[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 22 (Thursday, February 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S1526]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THURMOND (for himself and Mr. Graham):
  S. 385. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to remove a 
limitation on the expansion of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training 
Corps, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation to 
improve our existing laws regarding the Junior Reserve Officers' 
Training Corps programs, more commonly known as JROTC. Established by 
Congress in 1916, Junior ROTC has demonstrated over the decades that it 
works. Junior ROTC is an elective high school course taught by retired 
military personnel at selected private and public high schools in the 
United States and its territories. It is also taught abroad through the 
Department of Defense Dependents School System. The main goal of JROTC 
is to motivate and develop young people. In order to accomplish this 
goal, the program combines classroom instruction and extracurricular 
activities oriented on attaining an awareness of the rights, 
responsibilities, and privileges of citizenship; developing the 
student's sense of personal responsibility; building life skills; and 
providing leadership opportunities.
  As we are all aware, President Bush recently placed our Nation's 
youth at the top of his agenda. In his forward to the ``No Child Left 
Behind'' Education Reform Plan, the President stated that ``[the] 
mission is to build the mind and character of every child, from every 
background.'' There is no existing education program that accomplishes 
exactly this goal better than JROTC. What students study in Junior ROTC 
is not primarily found in textbooks. What is learned by students 
enrolled in JROTC is not at the disposal of students and schools 
without the JROTC programs. As former Commandant of the Marine Corps, 
General Charles Krulak, summarized in a March 19, 1999 letter to me, 
``as we seek to identify and develop young men and women of character, 
this program does it all.''
  Widely recognized studies have praised JROTC as having a dramatic 
positive impact in high school education. In fact, one report noted 
that JROTC cadets boast a better class attendance rate, a lower number 
of disciplinary infractions, and a higher number of graduates. The 
report also stated that ``Cadets performed better than the overall 
school population in every area that is routinely measured by 
educators, including: academic performance, grade point average, the 
Scholastic Aptitude Test, and the American College Test.'' It comes as 
no surprise that schools districts throughout the United States are 
clamoring to establish JROTC units at hundreds of high schools.
  While the primary purpose of JROTC is to develop good citizens, there 
are, in fact, tangible benefits to our Nation's Armed Services. 
Statistics demonstrate that over 40 percent of students who graduate 
from the JROTC program choose some form of military service. Without a 
doubt, this fact proves conclusively that good citizens choose to serve 
their country.
  The JROTC program's contribution to our Nation's schools, communities 
and Armed Forces is no less than remarkable in conveying a sense of 
service, patriotism, leadership communication skills, team work, and 
self-esteem. After JROTC and advancing into their futures, young men 
and women carry such virtues into America's society while serving as a 
bridge between the military and civil society at a time when the two 
have tended to diverge. The dividends of this cannot be overstated.
  Soon we will be unable to expand the proven and praised Junior 
Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs. By law, the JROTC program is 
limited to having 3,500 units for schools throughout the United States. 
Each of our military services have limits to the number of units they 
may establish, and the Marine Corps has already reached its 
limitations. Without changing existing law, thousands of high schools 
will never have the opportunity to reap the benefits of the JROTC 
program. Furthermore, some Services have encountered difficulty 
recruiting retired Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers to fill 
instructor positions at certain high schools, especially in inner-city 
and rural schools. These staffing difficulties compromise the ability 
to establish these especially critical new units.
  The legislation that I am introducing today is straightforward and 
simple. It seeks to repeal limitations on the number of Junior Reserve 
Officers' Training Corps units and opens the door to the many retired 
Guard and Reserve Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers who have 
expressed an interest in serving as JROTC instructors, but because of 
the existing law are unable to do so.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Every Member in 
Congress has a stake in assuring its unfettered enactment.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 385

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF JUNIOR RESERVE 
                   OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS UNITS.

       Section 2031(a)(1) of title 10, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking the second sentence.

     SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE EMPLOYMENT OF 
                   RETIRED NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE PERSONNEL AS 
                   JROTC ADMINISTRATORS AND INSTRUCTORS.

       Section 2031(d) of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
     by inserting ``regular or reserve component'' after ``as 
     administrators and instructors in the program, retired'' in 
     the matter preceding paragraph (1).
                                 ______