Guardsmen Help with JROTC Program

Members of the Georgia Army National Guard recently spent four days getting more "face time" with the next generation of Soldiers at an annual South Georgia Army Junior ROTC summer camp program near Albany. 

At least 24 Army Guard recruiters from the Recruiting and Retention Division at Joint Forces Headquarters in Ellenwood and Soldiers from units such as 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry, 148th Forward Support Battalion and Georgia Medical Command, assisted with Camp Freedom III. This year's JROTC leadership camp at Camp Osborn Boy Scout Camp. An estimated 129 JROTC cadets from Macon's Central High School and Fitzgerald High in Fitzgerald, as well as Crisp, Dooly, Turner, Wilcox and Worth high schools participated.

"It's a great opportunity for us as recruiters and Soldiers because it allows the cadets to see us on a daily basis, even if it is only for five days," said Master Sgt. Dale Shanklin. "That contact makes us more personable them. Shanklin is the NCOIC for the Recruiting and Retention Division's Region 9. That region covers much Southwest Georgia.

"In turn they remember us when we visit them at school," he added.

The one thing that should be remember, though, is that the important thing about working at the weeklong summer camp is he and his fellow Soldiers are helping those future leaders build their self esteem and confidence in their abilities to tackle life challenges now and in the future, Shanklin said. 
Lieutenant Col. Dennis Harrison, the camp commander and the senior Army instructor at Cordele's Crisp County High, agreed. 

When the cadets start their first day of training, many of them can be heard saying, "I can't do this...I just can't," Harrison said. By the time they're through the week, they've changed their tune and can be heard telling their friends and the JROTC cadre, "I can't believe I did this...this is great, I want to do it again," Harrison said.

"When push comes to shove, when the pressure is put on them to not back down, but to meet the challenge head on, they come out on top every time," he continued. "That success, that change, in attitude can be contributed to the Soldiers and to our cadre who never, ever let the cadets just give up and walk away."

While much of the training takes place at Camp Osborn, portions of it are conducted at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Shanklin said. The Marines, he said, are great to work with, and they have long been a supporter of the Guard and its training efforts, to include the Guard's Recruiting Sustainment Training. That training gets new Soldiers ready for the challenges they will meet at Basic Combat Training.

This is the third year the Army JROTC has held its weeklong summer camp at Camp Osborn. In the past, the training was two-weeks long and was held at Fort Stewart and the National Guard Training Center. Then, the JROTC cadre and the Guardsmen who volunteered to assist them worked with more than 500 JROTC cadets from across the state. Now, the training is only one week and takes place at designated sites among the Army Guard's nine recruiting regions, Shanklin said.