https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated June 15, 2022
Defense Primer: Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
(JROTC)
Overview and Mission
The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) is a
voluntary high school program of instruction administrated
by the Department of Defense (DOD) through the military
departments. A key purpose of JROTC, according to 10
U.S.C. §2031 (as amended by P.L. 116-283), is “to instill in
students in United States secondary educational institutions
the values of citizenship, service to the United States
(including an introduction to service opportunities in
military, national, and public service), and personal
responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.” JROTC was
established as an Army program by the National Defense
Act of 1916 (P.L. 64-85) and in 1964 expanded to the Navy
and Air Force. Congress authorized Coast Guard JROTC
units at two schools: the Maritime and Science Technology
Academy in Miami, FL, in 1989 (P.L. 101-225), and
Camden County High School, NC, in 2005 (P.L. 109-241).
In FY2021, there were about 3,500 JROTC units operating
in every state and in DOD schools overseas (see Table 1).
Eighth-grade students are allowed to participate in JROTC
if physically co-located with 9
th
-12
th
grade students. Home-
schooled students may also participate.
Table 1. Estimated Size of JROTC Program
Source: DOD Comptroller, FY2022 budget justification documents.
Notes: Navy figures include 583 JROTC units and 88,000 JROTC
cadets, in addition to 60 National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC)
units and 4,700 NNDCC cadets.
JROTC Instructors
Most JROTC instructors are retired or reserve officers and
enlisted noncommissioned officers (NCOs) who serve as
employees of the school district. Service-level policies
require JROTC schools to have a minimum of one officer
(Senior Military Instructor) and one NCO (Junior Military
Instructor) on staff. Requirements to qualify as a JROTC
instructor (e.g., education, certification) are specified in law
(10 U.S.C. §2033). Instructors are also required to abide by
standards set by their parent service, as well as the policies
set by their host institution.
Retired servicemembers who are eligible for retired pay
may continue to receive such pay while employed as an
instructor. By law (10 U.S.C. §2031), military departments
may subsidize instructor positions by reimbursing the host
institution for a portion of the salary. DOD financial
regulations refer to the salary that a school must pay the
instructor as the Minimum Instructor Pay (MIP). The MIP
is the difference between (1) the active duty pay and
allowances the instructor would receive if recalled to active
duty and (2) the instructor’s retired pay entitlement. For
example, if annual military retired pay is $24,000 and total
active duty pay and allowances is $52,000 the institution
would pay the instructor the difference of $28,000. The
military may reimburse the institution $14,000 (one-half of
$28,000). Additional sample salary calculations can be
found in DOD Instruction 1205.13.
Curriculum
JROTC courses are taught over a three- or four-year period
with academic coursework on topics such as leadership and
ethics, civics, history, and health and wellness. The FY2020
NDAA authorizes instruction in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. JROTC also
includes service-specific courses such as Aerospace Science
or Seamanship and Navigation. In addition, units offer
extracurricular activities such as color guard/drill team,
marksmanship, and field trips to military installations.
Establishing a JROTC Program
Educational institutions interested in hosting a unit must
apply to the respective military department. By law,
participating host schools are required to maintain
participation levels of 10% of the student body, or 100
students, whichever is less. The military departments
establish criteria for unit placement. For example, the Army
maintains an Order of Merit List, based on a point system
that awards credit to institutions for categories such as Title
I status under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(P.L. 89-10, as amended), local indicators of need (e.g.,
high unemployment or illiteracy), student enrollment,
school financial solvency, and fair and equitable
distribution of JROTC programs among states.
Schools may also apply to host or convert an existing
JROTC unit to a National Defense Cadet Corps (NDCC)
per 10 U.S.C. §2035. NDCC statutory and regulatory
requirements are similar to host a JROTC unit. However,
instructor salaries and other costs for NDCCs are the
responsibility of the host institution and not subsidized by
the government.
