Commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mike Bernacchi, welcomed more than 80 Area 3 Navy Junior ROTC cadets to the annual NJROTC Leadership Academy and Sail Training on Naval Station Great Lakes, June 16-23.

Top cadet sophomores and juniors from more than 25 high schools from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and West Virginia attended the weeklong course. The cadets are scheduled to be the leaders of their NJROTC units in the upcoming school year.

Due to inclement weather during part of the week, this year's graduation ceremony was held in Ross Theater on the base. Each cadet received a silver shoulder chord for successfully completing the academy curriculum, inspections, drills and physical training.

"Character, core values, everything you're learning all has to do with being a good citizen," Bernacchi told cadets and family members during the graduation ceremony. "The fact that you're here simply means you are the best of the best. You should take tremendous pride in that. But with that comes great responsibility. You now have the responsibility to lead."

More than 25 NJROTC Area 3 Navy science instructors (NSIs) ran this year's academy. The academy has been held on Naval Station Great Lakes for the past 19 years.

According to the Area 3 manager, retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Joe Hankins, the mission of the academy this year was to prepare cadets to be leaders in their units.

"Leadership Academy's mission is to prepare selected NJROTC cadets for leadership roles in their units," said Hankins. "I want all the cadets attending Leadership Academy to take back to their units what they've learned during this weeklong academy and use the skills and display the characteristics that make a good leader."

"We want all the graduating cadets to be proud of what they've accomplished, and for them to understand that when they wear their coveted 'silver cord,' we will hold them to a higher standard and we will expect them to lead by example while displaying the highest standards of leadership and citizenship at all times."

Hankins said one of the most prominent events during the week was a military dining-in, June 22. Dining-in is a formal, military ceremonial dinner for members of a company or unit, which includes the dinner and other events to foster camaraderie and esprit de corps. The cadets also received their silver aiguillette, or shoulder cord, at the dinning-in. The silver shoulder cord signifies the successful completion of the leadership academy and that the cadet is ready to assume a leadership position within their unit. At the end of the graduation ceremony, each cadet came up on stage to be congratulated by Bernacchi and NSTC's Command Master Chief Jimmy Hailey.

"Congratulations, you have earned it," Bernacchi said. "You should relish this day. Be happy. But when you get back to your units, it's time to go to work. It's time to maintain the standard. It's time to set the course for your future. Good luck."

During the week, the cadets had the opportunity to tour a number of Navy Training Support Center (TSC) schools on the naval station and use many of the base facilities. There were also several team-building exercises and inspections during the week. The biggest draw was the sail training, where the cadets learned how to operate a 14-foot sailboat on Lake Michigan. Naval Station Great Lakes Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department provided the boats, as they have been in the past.

"This week was great," said Cadet Ensign Myron Salvador, 17, a senior from Greenwood High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky. "The camaraderie was amazing. There are a lot of opportunities to show your leadership skills. I'm anxious to take back the things I learned here and incorporate them into my unit."

Salvador hopes to raise the level of drill in his unit.

"It's my responsibility as a cadet to lead my squad, platoon or company and make sure everyone in the unit has the [utmost] respect and everyone is treated equally," he said.

Cadet Master Chief Joanna Franco, 16, a junior from East Aurora (Illinois) High School, felt the week was challenging, but feels she now has some leadership tools to take back and use at her school.

"All the different schedules, maintaining our barracks and the weather was very, very challenging, but I was able to overcome all of it with the help of the other cadets to earn my silver cord," Franco said. "What I'm going to take back to my unit is all the different leadership techniques we learned: to make sure you plan things out and take smaller steps to reach your goals, and make sure you can accomplish each task completely before moving to the next one."

The curriculum for the week included classes on not being a bystander and sexual harassment, and many discussions and briefs on leadership. Cadets also learned about maneuvering aboard a ship and line handling at the boatswain's mate "A" school trainer, USS White Hat, an indoor mock-up of a Navy vessel. The cadets also toured gunner's mate "A" School and learned about weapons the Navy uses.

"This week was a lot of fun," said Cadet Ensign Tai Tran, 16, a junior from Northmont High School in Clayton, Ohio. "I was able to bond with leaders from across the greater Midwest region. I took a lot out of the leadership academy. I was able to expand and reinforce the leadership ideas I was already taught in my Naval Science Program."

Hankins said the opportunity to hold the academy on the base each year has been a tremendous benefit to the cadets and instructors.

"I think it's very important we continue to hold the Leadership Academy at Naval Station Great Lakes, because it is a perfect setting for the cadets to learn about the Navy and about leadership in a controlled, Navy setting," he said. "Additionally, holding the training here allows the cadets to experience daily life on a Navy station and allows them to learn and experience Navy history,"

Hankins added how great the support of the base is each year.

"The support received from NAVSTA Great Lakes is second to none, and throughout this week of training we're able to utilize all the facilities including classrooms, school house visits, MWR facilities, the galley, the barracks, and so much more," he said.

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 divided into 11 areas across the United States that also include units in Italy, Spain, Japan and Guam. There are more than 86,000 student cadets in the more than 580 units.

The NJROTC program is currently supported by Bernacchi and his NSTC staff, headquartered on Naval Station Great Lakes and on Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. NSTC supports 98 percent initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy. This training includes the Naval ROTC 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, Rhode Island, Recruit Training Command (RTC) at Naval Station Great Lakes, as well as NJROTC.

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

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