chaptersinaction Cadet Support
Chapter members support local Junior ROTC and ROTC units by presenting top-notch cadets with MOAA medals and certificates, supporting drill meets, and funding scholarships.
M
embers of the Louisville (Ky.) Chapter (www
.moaa.org/chapter/louis
ville) believe it’s important to sup- port local high school Junior ROTC (JROTC) and college and university ROTC units. Each year, chapter lead- ers participate in national MOAA’s JROTC/ROTC program that allows them to order and receive compli- mentary MOAA medals and certifi- cates to present to the top cadet in each JROTC and ROTC unit their chapter supports. Louisville Chapter Vice Presi- dent Cmdr. George Plager, USN (Ret), coordinates the effort, order- ing MOAA medals and certificates and contacting local JROTC and ROTC instructors to find out when their annual award ceremony will be held. Then he recruits chapter volunteers to present the medals and certificates to the top cadet in 18 local area JROTC units and two ROTC units. Members also fund one $1,000 ROTC scholarship, which is awarded annually during the city’s Armed Forces Day celebration. Unlike ROTC, students who par- ticipate in JROTC are not required to join the military. However, Plager says members support JROTC because the program inspires patriotism, helps cadets become better citizens, and emphasizes service to others.
40 MILITARY OFFICER MAY 2016
“Supporting JROTC and ROTC is one of our chapter’s main undertak- ings,” says Plager. “When cadets re- ceive the MOAA medal and certificate, it gives them a sense of pride and a feeling of accomplishment. Our medal means something … and they know they’ve earned it.”
Help at competitions Lt. Col. Jim Swafford, ARNG (Ret), oversees the JROTC support program for the Green Country (Okla.) Chap- ter (
www.gcmoaa.org). Each year, members personally present a MOAA medal and certificate and a check for $50 to the top junior-class cadet in 13 area JROTC units. “I frequently hear from JROTC in-
structors who really appreciate what we do for their unit,” says Swafford. To help area cadets, several years
ago, members established a nonprofit JROTC Excellence Fund Inc. Money from the fund, combined with money obtained through MOAA’s USAA sponsorship program, is used to pur- chase trophies for an annual multi- state JROTC competition at Union High School in Tulsa, Okla., which draws hundreds of cadets. Members and spouses support the drill meet by tallying the judges’ scores and pre- senting trophies to the winners. Capt. Phillip Brown, USA (Ret), who designed the trophies for the drill
On the road: This month, Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret), director, MOAA Council and Chapter Af- fairs, will visit chapter members in Louisiana. See MOAA Calendar, page 84, for dates.
meet, says the chapter has become a go-to resource for local JROTC units. In fact, the chapter helped fund trips to Washington, D.C., so JROTC cadets from Union High School could march in both of President Barack Obama’s inaugural parades. Members of the Hampton Roads
(Va.) Chapter (
www.hrcmoaa.org) also are a resource for the 10 JROTC
receive the MOAA medal ... it gives them a sense of pride.
“ When cadets
— Louisville Chapter Vice President Cmdr. George Plager, USN (Ret)
”
and three ROTC units they support. Capt. Jim Daniels, USN (Ret), coor- dinates the presentation of MOAA medals and certificates to outstanding JROTC cadets. In addition, members pay for the trophies presented at the annual Cavalier Drill Meet at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, Va., which draws cadets from JROTC units throughout the region. Capt. Michael Barea, USN (Ret),
is coordinator for the Hampton Roads Chapter’s medal and certifi-
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