Kalani High School has officially activated its newly established Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program, the first of its kind in Hawaii.

The inaugural class of 25 cadets will officially begin next semester. On Thursday, coastguards, school families and faculty members gathered in the school gym for a commencement ceremony. Chief Petty Officer Ash Armstrong, who will be the cadet instructor, told attendees, “In this program, we not only introduce young men and women to the proud heritage of the United States Coast Guard, but also instill in them the core principles. that will guide them as future leaders.”

JROTC programs are administered and partially funded by the US Army. They are distinct from ROTC programs on college campuses, run by active-duty service members, who train students in military tactics and eventually commission them as military officers. JROTC instructor roles are filled mostly by military retirees and occasionally late-career active duty personnel and are not officially considered a recruiting program.

“It’s about character development, resilience, a sense of responsibility extends beyond the classroom,” Armstrong said. “These cadets will learn discipline, teamwork and problem-solving skills that will serve them well whether they pursue a career in the armed forces, higher education or any other path they choose.”

Sean Regan, Coast Guard District 14 commander, said the Coast Guard’s nationwide junior JROTC program boasts a 100 percent graduation rate and about 27 percent of graduates pursue military careers. Regan said, “If anyone ever infers that this generation of men and women are not followers, I offer them to come here and meet these people. They are just fantastic young citizens and patriots in the making.”

JROTC programs have been around since 1914, but the Coast Guard didn’t have one of its own until it activated its first in Florida in 1989. It has only 14 programs nationwide, with the newest at Kalani, but in 2024 Congress mandated that open. at least one in each of the nine active districts.

Kalani’s new program is the first and so far the only one in District 14, which includes Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The island communities of District 14 are uniquely dependent on the ocean, and the Coast Guard is active throughout the region conducting search and rescue missions, safety inspections, and fisheries enforcement patrols.

Rochelle Mahoe, Department of Education Complex Superintendent for Kalani High, said, “Through the marine science courses and experiences, our cadets will gain invaluable knowledge and open doors to exciting new careers in the marine industries and beyond.”

Capt. Clay Cromer, head of Coast Guard JROTC programs, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the program is designed to give students a greater appreciation of the role the ocean plays in their lives.

Cromer said that “from an academic perspective, they’re going to learn not only about our Coast Guard missions and the maritime domain, but also about commerce and environmental stewardship, environmental protection, you know, and being good citizens and just an awareness . how much of our economic supply chain depends on the maritime domain.”

Cadet Arellano Manzi, 14, a freshman at Kalani High School who assumed the role of company executive officer for the new class of 25 cadets, said he had long been interested in the military and was drawn to program because “I thought it could do good. I wanted to really test my strengths to see how I would do with other people.”

Manzi admitted that he was still uneasy about being a leader at the moment and volunteered mostly because he thought it would help him compete in the national competitions. But he said he’s curious about the opportunities the Coast Guard can offer and is interested in pursuing a career as a pilot one day.

The Coast Guard was historically the smallest branch of the US military until the creation of the Space Force, which has just over 4,000 active duty members. But the Space Force’s proposed budget for next fiscal year, of about $29.4 billion, is less than the roughly $14.2 billion the Coast Guard was slated to receive.

However, it has played a central – and growing – role in US Pacific policy. In February 2023, senior Coast Guard commanders said the service plans to triple its deployment to the Pacific region in the coming years. But by December, shortfalls in Coast Guard retention and recruitment had partially forced the service to close several facilities and retire more vessels across the country.

As demand for Coast Guard skills continues unabated, the service has felt the strain as it struggles for funding and resources. During a congressional hearing in March, Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Mission Support Vice Admiral Paul Thomas said the service is operating with a shortfall of about 4,800 personnel, or nearly 10 percent of its workforce, even as missions continue everyday. .

“We’re losing our explosive power,” Thomas told lawmakers. “If we had to respond to a hurricane or an oil spill or a crisis on the southwest border as we have in the past, then you would see some real problems in terms of our ability to maintain regular missions.”

But in the meantime the service continues to manage. Armstrong said the Coast Guard plays a unique role among the military branches in that “our direct service is connected to the community.”

Armstrong is retiring from the Coast Guard and will remain at Kalani after his retirement in early 2025 as a JROTC instructor. He has a long history in Hawaii: He first came to the islands after enlisting in the military and served on Oahu as a cavalry scout before attending college and joining the Coast Guard after graduation, taking right back to the islands.

Throughout his Coast Guard career, Armstrong worked in logistics with both land and sea missions in the Pacific. He said that when the opportunity arose to take over the program at Kalani just as he was preparing to leave the service, it seemed ideal.

“I like to do training. I love teaching,” Armstrong said. “Everything coincidentally went against it.”