The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) program on cadets in the program and to determine the extent to which it was effective in achieving its stated goals of promoting patriotism, discipline, leadership, respect for authority, and knowledge of the U.S. Navy. The study specifically sought to address the question of why high school students join and remain in NJROTC, and the sub-questions of what aspects of the NJROTC program are associated with participation; what are the characteristics of high school students who participate in NJROTC; what experiences prior to involvement in NJROTC are associated with participation; and what aspects of NJROTC are associated with intent to remain as participants.

A 49-item survey instrument was designed, content validated, and administered to 223 NJROTC cadets in three Virginia high schools. Descriptive statistics and Chi Square analysis were used to answer the research questions.

Primary results indicated that joining NJROTC was associated more with personal contacts (friends, teachers, and school administrators) than with broad based Navy efforts such as radio and magazine advertising. Cadets indicated NJROTC involvement was associated with improved grades, better self concept, increased desire for leadership, maturity, and awareness of need for community service. The highest portion of cadets were clustered in lower grades (9th and 10th) and apparent attrition was most pronounced in the urban school with high minority enrollment. Over 40% of the respondents indicated plans to engage in a military career after graduation.