Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) cadets from three Area Four high schools completed a three day Basic Leadership Training (BLT) at the Army National Guard Training Facility in Strafford, New Hampshire, October 28-30.

The cadre included 110 cadets from the Dover High School Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC), Manchester (New Hampshire) NJROTC unit, and the Massabesic NJROTC unit from Waterboro, Maine.

Activities included daily athletics and physical training, team building, along with first aid and land navigation training, using a state of the art weapon simulator, uniform and room inspections and a close-order drill competition.

Retired Navy Commander Tom Gamble, senior naval science instructor at Dover High School, led a team of 11 staff made up of retired Navy and Marine Corps personnel, Active duty National Guard and Marine Corps, as well as volunteers during the three-day evolution.

"The cadets were treated to a great weekend with a full schedule of events including battle field relays, eating MRE's, buddy drags, but the highlight was using a state-of-the-art weapons training simulator where they simulated using M4 rifles and took part in practice shooting at simulated turkeys." Gamble said.

According to Cadet Rebecca Hughes, company commanding officer and a senior at Dover High School, 38 BLT graduates assisted the adult staff members in providing the training to the new cadets.

"I have been in the program since my freshman year," said Hughes. "This program has done so much for me as I prepare to enter the Marine Corps. I have enjoyed my time in NJROTC because it builds self-discipline, attention to detail and responsible citizens. This weekend was about watching the new cadets develop confidence in their own abilities and the abilities of their fellow cadets."

Cadet Stephen Steer, a junior at Nute High School, said he enjoyed the busy schedule and regimental routine during the weekend evolution.

"I'm just starting the process of applying to service academies and this weekend is just what I needed. I'm more confident than ever that I can be successful in college and at an academy," Steer said.

Cadet Seaman Apprentice Emma Payette is a freshman at Dover High School and new to NJROTC but her mother is currently on active duty in the Navy.

"This was just an awesome experience. I really enjoyed experiencing something new and being constantly challenged. Adapting to a new environment with people that you mostly didn't know before and watching it all come together was great," Cadet Payette said.

On the final day of the training the cadets were honored with a graduation ceremony held at the National Guard Training Facility. At the ceremony, cadets were presented awards for their accomplishments in academics, personnel inspections, athletics and close-order drill.

Navy Captain Art Stauff, senior Naval Science Instructor from Manchester West High School, was a featured speaker at the graduation and addressed the more than 200 family members in attendance.

"The support from families is really what allows these outstanding cadets to develop into productive citizens," Stauff said. "The cadets you see before you are our future and we are privileged to watch them develop into citizen leaders of our communities. The training conducted this weekend has put them on a path to success."

NJROTC is a citizenship development program that instills in high school students, in U. S. secondary educational institutions, the value of citizenship and service to the United States.

The program is currently overseen by Evans and his NSTC staff, headquartered on Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. NSTC oversees 98 percent initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy. This training includes the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program at more than 150 colleges and universities that either host NROTC units or have cross-town enrollment agreements with a host university. NSTC also oversees Officer Training Command (OTC) in Newport, R.I., Recruit Training Command (RTC) at Naval Station Great Lakes, as well as NJROTC.

NSTC's NJROTC program is divided into 11 areas across the United States that also includes units in Italy, Spain, Japan and Guam. There are more than 86,000 student cadets in the more than 580 units. Area 13 covers the most ground starting in Papillion, Neb., and stretching across the Pacific Ocean to Yokosuka, Japan. There are 13 Northwest states in Area 13 including Hawaii, Guam and Japan, totaling 6,086.9 miles. Texas and Florida are their own areas with 68 units in Florida (Area 4) and 55 units in Texas (Area 10). Area 6 in North Carolina and South Carolina host 67 units while Area 11 in Southern California and Arizona have more than 50 units. Other areas encompass the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Plains States and Southwest.

The NNDCC program provides schools that do not qualify for a Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) unit an opportunity to provide a similar program designed to expand students' opportunities to gain the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.

For more information on NJROTC visit http://www.njrotc.navy.mil/.

For more information about NSTC, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil/nstc/ or visit the NSTC Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining/.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Service Training Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.