Despite appeals, Navy stays firm on ROTC shutdown
BERLIN -- The Navy is steadfast in its resolve to shut down the Stephen Decatur High School Navy ROTC program, not swayed by an outpouring of community support pleading for reconsideration.
Community members, government officials, parents and students have bombarded the Navy with their pleas in myriad ways, despite the Navy's unwavering stance that 19 units nationwide will be shut down on June 30, on the grounds they've consistently failed to meet enrollment requirements.
Letters have been written; e-mails have been sent. Some Stephen Decatur Navy ROTC alumni have made a website that showcases the growing support the cause has garnered, and the front page of the school district's website is dominated by ROTC information.
Sens. Benjamin Cardin and Barbara Mikulski have joined Rep. Andy Harris to work toward saving the program. They co-signed a letter to Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, that outlined the unit's importance to its cadets and the Worcester County community. The letter encourages Mabus to extend the program's probationary period, since initial registration for the 2011-12 school year shows enrollment of approximately 120 students.
The Navy requires 100 students to participate in ROTC at schools with an enrollment of more than 1,000. Decatur's unit has 94 members this school year.
"We're going to work as hard as we can and do everything we can, because this program is very important," Cardin said Thursday in an interview. "There is a growing number of cadets, and it shouldn't be terminated because of a technical reason like a number when the interest is clearly there."
"I think this is worthy of an exception," he added.
Many ROTC backers have taken their concerns to Facebook, where Mabus's own virtual wall has been inundated with messages extolling the importance of maintaining the ROTC programs.
Bryan Hamilton, a Decatur ROTC alumnus, is among them. He wrote to Mabus and urged him to visit the alumni site -- which launched Wednesday -- where Mabus could see the articles and letters of support that have piled up since the shutdown decision was announced in late February.
"We have never seen our community rally as much as they have for this program in the past two weeks," Hamilton wrote.
Mabus responded to the many postings, but offered no encouragement that the Navy might be mulling its options.
He thanked the posters who are concerned about their local ROTC programs, and acknowledged that the units are of great value to the Navy, cadets, their parents, school districts and local communities before writing: "Decisions to disestablish NJROTC units are not taken lightly and are the result of tight budgets."
NJROTC alumna Elizabeth Timmons said the support that's been drummed up is overwhelming, and she hopes it has an effect on the outcome.
"If it was up to the county or the senators or the state of Maryland, we would have it reversed already, but it's the Navy, and I know how the Navy is," Timmons said.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Naval Service Training Command, which oversees the nation's Navy ROTC units, had not changed its stance that the decision on the disestablishments was "pretty much set in stone," according to public affairs officer Lt. Charity Hardison.
For more information, visit the alumni site at sites.google.com/site/savenjrotc/, or the school district's site at www.worcesterk12.com.
410-213-9442, ext. 14
Community members, government officials, parents and students have bombarded the Navy with their pleas in myriad ways, despite the Navy's unwavering stance that 19 units nationwide will be shut down on June 30, on the grounds they've consistently failed to meet enrollment requirements.
Letters have been written; e-mails have been sent. Some Stephen Decatur Navy ROTC alumni have made a website that showcases the growing support the cause has garnered, and the front page of the school district's website is dominated by ROTC information.
Sens. Benjamin Cardin and Barbara Mikulski have joined Rep. Andy Harris to work toward saving the program. They co-signed a letter to Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, that outlined the unit's importance to its cadets and the Worcester County community. The letter encourages Mabus to extend the program's probationary period, since initial registration for the 2011-12 school year shows enrollment of approximately 120 students.
The Navy requires 100 students to participate in ROTC at schools with an enrollment of more than 1,000. Decatur's unit has 94 members this school year.
"We're going to work as hard as we can and do everything we can, because this program is very important," Cardin said Thursday in an interview. "There is a growing number of cadets, and it shouldn't be terminated because of a technical reason like a number when the interest is clearly there."
"I think this is worthy of an exception," he added.
Many ROTC backers have taken their concerns to Facebook, where Mabus's own virtual wall has been inundated with messages extolling the importance of maintaining the ROTC programs.
Bryan Hamilton, a Decatur ROTC alumnus, is among them. He wrote to Mabus and urged him to visit the alumni site -- which launched Wednesday -- where Mabus could see the articles and letters of support that have piled up since the shutdown decision was announced in late February.
"We have never seen our community rally as much as they have for this program in the past two weeks," Hamilton wrote.
Mabus responded to the many postings, but offered no encouragement that the Navy might be mulling its options.
He thanked the posters who are concerned about their local ROTC programs, and acknowledged that the units are of great value to the Navy, cadets, their parents, school districts and local communities before writing: "Decisions to disestablish NJROTC units are not taken lightly and are the result of tight budgets."
NJROTC alumna Elizabeth Timmons said the support that's been drummed up is overwhelming, and she hopes it has an effect on the outcome.
"If it was up to the county or the senators or the state of Maryland, we would have it reversed already, but it's the Navy, and I know how the Navy is," Timmons said.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Naval Service Training Command, which oversees the nation's Navy ROTC units, had not changed its stance that the decision on the disestablishments was "pretty much set in stone," according to public affairs officer Lt. Charity Hardison.
For more information, visit the alumni site at sites.google.com/site/savenjrotc/, or the school district's site at www.worcesterk12.com.
410-213-9442, ext. 14
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