What does the Nome-Beltz High School Army JROTC Nanook Battalion do?
Besides classroom instruction in citizenship, leadership and foundations for success, the JROTC stays extremely involved in the successes of our community by providing color guard support and community service support to Sitnasuak and Kawerak conferences, high school athletic competitions, city and school district events, National Rifle Association and Ducks Unlimited fundraising, Volunteer Fire Department fund-raising, and Community Emergency Management exercises. Annually, the JROTC sponsors Turkey Shoots (at Thanksgiving), Idita-shoots (in coordination with Iditarod) and “safe gun handling" training for the community, as well as annual flag retirement ceremonies for the Nome area. We participate in annual community cleanup, support the Iron Dog championship snowmobile races, Iditarod championship dogsled races, breakfast with Santa, books for kids, reading to elementary school kids, elementary school community Easter egg hunt, teach flag etiquette to scouting groups and classes at the elementary school, tutor junior high and elementary grades, Literary Council events, American Legion and VFW events, parades, car washes, and serve as ushers for school open houses. We accumulate over 3000 hours of community service and have 8-12 cadets qualify for the Presidential Community Service Award each year.
As part of the state and community emphasis on subsistence in Alaska curriculum, all of our cadets shoot air rifle at least one day per week and participate in inter-battalion, school-wide, and/or community shooting competitions. We also conduct physical fitness and healthy lifestyles instruction one day per week (which allows JROTC to count for required state PE credits). Our rifle team and physical fitness team compete interscholastic ally in postal matches and are recognized among the top high school JROTC rifle and physical fitness teams in the state. Our academic and leadership teams compete interscholastically on-line against almost 1800 other JROTC programs across the nation, and have made it to the semi- final rounds in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
JROTC instructors also provide active support for cadets identified as "at risk”. We teach values emphsizing the Army values and the Inupiaq values as well as the 5 R’s – Respect, Responsibility, Right choices, act above Reproach, and Render aid - especially to Elders, and act as mentors sponsoring cadets to attend the Alaska Military Youth Academy. Our program is 90% Native Alaskan and numbers between 50-60 each year (1/3 of the total high school student body). The Nanook Battalion recognizes Sitnasuak Native Corporation as their official sponsor. Sitnasuak annually provides $100,000 to Nome Public School for the district's portion of the JROTC costs (the Army pays the other half), and has done so for the past nine years ($900,000).
For more information about JROTC, please use the weblink buttons below. Lt. Colonel Bob Blake can be reached at (907) 443-6162 or email [email protected].
THE NANOOK BATTALION: "COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE!"