HAMILTON TWP., Ohio — “Good morning everyone, welcome to Wednesday,” Casey Campbell says at the front of the classroom.
Wednesday is uniform day.
“Please join me in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance,” Campbell says.
Boots squeak against the ground as students turn to face the flag. Campbell is not a teacher. He’s a student.
WATCH: Inside a high school ROTC program in the video below:
“You have three minutes,” said Chas. Peterson, a retired Air Force veteran who runs the junior ROTC program at Little Miami High School. “Go!”
The sound of more boots and hairspray fills the room.
“We grade everything,” Peterson says. “For many of them, this is probably the nicest clothes they own.”
Some students laugh, and some nod in agreement.
“When they’re out at football games, people come up and say, 'thank you for your service' — even though they haven’t spent a day in the military,” Peterson said. “It serves as a good reminder that they represent something bigger than themselves.”
When he was a kid, Peterson remembers his dad teaching him Morse code using bedroom lights. It’s part of the reason he joined the Air Force.
“This is not a military recruiting program. That is not our goal,” Peterson said. “But we really get to see these kids grow up.”
In his office, there's only one picture of his time in the military. But there are dozens of pictures of graduates and what they’re doing now.
“That’s why our program is here," Peterson said.
In the back, Lindon Estep checks uniforms.
After I ask him a few questions, Estep says he's going to tear up on camera.
“You make such a connection,” Estep said. “It’s almost like a home away from home.”
In middle school, Campbell tells me he got picked on.
“I was very anti-social — very shy,” Campbell said. “I never really got out of my comfort zone.”
Then, he joined the JROTC program here. Now, he’s the core commander.
“He’s basically responsible for everything,” Peterson said. “We’re just here to supervise.”
In the coat closet after school, Campbell helps other students get ready for color guard practice.
“I was just very lost,” Campbell said. "It wasn't the best."
Then, he orders the students outside, because he’s not lost anymore.
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