short stories / By Ryan Burns

Learning the Drill

(Oct. 30, 2008)  To drivers passing Eureka High’s parking lot Monday morning, it must have looked like an official military drill: two battalions standing in perfect formation, looking sharp in their Navy blues. But up close you could see these were not hardened soldiers; they were high school students enrolled in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC). Some were still baby-faced freshmen, standing at nervous attention for their annual military inspection.

Retired Navy Captain Dan Wenceslao, who had traveled from his office in Marysville, Wash., to pass judgment, stood in front of one wide-eyed cadet. He lifted one corner of the young man’s collar, checked his name tag and the length of his tie, then leaned behind him to inspect his haircut. Facing the cadet again, Capt. Wenceslao asked quietly, “Who’s the Secretary of Defense?”

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“Robert! Gates! Sir!” came the reply.

Eureka High’s NJROTC program, like ROTC programs nationwide, is sponsored by the United States Armed Forces. Students sign up for it, just as they would for wood shop or any other elective. They learn about naval history and military traditions. They learn how to march in formation, how to shoot air rifles and how to find checkpoints with a map and compass. And once a year, they get to go on a military orientation trip. Last year, that meant a trip to Hawaii.

“It’s a fun class,” said the tank-like instructor, Sgt. Darrin Smith, whose son, Darrin, Jr., is one of the cadets. Smith teaches five classes per day, including two introductory courses for freshmen, Naval Science 2 and 3, and a leadership course for seniors. Half his salary is paid by the Navy while the other half comes from Eureka City Schools.

“The school gets an elective teacher for half price,” Smith said.

Some citizens — both locally and nationally — have expressed concerns about the JROTC, alleging that it’s little more than an elaborate recruitment tool. Smith said that’s not the case. “It’s basically a course to teach citizenship and leadership,” he said. Students get credit for taking a military history course. They can earn college scholarships and frequently participate in community service.

Currently, 70 students are enrolled in Eureka High’s NJROTC, and if the current trend continues, very few of them will end up in the military. “I’ve been here three years,” Smith said, “and I can count on one hand the number of cadets who have enlisted.”

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