CHAMBERSBURG – The 124 cadets of the Chambersburg Navy Junior ROTC presented its 10th annual Pass-in-Review ceremony at Chambersburg Area Senior High School. The Pass-in-Review is conducted as part of the annual Navy certification of the Naval Junior ROTC program and is the capstone event of the cadets’ program year.
Throughout the year, the cadets learn close order drill, participate in rigorous physical fitness training and learn to properly wear a uniform as part of a larger curriculum to develop high school students who are prepared to graduate and take a place in society as productive young adults.
Now in its 12th year, more than 1,250 cadets have participated in the Chambersburg NJROTC program. The program achieves a 98 percent graduation rate and has alumni leading successful lives in law enforcement, emergency services, military, education, medical, skilled trades and many other walks of life. The cadets have completed more than 22,000 hours of community service, have adopted a stretch of U.S. Route 11 and performed more than 300 color guard ceremonies, including the recent inauguration of State Attorney General Dave Sunday.
In 2022 the program expanded to include students from the Chambersburg Career Magnet School. Following the success of the CMS expansion (currently enrollment is 15 students), the Chambersburg NJROTC launched a Franklin County Cross-Enrollment initiative. The pilot program launched in the fall of 2024 and includes students from Tuscarora, Shippensburg, Waynesboro and Greencastle-Antrim school districts.
In 2024, Chambersburg NJROTC was recognized by the Naval Service Training Command as a Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors, placing the unit in the top 10 percent nationally, and as the number one program in the mid-Atlantic Region. In 2025, the cadets have already earned a chance to compete in the NJROTC National Orienteering Championship and the NJROTC National Academic, Athletic and Drill Championships.
The Chambersburg NJROTC Program is a citizenship and leadership development program of the Chambersburg Area School District and the Naval Service Training Command. The program is led by Master Sgt. Louis Montney, USMC-Retired, and Cmdr. Bruce Apgar, USN – Retired. For more information on the Chambersburg NJROTC program, readers may contact the Chambersburg Area Senior High School at 717-261-3322.
