Daleville High School’s JROTC program influenced by Fort Novosel

DALEVILLE, Ala. (WTVY) - Daleville is home to one of the entrances to Fort Novosel, making the military presence in the area prominent.

Just down the street from the gate to the base sits Daleville High School, where the students in the JROTC program work to prepare themselves for the military one day.

Daleville High’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps is heavily influenced by the military base. Officials come and speak to the students, teach them how to march, and provide a different approach to learning about the military.

JROTC sets prospective students up for success should they pursue active duty status. Chief Senior Army Instructor for Daleville High School, Nate Barley, said, “Since I’ve been here as a senior army instructor I often have kids walk up to me and say, ‘Hey Chief Barley, I want to join JROTC’. So that tells me that we are doing something right. And I think they get inspired by the things they see the other cadets do around campus and the things the activities we have within the JROTC program.”

The exhibition team in the program recently went to their first competition since the pandemic, and placed fourth in the state.

JROTC Cadet Kiani Schmitz said her experience in JRTOC , “shows us a lot of discipline, like we have to discipline ourselves when we do expedition, and march and I feel like that’s going to help us a lot in the future.”

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