Exploring the Essence of the Civil–Military Gap: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study of High School Administrators’ Feelings Related to JROTC

JROTC, as a national youth citizenship program, is not being offered equally to students throughout the country. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological study is to determine how the values and attitudes of high school administrators affect unequal offering of JROTC. Through photo elicitation interviews involving six high school administrators in upstate New York, the study uncovers life experiences that may impact the likelihood of an administrator offering the U.S. Army JROTC program. Participants’ responses revealed several themes. These include: (a) JROTC is identified by a polished military uniform and style, (b) administrators have a large military contact reach and feel positive about the military despite sometimes negative military experiences, (c) administrators feel an obligation of opportunities for students, (d) administrators’ values closely match Army values, (e) administrators lack specific knowledge about JROTC, and (f) administrators overwhelmingly express support of the JROTC program. Recommendations include suggested actions for U.S. Army Cadet Command to increase outreach to high school administrators to educate about the JROTC opportunity, as well as to maintain or increase support of the uniform budget. Recommendations for school administrators center on self-education about military opportunities in general and JROTC specifically, with assignment to school counselors to pursue investigation of establishment of a JROTC program. Recommendations include specific resources to apply for an Army JROTC program