https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated December 16, 2022
Defense Primer: Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
Background
The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) is a
Department of Defense (DOD)-funded program of
instruction for high school-aged students administrated by
the military departments (Army, Navy, and Air Force). A
key purpose of JROTC, according to 10 U.S.C. §2031 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.” Congress
established JROTC as an Army program in the National
Defense Act of 1916 (P.L. 64-85) and in 1964 expanded it
to the Navy and Air Force. Congress later 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 fiscal year (FY) 2022, the military departments reported
funding 3,486 JROTC units operating in every state and in
DOD schools overseas (see Table 1). Eighth-grade students
may participate in JROTC if physically co-located with 9
th
-
12
th
grade students. Home-schooled students may also
participate. In FY2022, 10 Air Force units were converted
to Space Force units.
Table 1. Estimated Size of JROTC Program in FY2022
Source: DOD Comptroller, FY2023 budget justification documents.
Notes: Navy figures include 71 National Defense Cadet Corps
(NNDCC) units and 5,100 NNDCC cadets.
JROTC Instructors
Most JROTC instructors are retired or reserve officers and
enlisted noncommissioned officers (NCOs) who are hired
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. Eligibility criteria to serve as a JROTC
instructor (e.g., education, certification) are specified in law
(10 U.S.C. §2033). Instructors are required to abide by
standards set by their parent service, as well as the policies
set by their host institution.
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 the (1) active duty pay and
allowances the instructor would receive if recalled to active
duty and (2) instructor’s retired pay entitlement. Sample
salary calculations are found in DOD Instruction 1205.13.
Curriculum
JROTC courses are taught over a three- or four-year period
on topics such as leadership, ethics, civics, history, and
health and wellness. The FY2020 NDAA (P.L. 116-92) also
authorized 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
Congressional offices may be approached by local
educational authorities (LEAs) in their district with
questions about how to establish a new JROTC unit.
Schools interested in hosting a unit must apply to the
respective military department. By law, 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,
with a point system awarding 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 are not subsidized
by the government. Schools may seek to convert an existing
unit to an unfunded NDCC if enrolment figures fall under
the statutory threshold.
Federal Funding
Congress annually appropriates JROTC funds as part of
DOD’s Operation and Maintenance (O&M) and Military
Personnel (MILPERS) budget (see Table 2). Beyond
instructor salaries, the military departments also fund
uniforms, cadet travel, training aids, text books, educational
