THE HISTORY OF

THE ROBERT SERVICE HIGH SCHOOL NJROTC UNIT

 The Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps was established by Congress as a result of the Reserve Officer Training Corps Vitalization Act of 1964.  The program formally went into effect in High Schools in the Fall of 1966.

 An NJROTC Unit was formed at Robert Service High School in 1979, and it initially existed as a satellite of the NJROTC Unit at Chugiak High School.  In August of 1987, by direction of the Secretary of the Navy, James H. Webb, a separate and full NJROTC unit was authorized for Robert Service High School, and it was formally activated on April 13, 1988.

Now in its 14th year, the Unit has firmly established an impressive record of academic and team-sport excellence.  The Unit has competed in 41 State-wide Close Order Drill Meets, winning 73 First-Place trophies and over 76 2nd and 3rd place trophies.  The Service NJROTC Drill Teams have also won First Place at the first Elite Drill Meet, a National Level competition, as well as placing 2nd and 3rd in Color Guard and Unarmed Drill and taking the Commander’s Cup Award for overall aggregate score.  The Rifle Team owns more than 35 National 1st, 2nd and 3rd place National Shooting Awards, with many of its former cadets winning Athletic scholarship awards to Universities and Military Academies.

In the academic arena, several Service cadets have won individual and team academic awards over the past 12 years.  Numerous cadets have scholarships as well as direct appointments to the U. S. Naval and the U.S. Military Academies.

Between 1992 and 2004, the Service NJROTC Unit was designated a Naval Honor School 10 times by the Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET).  In 1997 and 2004 the Unit received the CNET Unit Achievement Award.  In 2002 the Unit took 1st place in NJROTC Area THIRTEEN and tied for 4th place in the entire NJROTC program world-wide. In 2003 the Unit again took 1st place in NJROTC Area THIRTEEN and tied for 2nd place in the entire NJROTC program world-wide.

 Mr. Lou Pondolfino is the principal of Robert Service High School.  The Senior Naval Science Instructor is CDR Randall J. Laws, USN (Ret.) and the Naval Science Instructor is GySgt Tom Foust, USMC (Ret.)

Last Update:  08/28/2008

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Robert Service High School NJROTC Unit.

1999 - 2004  All rights reserved.
Revised: 08/28/08.