PENSACOLA, Fla. - Naval Education and Training Command’s Rear Adm. Pete Garvin and Force Master Chief Matthew Harris paid a visit with Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) cadets from Columbia Heights Educational Campus’ Bell Multicultural High School in Washington D.C. June 2.
The NETC leadership team spent time with the cadets during their lunch break prior to a meeting at the Pentagon.
During the visit, the cadets were able to ask the leadership team questions about the Navy and the leaderships’ personal experiences while serving. Garvin and Harris’ provided key insights, perspectives, and answers to the cadets’ inquiries.
Several of the Bell Multicultural High School cadets are English language learners, with Spanish as their primary language. These cadets were able to communicate with the leadership team through a bilingual cadet who translated their conversation.
The NJROTC cadets were enthusiastic to finally meet two of the individuals they see every day on their chain of command board.
NJROTC instructors at Bell Multicultural High School stated the visit was well received by the cadets.
“The cadets were impressed Rear Adm. Garvin was a soccer player,” said retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Luke Wright, senior naval science instructor for the Bell Multicultural High School NJROTC program. “The Admiral and the cadets had a great discussion regarding the best players, cleats, and types of soccer fields.”
The cadets are looking forward to Garvin’s next visit. Garvin promised to bring his soccer cleats and play soccer with them.
The NJROTC program mission is to instill students in the United States secondary education institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment. NJROTC is helping today’s your meet life’s challenges.
Approximately 60 percent of NJROTC cadets who are graduating seniors continue to higher educations. Cadets accepted for enlistment, who provide evidence of successful completion of at least three years of NJROTC, are entitled to advanced promotion to pay grade E-3 upon initial enlistment in an active or reserve component of the Navy, or Air Force, and pay grade E-2 in the Army or Marine Corps. Those who complete two years of NJROTC are entitled to E-2 in the Navy.
For more information about the NJROTC, visit Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (afpims.mil).
NETC, led by Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, is the U.S. Navy’s Force Development pillar and largest shore command. Through its “street to fleet'' focus, NETC recruits, trains and delivers those who serve the nation by transforming civilians into highly skilled, operational, and combat ready warfighte