Flour Bluff High School's Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program has earned 27 state championships out of 32 possible and 17 national drill championships— 10 with the unarmed team and 7 with the armed team — making it one of the most decorated NJROTC programs in the nation.
Navy veteran Rocky Hulse leads the program and credits his military background for its success.
"Being in the military, doesn't matter what branch you're in you learn leadership traits,you learn discipline, all of those good things that make you successful wherever you are," Hulse said.
The program's impact extends well beyond trophies. Cadets regularly volunteer at food banks and assist veterans in the surrounding community.
"We do a lot of community service events, so even just that, students going out and going to the food bank or going and helping the veterans down the street, it just helps the students become more involved and care more about the military community that we live in," Company Commander and Unarmed Drill Team Commander Grecia Padilla Carranco said.
The NJROTC program is also producing future doctors, lawyers, and leaders across every field. Cadet Fernanda Mendoza said the experience helped set her apart academically.
"Taking on different leadership roles, and that helped to make my resume stand out.And as a result, I was awarded the luminary scholarship at UTRGV, which is in total$137,000 that covers all of my undergraduate tuition, room and board, and if I pursue medical school there, my medical school tuition," Mendoza said.
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, cadet Gabriel Graham, who is preparing to enlist, reflected on what the milestone represents.
"Celebrating 250 years is showing the future of America that we're free and those who sacrificed their lives for this country made it possible for us to celebrate the 250years," Graham said.
The program expects 33 senior graduates this year. Of those, 12 plan to join the military, 1 is entering the workforce, and the remainder will pursue higher education in college.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Flour Bluff High School's Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program has earned 27 state championships out of 32 possible and 17 national drill championships— 10 with the unarmed team and 7 with the armed team — making it one of the most decorated NJROTC programs in the nation.
Navy veteran Rocky Hulse leads the program and credits his military background for its success.
"Being in the military, doesn't matter what branch you're in you learn leadership traits,you learn discipline, all of those good things that make you successful wherever you are," Hulse said.
The program's impact extends well beyond trophies. Cadets regularly volunteer at food banks and assist veterans in the surrounding community.
"We do a lot of community service events, so even just that, students going out and going to the food bank or going and helping the veterans down the street, it just helps the students become more involved and care more about the military community that we live in," Company Commander and Unarmed Drill Team Commander Grecia Padilla Carranco said.
The NJROTC program is also producing future doctors, lawyers, and leaders across every field. Cadet Fernanda Mendoza said the experience helped set her apart academically.
"Taking on different leadership roles, and that helped to make my resume stand out.And as a result, I was awarded the luminary scholarship at UTRGV, which is in total$137,000 that covers all of my undergraduate tuition, room and board, and if I pursue medical school there, my medical school tuition," Mendoza said.
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, cadet Gabriel Graham, who is preparing to enlist, reflected on what the milestone represents.
"Celebrating 250 years is showing the future of America that we're free and those who sacrificed their lives for this country made it possible for us to celebrate the 250years," Graham said.
The program expects 33 senior graduates this year. Of those, 12 plan to join the military, 1 is entering the workforce, and the remainder will pursue higher education in college.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
