U.S. Senator Charles Schumer was in Albany Monday, urging the U.S. Army to support a full-fledged JROTC program at Albany High School.
The National Defense Cadet Corps is the unfunded version of JROTC. The Albany High version operates as the Sgt. Henry Johnson JROTC Battalion, commemorating Albany's African American Medal of Honor winner, who is remembered for his World War I heroism in France while serving with the 369th Regiment.
This is the 98th anniversary of the so-called "Battle of Henry Johnson."Schumer led the effort to secure that Medal of Honor, which President Obama awarded last summer.
Schumer says the Albany School District was forced to cap the members in the NDCC program at 75 students.
Chuck TWO "The district estimates that if the Henry Johnson batallion were funded by the army they could easily accommodate more than 120 students. They would almost double in size."
Several cadets took to the podium to share their JROTC experience with Schumer and the audience. Here are just a few:
"I joined JROTC because I saw it as an opportunity for me to gain self-discipline that I needed to pursue a career in the military. JROTC has helped me become a better student, athlete and leader."
"Before I joined JROTC, my grades used to be terrible and I used to start my work and then never finish it. I used to be late to class and a whole buncha stuff. But since I joined this program, my grades have went up. I've been doing homework and everything. Been joining different programs, I dance now and I've been getting in less trouble."
"People that were always bothering me, always bullying me, always putting me through stuff that I didn't want to be put through, have changed. Everyone looks up to me as a professional, everyone looks up to me with respect and it shows me that I am worth living something."
Schumer stated emphatically "What's gonna be the future of the country that we love so much? Well, I wish every Senator could stand right here and witness what I have witnessed, and they wouldn't have a single doubt about the greatness of the future of America."
Albany Common Council President Carolyn McLaughlin also praised the cadets: "I'm happy to see everybody that's a part of the Henry Johnson Batallion. But I'm especially proud to see the young women that are involved because it lets me know that you understand what true leadership is. And you know that you have a role in being a leader, not only in the professions that are originally or that people always think of when they think of women, but when we think of military leadership, we can also think of women's leadership."
Officials say the cadets are attracting other students, looking for meaning and direction in their lives, something that struck a chord with Schumer, who called it unfair that the program is facing a membership cap. "I will do everything I can to help you get the funding so that you can do your job fully as JROTC members, and all the young people here at Albany High who wanna join can join."
Schumer says in Washington there are eight programs that are not continuing next year, and just four new ones have applied, so he reasons there should be money available that could be earmarked for Albany. "I have a wish, a hope and a prayer. And that is, next year by the time of the 99th anniversary, we'll celebrate the fact that this program is thriving, serving hundreds of eager students and being fully funded by our United States Army."
The Army responded to a request for comment via email after this story was broadcast:
"United States Army Cadet Command considers its Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps a valued assets in our high schools across the country. Currently, the Army JROTC has 1701 programs spread throughout the United States school districts. Over the last several years, Department of Defense budget constraints has required USACC to stabilize its JROTC programs at 1701. Albany High School is relatively high on our Command Order of Merit List which has over 270 other high schools vying for a new JROTC program as resources become available. As JROTC programs close periodically, Albany High School's position on the Command OML has the potential to see them offered a new program within the next two years."
Richard T. Patterson
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
U.S. Army Cadet Command
Fort Knox, KY 40121
