R.O.T.C. PROGRAM CUT Herbert Hoover's Air Force R.O.T.C. Doesn't Have Enough Students To Keep Going
Reported by: Dave Benton
Videographer: Tim Rock
Web Producer: Dave Benton
Reported: Jan. 22, 2012 6:16 PM EST
Updated: Jan. 22, 2012 11:38 PM EST
EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO C L I C K T O P L A Y
Elkview
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
Patrick Shinn is a freshman at Herbert Hoover High School in Kanawha County. His dream is to go to the Air Force Academy. That's why he joined the Jr. Airforce R.O.T.C. at Hoover. Now Patrick and other students have been told the program will be cut because there's not enough kids involved. Shinn says, "What am I going to do now?"
President of Kanawha County School Board Pete Thaw says, "I don't like it, they don't like, nothing we can do about it. We are short 24 kids for the program."
Back in October, the program was put on probation because the Air Force requires 75 students to keep R.O.T.C. running. But only 51 students participate the school.
R.O.T.C. instructor Roger Hudson sees firsthand how the program makes a difference. He's watched several R.O.T.C. student go on to military careers. Hudson says, "R.O.T.C. gives them the opportunity to be mature."
While many parents of R.O.T.C. students say they hope dismantling the program doesn't affect their children's grades, Pete Thaw says, "I respectfully tell them to transfer to another school which has R.O.T.C. However, I don't want to drive them away from Hoover."
Students do have a petition, with hopes it will make a difference. Roger Hudson says if the school's program is dissolved, it could be years before they get it back again because of the long list of schools that want an Air Force R.O.T.C.
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Dave Benton
