The Elizabethton City School System is happy to announce it will roll out its Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) unit, also known as the NJROTC program at Elizabethton High School, during the upcoming Fall semester. ECS School Board’s recent passing of the FY22 budget has allowed the district to move forward with securing an instructor for the new program. Travis Thompson, ECS Supervisor, secured the application and approval from the Department of the Navy over a year ago.
He stated that “this opportunity will be an investment in a community that is rich in serving others and giving back.”
Ryan Presnell, former Army Officer and current EHS criminal justice teacher, has accepted the challenge of instructing and building the new program. Ryan Presnell stated,” I am very excited to be given the opportunity to lead the NNDCC program at EHS. It’s going to be a learning process, but I know our community greatly supports the tenets of military service and this program will flourish because of it!”
The NNDCC enhances a positive image of the military in the eyes of the community. It promotes patriotism, develops responsible leaders and citizens, encourages completion of high school, promotes higher education, and a high degree of honor, discipline, and leadership skills.
The course offerings include citizenship, naval orientation, history, operations, navigation, seamanship, leadership, nautical astronomy, electronics, ceremony, and physical fitness. If a student successfully completes three years of the program and decides to enlist after high school into a military branch, they are eligible for the advanced promotion. The achievement also authorizes the instructor to nominate the candidate for the US Naval Academy.