It is almost time for the annual adventure training field trip for Army JROTC cadets. On the September 14, students will be going to the High Point Climbing and Fitness Center in downtown Chattanooga. This is the first year that JROTC will be partnering with High Point for their adventure training.

In previous years, students went white water rafting with the Outland Expeditions White Water Rafting Company on the Ocoee River in Polk County. This year, however, Hamilton County denied permission to the JROTC students to go white water rafting as a result of the newfound awareness of risk from a fatality that occured over the summer during a rafting trip on the river.

The JROTC student leadership decided to organize a different activity that they could get permission for. They agreed that rock climbing would be a good exercise for building skills.

The adventure training trips are a good way for students to build an aptitude for teamwork, improve their motivation, boost their esprit de corps, enhance their dexterity for communication, and, of course, have fun. The most important lessons students will learn are the importance of overcoming obstacles and how to encourage others to face their fears through leadership and mentoring.

Field trips like these teach students to mature and grow as a leader. The JROTC program’s mission statement is to “motivate young people to be better citizens,” and it does an outstanding job of accomplishing that.

“I believe that these trips help with learning outside of school, and [they] change the environment [which] also allows cadets to participate in opportunities that they may not ever have,” said Major David Spencer, who is in charge of training and guiding the JROTC students.

One senior, Brooklin Atkins, expressed her anticipation for the field trip, “Yeah, I’m so excited. It builds up your confidence while doing fun things and getting a lesson out of it.”

No particular qualifications are needed for JROTC cadets to go on the trip. They only need to pay a $25 fee, which covers the cost of lunch and transportation to and from the school. The JROTC program does its best to reduce the cost of field trips by coordinating various fundraisers in an effort to arrange availability for all students.