Coast Guard establishes first Hawaii-based JROTC program

News Release from Coast Guard District 14 External Affairs Nov 21, 2024

HONOLULU – The Coast Guard established a new Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Program at Kalani High School in Honolulu Thursday.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sean Regan, commander, District Fourteen, served as keynote speaker during the JROTC unit’s commissioning ceremony.

“I am so proud to be part of such a great event and to see fantastic young men and women seeking new challenges, opportunities and adventures,” said Regan. “Thank you to the cadets’ families for their support, to Congress, the State of Hawaii and the City of Honolulu for bringing this program to fruition, and to Kalani High School’s administrators and teachers for partnering with the Coast Guard.”

Kalani High School’s Coast Guard JROTC unit is the 14th in the nation and has over 20 cadets enrolled in the inaugural semester.

“We’re exceedingly grateful to be working with the State of HI Department of Education, Honolulu District, to launch this incredible partnership,” said Cmdr. Clay Cromer, Coast Guard JROTC program manager. “We look forward to seeing cadets learn, grow, and achieve in a supportive and fun learning environment. My hope is they’ll look back on their time in Coast Guard JROTC at Kalani High School with incredible fondness as they go out equipped to make a positive difference wherever they’re called to serve.”

Coast Guard JROTC instructors are hired and employed by the school district and certified by the service. Instructors must be Coast Guard retired, selected reserve, or qualified veterans with at least eight years of service. Kalani High School’s Coast Guard JROTC instructor is Retired Chief Petty Officer Ash Armstrong.

The National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 mandated the Coast Guard to establish and maintain JROTC programs in each of the nine Coast Guard districts by Dec. 31, 2025. The Coast Guard established four new JROTC units this fall, making Kalani High School’s unit the 14th with program-wide enrollment of over 1,200 cadets. These new units are at the following host schools:   

Barnstable High School in Barnstable, Massachusetts    
Innovation High School in Orlando 
Veterans Memorial High School in Corpus Christi, Texas   
Kalani High School in Honolulu   

Coast Guard JROTC is not a recruiting program. Cadets incur no military service obligation by participation in JROTC, but they may be eligible for advanced enlistment opportunities with two or more years of participation in the program. The program helps equip cadets with the skills necessary to be more prepared for tomorrow’s challenges, no matter what path they take.   

To learn more about the Coast Guard JROTC program, visit their website: U.S. Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (CGJROTC).   

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