be given at the end of the semester year, 2023 to the outstanding Cadets. The following will give you a better understanding of this valuable program.

For over 100 years, ROTC has been widely regarded as the leadership standard for the world, producing over 600,000 men and women who have earned a commission through the program. Among them are two chairmen of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, seven Army Chiefs of Staff, two Cabinet secretaries and a sitting Supreme Court associate justice.

Over 1,700 colleges from across America such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Ivy League Schools, and institutions known for producing some of our greatest academic professionals, offer ROTC programs.

ROTC Cadets are introduced to more than a just rigorous syllabus during their tenure. They are taught what it means to be a great citizen of this country and placing the needs of a nation before their own. All while simultaneously living the life of a college student.

It is agreeable that most college students graduate with some form of a leadership foundation and commitment based on an understanding of their specific academic discipline. But none focus on the citizen and servant in support of our great nation as the ROTC program.

By highlighting some of the notable ROTC graduates such as current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GEN Mark A. Milley, Colin Powell, Leon Panetta, Lou Holtz, James Earl Jones, and the Founder of Walmart, Sam Walton, one could understand how important building a citizen while commissioning an officer is for this nation.

The JSSP National Championship will be held in Colorado Springs at the USA Training Facility from July 20-23 with the top 15 qualifying marksmanship winners in both the Precision and the Sporter Events. The event and the results will be on the National website for review and follow-up. It’s an honor to have been chosen to once again serve on the Volunteer Staff to assist in this very worthwhile event. There will be a First Place Scholarship Winner of $5,000 in each category and a Runner Up Scholarship of $1,000. Good luck to all the participants and thanks to all the posts who supported the teams throughout the entry and qualifying process.

Loretta Young
ROTC/JSSP Chair