Some school principals and superintendents are more “protective” in their looking after their students. JROTC can be a target for being overly “protective”. In reality, that “protection” doesn’t meet the definition of the word, but that’s a discussion for another time.
The Question
My school principal is not letting my school’s JROTC program use replica rifles in our color guard. Is there a specific regulation that says it required outside of Army Regulations? And does Army JROTC fall under Army Regulations since we didn’t take an oath to actually join?
The Answer
You wear the Army uniform, you are in an official Army program, and applicable Army regulations apply to all cadets. Specifically, and for this narrow subject of drill and ceremonies, you and your fellow cadets fall under TC 3-21.5, AR 840-10, and AR 600-25 (download the free PDFs from the Resources page under Military Manuals). requires the guards of a color guard to carry rifles. However, the principal, as well intentioned as he or she may be, can override that requirement and even the requirement to wear a cover (hat) in uniform.
While some may want to deride the seeming idiocy of a political decision like this, it is the principal’s prerogative to make these decisions for on- and off-campus activities because you represent the school.
If you have the inclination, I suggest that you spread the word among cadets and parents and bring this up to the school board. You can and must do this in a respectful manner.
Once you have a large group of supporters at the school board meeting, you can respectfully let your voice be heard. It’s my belief that if you solely go down the road of “the Army requires the guards to carry rifles”, you won’t get far at all. I think you should mention that, but your emphasis needs to be on the benefits of not only marching but handling equipment as well.
In the military, we carry and use rifles, swords, and flagstaffs. These are weapons of war that have been brought into the ceremonial drill world so that we can train, practice, and perform to the best of our abilities no matter what the situation.
Write up a short speech and tell the board. Have a couple of cadets speak who have excelled at drill and improved after marching or rifle spinning. I have more in this article here, The Benefits of Military Drill.
Even if you don’t change anyone’s mind, you can still be a part of and learn from the process.