[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 6, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S1703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING JOPLIN HIGH SCHOOL ROTC

 Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the 
100th anniversary of the Joplin High School Junior Reserve Officer 
Training Corps, one of the oldest such programs in the United States.
  At a time when our Nation faces extraordinary challenges at home and 
abroad, preparing the next generation is paramount. The future lays in 
the hands of our youth. Since 1919, Joplin High School JROTC has been 
developing outstanding citizens for Missouri through leadership 
development, discipline, and service.
  Today, less than 1 percent of Americans serve in the military; yet, 
Joplin High School JROTC has 120 cadets who are part of the program's 
historic legacy under the leadership of Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joshua Reitz 
and 1SG (Ret.) Richard Banks. Some of these cadets will go on to put 
the lessons and leadership training they received into practice through 
service in the U.S. Armed Forces. Military service is not only a 
career, but a lifestyle full of continuous reward and knowledge. For 
those that choose the path of Military Service, we should thankful.
  To the members of Eagle Battalion, I urge you to uphold your school's 
core values of truth, honor, and loyalty. These values may be no 
guarantee of popularity, comfort, or success, at least not as the world 
defines success; yet, a life of integrity characterized by these 
virtues is a life of which you can be proud.
  The path of leadership is a difficult one and often lonely. America 
needs strong servant-leaders in the next generation willing to confront 
the challenges we face with courage, rooted in the principles that make 
our Nation great.
  As your Senator, I have been given the solemn responsibility to 
nominate young women and men for placements at our Nation's service 
academies. It is a duty I do not take lightly, knowing that these 
future leaders will be on the frontlines of securing American freedom. 
I encourage those of you who have been a part of Joplin High School 
JROTC to seriously consider applying for one of these highly selective 
spots. The program's legacy of excellence demands that I give your 
candidacy the consideration it deserves.
  I want to thank Joplin High School ROTC for their dedication to their 
school, to Joplin, to Missouri, and to our country. Congratulations on 
the first 100 years of service, and here is to the next century of 
service.

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