Atlanta Public Schools JROTC Director Lt. Col. (Retired) Robert W. Rooker receives checks for $550 from (left) Tom Torbert of the Atlanta Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and (right) Dale Hajost of the West Point Society of Atlanta. The donations will pay for transportation to Fort Bennign for 100 APS cadets to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Army JROTC program.
By Seth Coleman
Thanks to the generosity of two military organizations, 100 cadets from the Atlanta Public Schools Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) will get the opportunity to make history and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Army JROTC program at the same time.
The Atlanta Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the West Point Society of Atlanta have each donated $550 to the APS JROTC, which will pay for charter buses to transport 100 APS cadets to Fort Benning, Ga., near Columbus, on April 23 – the day the 100th anniversary of the Army JROTC program will be celebrated. On that day, the cadets will join military personnel from around the world in a 5K run, in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest 5K run.
“There will be 5K runs on bases around the world,” said Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Robert W. Rooker, Director of the AJC JROTC. “It will be great for our students to take part in something historic like this. We are extremely grateful to the Atlanta Chapter of MOAA and the West Point Society of Atlanta for allowing our students to have this opportunity.”
While at Fort Benning, the APS cadets will tour the National Infantry Museum, which is located on the base.
“It is on par with the Smithsonian, it is just that big and grand,” Rooker said. “We are thrilled to be able to expose our students to something of this significance and magnitude.”
