More Than 1,000 Cadets Attend 70th Annual JROTC Cadet Ball

Seventy years ago, the district held its first JROTC Cadet Ball with only three Army JROTC programs established and less than 200 students enrolled.

Today, more than 2,000 students from 13 high schools represent the Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force JROTC programs.  On March 26, more than 1,000 JROTC students attended the San Diego Unified School District's 70th Annual Joint Brigade Cadet Ball at the Town and Country Convention Center, making this Ball the largest student-attended social event in our school district.

This formal and prestigious event is filled with long-standing military tradition, pageantry and honor; it gives cadets the opportunity to come together as a JROTC family, share a common bond and a true belief in the excellence which their programs represent.

The Ball included a three-course dinner, guest speaker and dance, but the highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Royal Court.  It is a long-standing tradition for each school to present its Royal Court to their Principal and Senior Military Instructor.

The Area 9 Superintendent, Dr. Tony Burks, was the keynote speaker for the evening
“The mission of our school district is to make sure that all students graduate with the skills, motivation, curiosity, and resilience to succeed in their choice of college or career in order to lead and participate in the society of tomorrow," he said. "Based on your leadership and service as cadets, I am confident that JROTC is one of the reasons we are accomplishing our mission.”

For more information, please contact LTC David Guzman, Program Manager JROTC, at (858) 496-8203 or dguzman1@sandi.net.