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District 88 instructors report rapid expansion of JROTC programs at Willowbrook and Addison Trail
Summary
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Reardon and Master Sergeant William Jones told the Board of Education that Willowbrook’s and Addison Trail’s JROTC programs grew quickly in their first year, citing enrollment, activities such as parades and archery, summer leadership camp participation, and student-run logistics.
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Reardon, JROTC instructor at Willowbrook High School, and Master Sergeant William Jones, JROTC instructor, told the DuPage High School District 88 Board of Education that the district’s JROTC programs have expanded substantially during their first year.
Reardon said Willowbrook ended last school year with about 30 cadets enrolled and that many returned in more advanced coursework and leadership roles. “The cadets that returned are in the level 2 classes. They’re highly enthusiastic and very engaged in the program,” Reardon said. He described student-run activities including a supply room managed by cadets, a functioning color guard, archery training under the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) standard, and participation in the JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl (JLab) and the JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC) summer camp.
The program at Willowbrook also organized a field trip to the Cantigny veterans museum and placed cadets in battalion staff positions, Reardon said. He described 147 awards presented across 13 categories to 30 cadets at an end-of-year ceremony and said all cadets had been issued uniforms and required equipment.
An Addison Trail JROTC instructor told the board Addison Trail had 61 cadets at the time of his presentation, up from 47 the previous year. He said about 18 cadets were seniors and 13 were freshmen and that the program had run a robotics camp, attended leadership camps, and participated in local parades and graduation ceremonies. “The battalion runs Addison Trail High School JROTC program,” the instructor said, adding that staff officers and cadet leaders organized much of the activity.
Both instructors described plans to grow recruitment and to formalize units such as color guard, drill team and a competitive archery team. Reardon said Willowbrook conducted color guard at football games and parades and hoped to expand appearances at assemblies and other athletics events. The Addison Trail instructor said drill team remained a development challenge because drill requires large, regular practice sessions and high retention to field a competitive unit.
Board members thanked the instructors for their work and for collaborating across the district. The presenters credited the district for supporting program start-up work and noted they are coordinating with brigade headquarters and the Army for curriculum and summer-camp placements.
The board did not take formal action on the presentations; the session was informational.
