Wilby
High School
MCJROTC
Faculty
The MCJROTC faculty at Wilby High School is led by an Officer and a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer who are each retired after 20-plus years of active duty service. Instructors are trained and certified in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007 and MCJROTC standards and possess a State of Connecticut JROTC teaching endorsement.
Maj. Ryan Orozco, USMC (Ret.)
Senior Marine Instructor
Email
Biography
1st Sgt. Jorge Montes, USMC (Ret.)
Marine Instructor
Email
Biography
Program Overview
The U.S. Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (MCJROTC) is one of the largest character development and citizenship programs for youth in the world. The National Defense Act of 1916 established JROTC programs at public and private educational institutions.
As congressionally mandated by Title 10 United States Code, Section 2031, each military service must have a JROTC program to "instill in students in United States secondary institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment."
The MCJROTC's mission, "To Develop Leadership, Character, and Citizenship in America's Youth," is the cornerstone for the program's success.
The MCJROTC program currently operates in more than 240 public and private high schools and military institutions throughout the United States, Japan and Guam. The MCJROTC program is a cooperative effort on the part of the Marine Corps and the host institution to provide secondary school students with opportunities for total development.
Of the 554 Connecticut high schools, there are fifteen (15) JROTC programs across four services. Wilby High School hosts the only Marine Corps JROTC program in Connecticut.
As JROTC students (Cadets) progress through the program, they experience opportunities to lead other Cadets, develop life skills, and receive classes in college and career readiness. With a unit strength of approximately 100 cadets, the demographics of the program mirror those of the school with a large majority of cadets coming from minority backgrounds.
