The Air Force is proud to announce that Air Force Junior ROTC Unit GA-938 at Effingham County High School has been selected as one of the units to receive the 2008-2009 Air Force Junior ROTC Distinguished Unit Award.

This award recognizes Air Force Junior ROTC units that have performed above and beyond normal expectations, and that have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their school and community while meeting the Air Force Junior ROTC mission of producing better citizens for America.

For their contributions to the success of this year’s program, 143 cadets at Effingham County High School will receive and wear the Distinguished Unit Award Ribbon. Unit goals this year included an overall grade point average of 86 for the corps, over 1,500 hours of community service time, and have 100 percent of the seniors graduate. The unit also had two firsts: one of the two STAR students from ECHS Is a cadet, and the first Air Force Academy appointee is a cadet senior. This marks the third time in the last four years the unit has earned the award.

The objectives of the Junior ROTC 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 all young people who are in the ninth grade or higher, physically fit and are citizens or nationals of the U.S.

Air Force Junior ROTC is located in almost 900 high schools across the United States and at selected schools in Europe, in the Pacific and Puerto Rico. Junior ROTC enrollment includes more than 102,000 cadets.