The U.S. Army has approved Albany High School’s proposal to establish a full-fledged Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program. Word came from Senator Chuck Schumer, who had intervened on the school’s behalf.
Albany High was forced to run an unfunded version of JROTC, Albany's National Defense Cadet Corps calls itself “The Henry Johnson Battalion,” after the famed WWI African American soldier from Albany, who bravery on the battlefield is legend. In May, Schumer visited Albany High and argued that it was unfair NDCC was forced to cap its program at 75 students due to lack of funds and resources.
"The district estimates that if the Henry Johnson battallion were funded by the army they could easily accommodate more than 120 students. They would almost double in size." Now Schumer says by next month Albany will have the full funding it needs to make sure every student who wants to join the program can do so.
“We are so ecstatic at this news and the wonderful opportunities that it will present for our students at Albany High School,” said City School District of Albany Interim Superintendent Kimberly Young Wilkins, Ed.D. “This will change the trajectory and the outcomes for so many of our students. We are grateful to Sen. Schumer for his support and leadership in making this dream a reality for our students at Albany High.”
“This is such a significant step forward to allow our school district another opportunity to engage our students around a valuable program in which they have demonstrated extremely strong interest and commitment,” said Albany Board of Education President Kenneth M. Bruce. “In addition to the opportunities JROTC provides, it also teaches important soft skills such as leadership and self-discipline that are so necessary to be successful in life. It was a game-changer for me, and I think it can be game-changer for so many of our students. Our sincerest thanks to Sen. Schumer for helping to expand the opportunities available to our high school students.”
A copy of Schumer’s original letter to the U.S. Army appears below:
Dear Undersecretary of the Army Patrick Murphy and Major General Combs,
I write to urge the Army to establish a full Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program at Albany High School, which currently runs an unfunded version of this program called the National Defense Cadet Corps (NDCC) that they wish to expand. Please note that this is the 98th anniversary of the "Battle of Henry Johnson," and, as you know, Sgt. Johnson was an African American soldier from Albany, NY who fought off a German raiding party in the Argonne Forest, saving his sentry partner and unit in the process. I led the effort to secure the Medal of Honor for Johnson, which President Obama awarded last summer. In honor of Sgt. Johnson, the Albany High School NDCC corps calls itself the “The Henry Johnson Battalion.”
Nearly a century after Sgt. Johnson’s heroics Albany High School has established a very successful National Defense Cadet Corps (NDCC). It is very popular, but this year it and had to be capped at 75 students due to the lack of funding. Albany High has a disproportionate minority population which is mirrored in the program. The participating students have improved their academics, their attendance rates, have fewer discipline issues, and increased their engagement within the school community.
It would be a tremendous and enduring tribute to Henry Johnson, and a much-needed opportunity for the students there eager to serve our nation, for the Army to establish a full JROTC program at Albany High School. It is wonderful that so many years later, these young men and women, identify with Sgt. Johnson and view him as a role model. They know that he was a citizen solider from Albany’s Arbor Hill neighborhood, who performed extraordinarily when called upon by his country, and they are inspired to do the same. For these reasons, and others, it is America’s and the Army’s best interest to provide a full JROTC program to the students at Albany High School.
I understand that due to sequestration (an overly constrictive formulation, which I have fought to undo), funding for the JROTC program is limited, and that Albany’s NDCC program has been placed on the JROTC “Order of Merit List.” Further, I have been told that eight programs were scheduled for closure in FY ‘16, and four new programs established. Therefore, I request your assistance to award Albany High School a full-fledged JROTC. The school estimates, that with funding, the corps will be expanded to 120 students this fall. What a tremendous way to keep Sgt. Henry Johnson’s legacy of honor and service to his hometown and his country alive!
Again, I urge you to award a JROTC to Albany High School, and stand ready to assist in any way that I can. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly, if you would like to discuss this matter further.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
###
