CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Cape May County Technical High School has secured the state’s first Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.
Beginning in fall 2027, rising ninth-graders and transfer students entering grades 10 to 12 will be invited to apply to join the first class of cadets.
Mike Lutz, Public and Governmental Affairs Officer for U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, said the program is not a recruiting tool, instead geared toward creating a more civic-minded community.
“The biggest benefit is that the program develops civic responsibilities, leadership and character in students,” he said.
Lutz said the program involves team building, drilling, ceremonies, physical fitness, learning about the maritime environment, life skills and community service.
Students wear uniforms and use equipment provided at no cost.
“It teaches citizenship and builds confidence,” Lutz said, noting it is an elective class. “Students will learn about the service and missions. However, there is no requirement or expectation that they join any service.”
The new four-year program will offer Cape May Tech students an opportunity to explore careers in the Coast Guard and maritime industries and develop leadership and citizenship skills critical for any college or career path.
“It would look good on a college resume,” Lutz said. “If they join the service, that’s great, but the biggest thing they get is good citizenship.”
The program will become one of only 20 of its kind offered to high school students nationwide, putting Cape May Tech in exclusive company.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for students in our area to participate in a proven and highly respected program that is rooted in both character development and the maritime sciences, with a curriculum that is especially relevant here in Cape May County,” Cape May County Technical School District Superintendent Jamie Moscony said. “The addition of the Coast Guard JROTC program is another example of how Cape May Tech helps raise the bar for unique educational opportunities in New Jersey.”
Moscony added that there are only 16 CG JROTC programs in the country, with the plan to expand to 20 over the next year.
She said Cape May Tech is an ideal host for program expansion given its proximity to the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May.
“Furthermore, as a county vocational-technical school, Cape May Tech already has the structure in place to blend traditional academics with highly focused career learning,” Moscony said.
Lutz said courses are taught by senior maritime service instructors, usually retirees from the service.
“We get a strong community out of it, whether they join the service or not. Everyone as a whole benefits from the program,” he said.
Information sessions are scheduled for 5 p.m. Nov. 10 and Dec. 10 in the Cape May Tech Conference Center at 188 Crest Haven Road in Cape May Court House.
Cadets incur no military service obligation by participation, but they may be eligible for advanced enlistment opportunities with two or more years of participation in the program.
Lutz said members would have the opportunity to tour the base and attend cadet graduation ceremonies.
“We are very excited to have this so close by, to have close relations with the school,” he said.
Visit uscg.mil/community/jrotc for more information about the program.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
