The Newburgh Free Academy JROTC program received two prestigious awards this year. NFA’s JROTC program received the Distinguished Unit with Merit and the “Silver Star” Community Service with Excellence awards this year. The awards were announced at the annual Military Ball that was held over the weekend,

The Air Force JROTC 2018-2019 Distinguished Unit with Merit Award was received because the group received a mark of “Exceeds Standards” during their unit inspection in November. Our Cadets received zero discrepancies in all areas of the inspection.

The “Silver Star” Community Service with Excellence Award is a prestigious award that recognizes the top 5% of all AFJROTC based on community service in support of schools and local communities. NFA JROTC was one of 45 units to receive this honor out of 900 units in the entire AFJROTC. This year our cadet corps did over 7,000 hours of community service in support of our school and community.

Newburgh Free Academy has been selected as one of 102 units to receive the 2018-2019 Air Force JROTC Distinguished Unit with Merit Award. This award recognizes Air Force JROTC units that have performed well above and beyond normal expectations, and that have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their school and community while meeting the Air Force JROTC citizen development mission for America. The objectives of the Air Force JROTC program are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills; promote community service; instill responsibility, character, and self-discipline through character education, and to provide instruction in air and space fundamentals. Enrollment is open to high school students who are in the 9th to 12th grades. Air Force JROTC is located in close to 900 high schools across the United States and at selected schools in Europe, in the Pacific, and in Puerto Rico. Air Force JROTC enrollment includes more than 120,000 cadets who do over 1.6 million hours of community service each year.