Come See Sergeant Major Miller
Welcome to the Jr Army Guard Home Page. Staff at Spencer County High School have worked to create a unique and innovative learning experience. This program allows students to explore a potential military career while building strong relationships that enhance academic and socio-emotional learning skills.
So why should students enroll in the Jr Army Guard program? The program is an integral part of the curriculum at SCHS. The course content reinforces the educational objectives of core courses such as English, science, mathematics, history, and social studies. It has four academically accredited subjects for which cadets may receive credit. Cadets also receive textbooks and training material, take tests, and receive grades. What is unique about the Jr Army Guard program? Unlike most other secondary school students, Jr Army Guard cadets have uniform inspections, learn how to march, and undergo physical training. While the training is along military lines, instructors conduct it as a means to encourage initiative and natural gifts, to develop individuality and personal character, to teach self-control and responsibility, and to instill qualities of leadership, integrity, loyalty, and dedication.
What about fun stuff? The Jr Army Guard is not all class work. Cadets can engage in numerous voluntary team-oriented activities, such as academic, color guard, drill (both with and without arms), orienteering, athletics, and marksmanship. All these team activities provide enjoyable opportunities for cadets to further participate and apply skills learned in the program. Benefits a cadet can expect to receive from the JAG program include:
· Discipline: The values, principles, and self-discipline taught in Jr Army Guard promote positive, productive behaviors and provide a support structure critical in helping cadets avoid using drugs and joining gangs. The program promotes the moral and ethical development so lacking today, not just in our society, but in many homes as well.
· Leadership: While the training is along military lines, it is conducted so as to encourage initiative and individuality to help develop a cadet’s natural gifts. It especially promotes and develops a cadet’s leadership potential. Once cadets demonstrate leadership skills, they may attend basic leadership training, or leadership academies. While in Jr Guard cadets will be challenged to lead and direct the efforts of others and to accept responsibility for their own successes and failures. Jr Guard instills leadership skills, self-control, personal responsibility, and the qualities of integrity, loyalty, and dedication.
· High School Graduation: Jr Army Guard cadets participate learn meta-cognitive and goal setting practices. Like JROTC counterparts, cadets tend to have higher school attendance records than most high school students. The program is very motivational in encouraging cadets to graduate from high school.
· Military Career Assistance: In partnerships with cadets and their families who desire a military career, the Jr Army Guard helps guide and align with career goals regardless of branch of service.
· Physical Fitness (PT): Cadets are encouraged to participate in the physical fitness program. When they pass the voluntary PT test, they are awarded the Jr Army Guard Physical Fitness ribbon. Cadets participate in local or statewide competitions that include physical fitness throughout the year.
· Team Activities: Cadets have numerous team activities associated with Jr Guard, such as color guard, drill, academic, and orienteering. They use the skills acquired in these activities to participate in local and statewide competitions, usually on weekends or during the summer.
· Social Activities: The Jr Army Guard at SCHS will host picnics, parties, and social gatherings. Cadets attend both informal and formal activities include dining's-in or dining's-out, and honors and awards ceremonies.
· Community Service: Cadets are active in various school and community service projects serving the less fortunate, the poor, and the needy. This activity enhances the image of the school and the military in the eyes of the community. It teaches cadets what public service is all about: the aspect of citizenship that demonstrates responsibility and humility. The school and community service activities bring positive recognition to the cadets, their unit, school, and school district.
· Orientation Trips: One of the important benefits of Jr Guard is the orientation trip. Cadets get to participate in field trips to military installations within the state. These trips give cadets opportunities to relate Jr Guard curriculum material to real life. They also offer opportunities for cadets to assume leadership roles and develop leadership skills.
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt (Paris Sorbonne, 1910)
Twitter schsmilitary
Instagram schsmilitary/
SCHS Veterans of Spencer County