SENIOR CHIEF DAVID PERRIN
Nottoway High Schools’ Naval JROTC (NJROTC) program is bouncing back after a challenging few years.
Instructors David Perrin and Joseph Lynn appeared before the School Board last Thursday night and reported that membership this year is 54 cadets, or about 11% of NHS enrollment. That’s up from 36 last year.
“We went through a period where NJROTC was not fully functional,” Division Supt. Dr. Marcia Martin told officials. “But I can tell you that through the leadership of Master Chief Perrin and Chief Lynn, they have worked tirelessly to ensure that we have an active, successful program…They have done a fabulous job of revamping the program.”
Chief Lynn said NJROTC is not a miltiary recruitment tool. “We’re trying to make cadets the best versions of themselves and the best citizens they can be.”
NJROTC also has high standards for conduct. “We are not ‘boot camp,’” Lynn added. “We are not a place for students who cannot control their behavior. We are not here to deal with that.”
CHIEF JOSEPH LYNN
Lynn said that NJROTC “doesn’t care what cadets do after graduation as long as you have a plan that’s not spending the next 25 years in your mama’s basement playing video games.”
Senior Chief Perrin said the program has lost nine cadets this school year. “Some of them were scheduling conflicts, and some are just not adhering to the standards put forth through the program.”
The program had no Navycertified instructors during the years 2021-2023. “Last year started as a struggle,” read one slide displayed Thursday. “Lack of discipline and maintaining NJROTC standards continue to be a challenge,” it added.
Most cadets today are female (31), with 23 males. Lynn said he’s heard from hundreds of Nottoway NJROTC alumni about the program’s glory years under Commanders, the late Robert Rawls and the late Master Gunny Harry Elliott.
“We’re not going to return to that overnight,” said Lynn.
Cadets today must wear their uniform to school at least one day a week, and training includes Physical Training (PT) on Thursdays and Fridays. The program is offering drone training and marksmanship training, and also is considering the possibility of a formal military ball.
NRJOTC also is trying to get cadets involved in community service as well as fundraising for more activities. Board Chairman Sonny Abbott, a retired Ford Motor Company executive, told cadets present, “If you have a fundraiser, come see me. I have money. I’ll give you some.”
Chief Lynn said the program must maintain at least 50 cadets to avoid going back on probation. He said 22 of this year’s cadets are 8th graders, “so they’re saving the program right now.”
Senior Chief Perrin noted that cadets who complete two years of the program can enter the Navy as an E-2, and those who complete three years can begin as an E-3, which he said can mean a “substantial amount of pay. There is a ton of benefits.”
School Board member Damien Rowe fondly recalled his days in NJROTC, which began in 1993, during the program’s early years. “They were some of the best times…it’s not a recruitment tool, it teaches valuable life skills.”
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