California Lieutenant Governor candidate Fiona Ma attended the San Francisco Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (SF JROTC) Brigade Ball last night celebrating achievements, fostering camaraderie, and recognizing students, instructors, and school principals at six of San Francisco’s high schools. Fiona Ma first joined the fight to save SF’s JROTC program two decades ago—and she has seen firsthand how it transforms lives. Students have told her JROTC kept them out of gangs, gave them purpose, and became the family they needed. Led by long time Lowell Instructor Lieutenant Colonel Doug Bullard, and other retired Army and Navy vets, JROTC builds leadership, discipline, and citizenship like no other program in our schools.
Here are some facts about SF JROTC:
- Established in 1940 at Lincoln High, JROTC was the school’s first extracurricular activity.
- Cut in 2006, and reinstated in 2009 after public outcry and passage of Prop V “Save the San Francisco Junior ROTC Initiative” by 54.63% of votes.
Despite its proven impact, some programs still face challenges and underfunding. We must protect this program and the students who thrive because of it.
