We build citizens. Cadets at Skyline High School learn to lead before they are asked to, to finish what the rest of the formation started, and to carry the person next to them. No enlistment obligation — just the standard, every single day.
Army JROTC has been part of the Skyline High School day for decades. It is an elective course, a leadership laboratory, and for a lot of cadets, the reason they found something to be good at.
Our mission is the Army JROTC mission: to motivate young people to be better citizens. Cadets run the battalion. They write the training schedule, brief the commander, inspect the formation, plan the service projects, and take the consequences when a plan does not survive first contact. Instructors coach. Cadets lead.
Enrollment carries no military service obligation of any kind. What it does carry is a uniform standard, an attendance standard, a physical standard, and a group of people who will notice immediately when you are not there.
The standard does not move because you had a hard week. Integrity is what your squad can count on when nobody is checking.
Every cadet holds a position. Team leader by semester two is normal, not exceptional. You will brief adults.
Color guard at the Veterans Day ceremony. Food bank shifts. Trail cleanups. Hours are logged, but that is not why we go.
Everything a cadet is expected to know cold. New cadets: start at the Creed, then work left to right. If you can recite this from memory, you will never be the reason your squad fails an inspection.
Times are the battalion norm. Your period and company will shift some of this — check your platoon sergeant, not your friend.
If a cadet officer stops you in the hallway, these are fair game.
I am an Army Junior ROTC Cadet.
I will always conduct myself to bring credit to my family, country, school and the Corps of Cadets.
I am loyal and patriotic. I am the future of the United States of America.
I do not lie, cheat or steal and will always be accountable for my actions and deeds.
I will always practice good citizenship and patriotism.
I will work hard to improve my mind and strengthen my body.
I will seek the mantle of leadership and stand prepared to uphold the Constitution and the American way of life.
May God grant me the strength to always live by this creed.
Wednesday is the battalion uniform day. Full Class B, worn correctly, all day — not just during your JROTC period. Uniform grade is a graded event.
Haircut and grooming, clean shave, ribbons and insignia placement, gig line, shirt tuck, boots or low quarters shined, nameplate straight, no visible jewelry, cover off indoors.
The uniform is federal property issued to you. Keep it hung, keep it clean, do not alter it, and turn in every item at the end of the year or you carry the replacement cost.
Service coat with ribbons, cords, and unit insignia. Worn for the Military Ball, formal inspections, awards ceremonies, and color guard details at official events.
Class B is the standard weekly uniform: service shirt, trousers or slacks, nameplate, ribbons. PT uniform is the issued battalion shirt and shorts — required for morning PT and testing.
Promotions are earned at the promotion board, not handed out by seniority. Boards convene at the end of each quarter.
Three line companies, each with its own guidon, its own culture, and a very real opinion about which of the other two is second best. Company assignment happens at the start of the year.
Traditionally the drill company. Alpha owns the armed and unarmed drill programs and hosts the fall in-ranks competition. If the battalion is marching somewhere, Alpha is at the front of the column.
The physical fitness company. Bravo runs morning PT, feeds most of the Raider roster, and holds the battalion record on the one-rope bridge. Show up hydrated or do not show up.
Colors and community. Charlie staffs the color guard detail calendar, coordinates service projects with the S5, and logs more volunteer hours than the other two companies combined.
Eight teams, open to every cadet regardless of LET level. Tryouts are in the first two weeks of each season — but nobody gets cut for being new, only for not showing up.
Scored on the battalion challenge: two-minute push-ups, two-minute sit-ups, and the one-mile run. Board resets the first Monday of every month. Tap any column to re-sort.
| Rank | Cadet ▲▼ | Co ▲▼ | Push-ups ▲▼ | Sit-ups ▲▼ | Mile ▲▼ | Score ▼ |
|---|
Nominated by first sergeants, selected by the battalion command team. One cadet per month, and the criteria are not negotiable: performance, bearing, and what they did when it was inconvenient.
"I got picked because I kept showing up at 0645 when it was 41 degrees and there were four of us. That's it. That's the whole thing."
Selected for taking over 2nd Platoon two weeks before the fall drill meet after her platoon leader moved out of district — and bringing the platoon from last place in the battalion inspection to first. She also logged 26 service hours in a single month at the East Valley food bank.
Published by the S3. If it is not on this calendar, it is not a battalion event — and if it is on this calendar, "I didn't know" is not an excuse anyone has ever gotten away with.
Live Google Calendar from the battalion. Open in Google Calendar.
Recent battalion photos. Cadets and families can add full-resolution files in the live archive — no login required.
Full event archive — upload from a phone: maddogmurdockai.com/JROTCPhotos/
Service hours are a promotion requirement, but that is the least interesting reason we do this. The battalion is a visible part of Mesa, and cadets are the reason people know that.
Sorting and packing shifts at the East Valley food bank. Cadets work in squads, and the squad that packs the most boxes gets out of the next Monday's police call. It is a real motivator.
Desert trail cleanups and park restoration with Mesa Parks and Recreation. Long morning, a lot of walking, and by far the most photographed thing the battalion does.
Color guard, flag detail, and wreath-laying support for local veterans organizations. This is the highest visibility detail on the calendar and the standard is Class A, no exceptions.
Upper-LET cadets read with elementary students at feeder schools. The kids ask about the uniform every single week and it never gets old.
Company-versus-company collection drive. Alpha has won three years running and will tell you about it at length, so Bravo and Charlie have some work to do.
Cadets run setup, check-in, and canteen for the campus blood drive. Eligible seniors donate. Everyone else learns how to run an event that people actually depend on.
Every dollar goes to the cadet fund — competition travel, team equipment, and Military Ball subsidies so cost is never the reason a cadet stays home. Orders are picked up in the JROTC room.
Demo checkout only — this store is not connected to a payment processor yet. Connect Square, Stripe, or your district's approved online payment system before going live, and confirm booster-club fundraising rules with the school activities office.
Every name below held this battalion and handed it to the next commander in better shape than they found it. Names and dates are placeholders — replace them with your unit's actual lineage.
Open to every Skyline student, every grade, no experience and no service obligation. Add JROTC as an elective through your counselor, or send a message and an instructor will follow up.
Community organizations can request a cadet color guard for ceremonies, openings, and games. Submit at least three weeks out so the detail can rehearse.
Email a request