The Tiger Battalion at Fort Hamilton High School – not affiliated with the nearby army base – is celebrating its 27th anniversary this year. The Tiger Battalion was the first Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) in the New York City public school system.
At Fort Hamilton High School, JROTC can be taken as an elective for one to four years. The primary focus of JROTC is to foster citizenship, fellowship and leadership among students. While in the program, they become experts at group dynamics and in decision-making and role modeling. Students also wear their uniforms once a week at school (currently on Wednesdays), on special occasions and at famous city events (including the New York City Marathon and Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest).
The battalion also serves the community in a variety of ways throughout the year, such as collecting canned food and toys during the holidays, cleaning beaches – and most recently – crafting Valentine’s Day cards for veterans at the VA hospital.
“We’re not only doing it for people in the community, but it also gives us and our cadets a sense of pride and purpose that we’re actually doing something good,” said multiple senior cadets during a visit to the high school in late February.
The First Chain of Command
Lieutenant Colonel Lee C. Anderson and Master Sergeant Joseph Houghton were the first instructors in 1993, teaching and guiding 86 cadets (43 males and 43 females) who didn’t even have uniforms. Two years later, MSG Houghton left to teach in Delaware and LTC Anderson was the only instructor, except for a substitute who knew nothing about the Army or JROTC. According to the Tiger Battalion’s records, “That semester was the toughest time for the Battalion.”
In the Fall of 1995, the battalion strengthened to 165 cadets. Two years, the battalion was designated as an “Honor Unit” – the first in New York City. Later that year, members began wearing the Gold Star, which requires battalions to have at least 960 points.
Present-day
Retired Major Sang B. Lee and retired Sergeant First Class David Freeland, who are the current Senior Army Instructors, joined the instructor staff in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Together they currently oversee a company of 100 cadets, who are mainly freshmen. Fifty cadets are assigned to each instructor, according to SFC Freeland. Since SFC Freeland and MAJ Lee took over those roles, the battalion has continued to maintain the gold star that represents honor and distinction. In that same vein, the battalion will be going to the US Army JROTC National Drill Competition for its fourth consecutive year under SFC Freeland and MAJ Lee’s leadership.
“Not many high school kids can say that they’ve competed at national levels, and most of my drill team has competed at that level and even in the brigade level,” SFC Freeland said. “We’re pushing them outside their comfort zones right away because, when you’re at this level on these teams, you need to study and prepare. The team commanders take pride in taking their teams to those levels and maintaining that tradition.”
This month, the Drill team will be having extra practices – both during third period and after school – to prepare for the National Drill Competition, which will take place March 19 to 22 in Richmond, Virginia.
Looking ahead
One of the biggest, most anticipated events of the year will be the Military Ball on March 13 at the Fort Hamilton Army Base. The ball is held annually to celebrate the accomplishments of the JROTC program and give special recognition to the graduating senior cadets.
Other upcoming Tiger Battalion events for the remainder of the school year include: the American Independent Youth Leadership Conference in Virginia, from April 30 to May 3; the National Physical Challenge competition (tentatively in Daytona, Florida, in May); Fleet Week; the Battalion Picnic in June; and the JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge/Summer Camp in Massachusetts.
Top photo: Academic Drill meeting. Photo from FHHS JROTC TIGER Battalion’s Facebook page
Author
George Fiala has worked in radio, newspapers and direct marketing his whole life, except for when he was a vendor at Shea Stadium, pizza and cheesesteak maker in Lancaster, PA, and an occasional comic book dealer. He studied English and drinking in college, international relations at the New School, and in his spare time plays drums and fixes pinball machines.
