CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It is the first school year for Veterans Memorial High School's new Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or JROTC, program.
School officials said that they always wanted to bring the program to the campus community.
It is the only Coast Guard JROTC unit in Texas and one of only 14 in the United States.
Students in the program also get a chance to be in the color guard at local high school football games. That means they will march out with two rifles and the American and Texas flags.
"Corpus Christi and the Coast Guard have always had a good relationship, and they really support each other," said Matt Gully, senior maritime science instructor for the Veterans Memorial Coast Guard JROTC. "So, it's really nice to have the flyovers."
Gully is one of the program's two instructors. He served in the United States Coast Guard for 20 years, mainly as a pilot, and spent time at stations across the country. He said flyovers before local football games happen thanks to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi.
He explained what goes into practicing for the color guard.
"Lots of after school, before school, lunchtime practice," Gully said. "Working on their steps, learning an entirely new skill and they've just hit the ground running with it."
Gully said that some cadets came over from other schools with JROTC experience. They now get to share that knowledge with their fellow students.
Freshman Lauren Aguilar said that she wants to join the U.S. Air Force after graduating from high school. She said that the Coast Guard JROTC allows her to be with people who understand the work that goes into it.
"I wake up at 5 a.m. every morning for color guard practice and I say it's worth it," Aguilar said. "Not just to get that practice in and to do something I love, but just to be with the people that I enjoy being around."
Aguilar explained that when people see them, they see how focused they are. But when it is just them, she said they can be themselves.
The Veterans Memorial Coast Guard JROTC began with about 30 students. Now, it is at about 56 students and Principal Scott Walker said that they can learn leadership and teamwork —taking it beyond high school.
"It's been really nice to see not only our enrollment increase in the program but to see how active our Coast Guard cadets and our instructors have been in our community already," Walker said.
Junior Saul Franco added that being in the Coast Guard JROTC feels like family as they volunteer together.
"It's an opportunity for all of us to be a part of the community in which we live," Franco said.
Gully said that they hope to keep growing the Coast Guard JROTC program. If someone wants to join, he said that they can work with their counselor to fit any of their six classes into their schedule.