News release
May 19, 2011
UPDATED
For more information:
Commander Richard Gile, 425-385-4400
Catherine Matthews, 425-385-4400
Mary Waggoner, 425-385-4049
Everett High NJROTC earns national award for “most improved” Navy unit
On Friday night, during the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) awards
ceremony, Everett High School’s NJROTC program officially became the nation’s most improved
NJROTC unit. This award came just a few weeks after the cadets and school celebrated the unit’s
award as the region’s most improved (there are 11 regions in the United States consisting of over 600
NJROTC units).
Everett High’s Senior Naval Science Instructor, Commander Rick Gile explains that, “… each year,
one unit per region is selected for the U.S. Navy League
Most Outstanding Unit
and one unit per
region for
Most Improved Unit
. This is a very competitive process as many NJROTC units are
outstanding in different ways. Becoming a
Most Improved Unit
is equally important to achieve higher
quality and meet the goals of the NJROTC program.”
In his congratulatory comments to the cadets, J.D. Smith, Director of the NJROTC program for the
U.S. Navy said, “These awards represent the collective efforts of outstanding and dedicated cadets,
instructors and supportive school officials. Congratulations for a job well done!”
NJROTC units across the country were among the handful to earn “most improved” status; only
Everett is considered the best of that group. This elevates the local cadet corps to a level that could
compete in the future for the region’s and the nation’s “most outstanding unit” – something that
Everett High School Principal Catherine Matthews considers within their reach. “We are fortunate to
have among our students, this group of fine young men and women who welcome hard work, are
dedicated scholars, who exemplify solid ethics and who are invaluable members of this school
community and the wider community it serves. I expect to see more honors for this NJROTC in the
future and to hear many stories of the individual successes of these cadets as they move through
high school and continue their leadership roles.”
Original News Release
April 22, 2011
Everett High School NJROTC wins Navy award
School unit is deemed “most improved” and will receive award on May 13
“At the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, the Everett
NJROTC
unit was a nearly defunct,
demoralized organization that was failing in almost every measure.”
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Everett Public Schools news release
Everett High School NJROTC wins Navy award
Page 2
Those were the opening words written by Everett High School’s NJROTC instructor Commander
Richard Gile in his bid to have his school unit considered as the most improved NJROTC unit of
Area 13. The dramatic change detailed in his nomination secured the award for Everett High School
NJROTC cadets. They will be honored on Friday, May 13 at the annual awards program at Everett
Civic Auditorium.
Gile chronicled the unit’s flagging nature three years ago when, in 2007-08, there were just 41 cadets
onboard. The unit did not have a good reputation, and relationships with cadets and administrators
were strained. Although the district had considered disbanding the unit, there was strong support for
the benefits a well-run program would have under new instructors.
As Gile explained, “with new leadership in place, three goal sets were chiseled into the fabric of
the unit:
“
Goal 1
: Rebuild a broken NJROTC unit. Establish strong working relationships with the
school, district, community, and local naval leadership. Reinvigorate the cadet staff.
Bring a sense of pride and integrity back into the lives of the cadets.
Goal 2
: Re-establish all NJROTC teams including: armed and unarmed drill, PT, Color Guard,
orienteering, academic and air rifle.
Goal 3
: Wage a positive NJROTC PR campaign within the school and community. Make
community service a hallmark of the Everett NJROTC program. The dream of the SNSI was
that one day, the mayor of our great city would look upon the Everett NJROTC unit with pride,
and think of it as the ‘mayor’s own.’”
New leadership, new goals, and a renewed focus made a difference. This year the number of cadets
rose to a high of 119. Each year, NJROTC units submit end-of-year reports and earn points for their
achievements. The first year garnered just 50 points; this year, they are scoring more than 150 points.
The community benefits from a well-run cadet program. Gile noted, “The Everett NJROTC unit has
gone from essentially zero community service hours to over 3,000 this year. Of particular note, the
unit has adopted and been adopted by several city departments including the Everett Senior Center,
the Everett Parks Department and the Everett Animal Shelter. Today, the mayor of Everett knows
who we are and looks upon us with pride. We will be the ‘mayor’s own.’”
Everett High School Principal Catherine Matthews shares the pride in the cadets, “Everett NJROTC
has gone from a program the community was almost completely unaware of to one which it relies on
for its most important events from Color Guards to volunteers who contribute countless hours of
service and do it with a smile on their faces. From a program focused on itself and self-preservation,
to a program that is integral to the school, NJROTC is the “go to” program when anything important is
going on. Instead of just wearing uniforms, cadets now are proud of their uniforms, what they
represent and the recognition and respect they have earned as leaders and contributing members of
their school and communities.”
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Everett Public Schools news release
Everett High School NJROTC wins Navy award
Page 3
Everett NJROTC Cadet and Commanding Officer Joshua Ogden remembers, “… that first day I
walked into the NJROTC classroom four years ago. Seeing pictures of ships and aircraft on the walls,
signal flags hanging from the ceiling, and a display case full of awards, let me know that I had gotten
myself into something important. I had high expectations for my experience in NJROTC.
“My starry-eyed view of the NJROTC unit turned to disappointment. As told by the upper classmen,
the NJROTC unit at Everett was at the lowest point it had ever been.
“When my Senior Naval Science Instructor walked in for the first time, it was his first year as well.
With new faces everywhere, the unit had a chance to become something great. Amazing things
started happening.
“The NJROTC unit started to engage with the school and with the community.
“Where the relationship with the administration had been previously strained, now the program is
highly respected and is a source of pride. The principal has called NJROTC students “the best
students at Everett High. This is a serious testimony to how our reputation has improved.
“Everett High School NJROTC has been a defining high school experience, one that I will never
forget. The success and honors that our unit has achieved during the past few years proves that the
unit has risen from the brink of collapse to becoming one of the top NJROTC unit’s in Area 13.
“Now when I walk into the NJROTC rooms, I feel the sense of pride and honor that I had hoped for
that first day I walked in.”
Giving credit entirely to his cadets, Gile says, “Everett NJROTC has indeed come a long way.
The numbers in the end-of-year reports record the progress and accomplishments. We’re not
done yet – we’re just getting warmed up.”
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