Colts Neck High School's ROTC Named Best In Nation

COLTS NECK, NJ — Colts Neck High School’s Navy Junior ROTC Unit has earned recognition as the “Most Outstanding Unit” in the United States for the 2018-2019 school year. Well done to these outstanding local students!

This prestigious award recognizes Colts Neck as the top unit in the country, a designation they earned for their outstanding scores in their annual military inspection, school support and countless hours of community service. In addition, Colts Neck was selected as the NJROTC Area 4 “Most Outstanding NJROTC Unit” for the third time.

There are 191 Colts Neck teens in the ROTC program. This year the unit completed 10,309 hours of service to communities throughout the Freehold Regional High School District. That equates to 55 community service hours per cadet. In addition, many of the cadets excelled at their academic studies, receiving distinguished awards and scholarship offerings.

The group’s extracurricular teams have also shined this school year while competing at the national level. At the 2019 Navy National Academic, Athletic, and Drill Championship in Pensacola, Florida in April, Colts Neck’s NJROTC finished 11th overall with a first place in athletics. At the Navy JROTC Orienteering National Championship in Los Angeles, California in February, Colts Neck finished fifth in the nation.

Said Colts Neck High School principal Brian Donahue: “We are very proud of our cadets and our instructors. This achievement is the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice and a commitment to serve the community. Our cadets can take pride in the fact that their countless hours of community service, the 7:00 am training sessions, and the time spent at competitions have allowed them to be recognized as the best in the country."

Charles Sampson, the superintendent of school at Freehold Regional, the district Colts Neck is a part of, said, “The recognition of the Colts Neck High School Navy Junior ROTC as the number one program in the nation is a culmination of years of tremendous work by our faculty, student and parent communities. These young men and women embody service, academic excellence, and integrity. We are incredibly proud of all of their accomplishments.”

The Freehold Regional High School District’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps Magnet Program is a four-year leadership and character development program housed at Colts Neck High School. The mission of the NJROTC Magnet Program is to instill in students the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.

Instructors build cadets' individual self-confidence and leadership abilities to enable them to succeed and excel, individually and collectively. Colts Neck cadets achieve their educational objectives by working within the framework of a military-style organization that offers them opportunities for travel to interesting destinations, as well as participation in unique extracurricular activities and numerous community service events.