TEMPLE, Texas — Temple High School’s Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) has been awarded the AFJROTC Resiliency – COVID-19 Award in honor of the unit’s ability to overcome the challenges of the pandemic during the 2020-21 school year.
The Resiliency – COVID-19 Award recognizes the unit’s ability to provide a quality AFJROTC program and fortify the resilience of cadets despite the unexpected professional and personal challenges associated with the pandemic. In addition to not experiencing significant disruptions in classroom instruction or training thanks to the cadets’ commitment to masking and other mitigation measures, the Temple High School Air Force JROTC unit also performed more than one thousand hours of community service during the school year. Brigadier General Leslie A. Maher, Commander, Jeanne Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Community Development for the United States Air Force, announced the honor in a letter to the unit, saying “Your instructors are exceptional role models and have always found a way to persevere and provide a high quality AFJROTC program, even in the face of uncertainty and adversity. This award is in recognition of your unit and your instructors rising to meet this challenge head-on!”
“The past year and a half has been a trying time for all of us, but despite the adversity caused by the pandemic, our cadets showed us how to act and care for others,” said Major Gary Maki, director of Temple High School’s Air Force JROTC program. “They continuously followed our safety plan, which helped keep the school safe, and selflessly preformed 1,098 community service hours. Essentially, our cadets just volunteered to help. Indeed, Senior Master Sergeant Antonio Carter and I know it has been an honor to be part of the Temple High School Air Force JROTC program.”
All cadets enrolled in Temple High School’s Air Force JROTC program for the 2020-21 school year will be authorized to wear a ribbon commemorating the award. The unit was also recognized at TISD’s board of trustees meeting on September 13th. Temple High School’s JROTC program is one of the largest Air Force units in the country and provides a wide variety of program and community activities for cadets to participate in, as well as many opportunities to develop team and leadership skills.