The Richland County High School’s JROTC program was established on July 1st, 1994. The mission of the program is “To motivate young people to be better citizens.” JROTC emphasizes several core values and attributes essential for personal and professional development. Here's a breakdown of the key concepts:
1. Leadership: In JROTC, leadership involves guiding and inspiring others to achieve common goals. It’s about setting a positive example, making decisions, and taking responsibility. Effective leaders in JROTC are those who can motivate their peers, manage tasks efficiently, and maintain a vision for the team or unit. There are several opportunities to be placed into a leadership role: Class leaders, Extra-Curricular Team Commanders, physical training leaders, special project leaders, and the Tiger Battalion staff.
2. Character: This refers to the moral and ethical qualities that define an individual. In JROTC, character is about being honest, responsible, and respectful. It’s about consistently demonstrating strong values and making decisions based on a set of principles that reflect integrity and commitment to doing what is right. The Army JROTC Cadet Creed is a summarization or guide to what is expected of all the Tiger Battalion cadets.
3. Discipline: Discipline in JROTC is about self-control, adherence to rules, and maintaining a high standard of behavior. It involves following orders, meeting obligations, and demonstrating perseverance and dedication. Discipline helps cadets develop a structured approach to their responsibilities and fosters a sense of accountability. These discipline factors lead to life skills that shape and direct future adults in their carriers.
4. Integrity: Integrity involves being truthful, fair, and consistent in one’s actions and decisions. For JROTC cadets, this means maintaining honesty and strong ethical standards even when it might be challenging. It’s about being reliable and trustworthy, ensuring that your actions align with your values and commitments.
Together, these values help JROTC cadets develop into responsible, ethical, and effective leaders, both within the program and in their broader lives.
"Live your life with integrity, lose with dignity, and win with humility" is a powerful mantra that reflects a balanced approach to life and personal conduct.
There has been several Senior Army Instructors (SAIs) and Army Instructors (AIs). The SAI is the department chair and holds the rank of an officer. The AI holds the rank of Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) is the advisor to the SAI on all matters related to the cadets. Listed below is the names of the instructors for RCHS JROTC:
Richland County High School JROTC’s Instructor History
Senior Army Instructor Years Army Instructor Years
Major Les Smith 1994 - 2004 CSM Donald J. Huskey 1994 - 1997
Major Timothy Knigge 2004 - 2010 1SG Bruce Knowles 1997 – 2006
SFC Delibac 2006 - 2007
CSM Mickey Haynes 2007 - 2010
CSM Mickey Haynes 2010 – 2011 MSG Michael Cavalier 2010 – 2015
Major Roy Waldhoff 2011 - CSM Mickey Haynes 2015 - 2021/2023 -24
MSG Jeffrey Ludwig 2025 - 2026
The philosophy of the RCHS JROTC program that has helped keep the Tiger Battalion united in a common interest is that all the cadets are treated as part of a family. This family is filled with members that chose their friends and have realized that the program is cadet driven with all of their fates tied to its success or failures. The cadets focus on teamwork and acknowledge that strong teamwork and good sportsmanship build strong bridges not only within the program but also ones that branch out to other JROTC programs.
RCHS JROTC has had a close relationship with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) since its beginning. The JROTC program has held fund raisers each year to help with the Military Ball and other expenses also with the help of the VFW. The cadet’s commitment to the Olney community is demonstrated through its support of the 3 Olney parades (Halloween, Veterans Day, and the Christmas Parade). They also support the Veterans of Foreign War’s Christmas Parties. The center of excellence for JROTC at RCHS is to instill Hometown Pride into the cadets prior to their graduation. This is accomplished by having 2 Service Learning Projects each year; Veterans Tribute (completed in November = focused on the veterans of Richland County) and the Olney Historical Tour (completed in May = focused on the businesses, landmarks, and famous people).
RCHS JROTC has evolved over the years by offering different Extra-Curricular Teams based on the ambitions of the cadets. Here is the timeline of the Extra-Curricular Teams:
· 1994-2011 Color Guard, Drill Team, Rifle Team
· 2011-2023 Color Guard, Rifle Team, Raider Team
· 2023-Present Color Guard /Honor Guard (AUG-JAN / FEB-MAY – Mondays), Rifle Team (Fall – Tuesday &Thursday), Archery Team (Winter-Tuesday & Thursday), and Raider Team (Spring - Tuesday &Thursday)
Color Guard Team is a mandatory team.
The RCHS JROTC Tiger Battalion has a very rich history! Here is a timeline of significant events the battalion has taken part of:
1952 - East Richland High School in Olney, Illinois was established.
1994 - JROTC Program established at East Richland High School on July 1st, 1994. (UIC: W1NWFR / DODAAC: W81X8F)
1996 - 2011 Tiger BN has been Honor Unit With Distinction {under Annual Formal Inspection standards / A.F.I.}
1997 - Tiger BN Drill Team competed at the NHSDTC in Daytona Beach, Florida
finishing 4th out of 64 schools.
2000 - Rifle Team competed in the National Rifle Team Championships in Atlanta,
Georgia finishing 6th out of 10 teams.
2002 - Tiger BN Drill Team competed at the NHSDTC in Daytona Beach, Florida
finishing 12th out of 64 schools.
2002 - Veteran Hall was built. It was dedicated on November 8th, 2002 to all those individuals from the Richland County area who have served in the military.
2003 - Tiger BN Drill Team competed at the NHSDTC in Daytona Beach, Florida
finishing 10th out of 130 schools.
2009 - The current ERHS classroom / facility was organized.
2011 - ERHS JROTC holds their first Military Ball at Holiday Hotel (March 5th, 2011)
2011 - Rifle Team begins hosting Rifle Competitions in Vets Hall.
2012 - Raider Team is established (January 11th, 2012).
2011 - 2013 Tiger BN has been Honor Unit With Distinction {under Annual Formal Inspection standards / A.F.I.}
2014 - Raider Team begins hosting Raider Competitions.
2015 - Redesignated as RCHS JROTC.
2018 - (School Year 2018-19) 3rd Brigade Essay Contest Theme was: “This I Know” Duty, Honor, Country. Cadet / MSG Erica Heldenbrand placed 3rd overall at 3rd Brigade Level.
2019 - Raider Team competed in the THNVHS Regional Raider Competition April 13, 2019. 7 Schools, 10 Teams, and 110 cadets. Wins 1st Place in the Regionals. Jacob Stremme was named Top Male Cadet.
2021 – Rifle Team hosts their first Regional Advanced Marksmanship Competition (OCT 16,
2021). Wins 1st Place in the Regionals.
2022 - RCHS JROTC conducted its 1st Rappelling off the RCHS roof.
2022 – Raider Team Hosted a Regional Raider Competition against MHS, THSVHS, and LHS on April 23rd, 2022. Wins 1st Place in the Regionals and Mary Jones was named as the RCHS JROTC MVP.
2022 – Rifle Team hosts their 2nd Regional Advanced Marksmanship Competition (OCT 29, 2022). Wins 1st Place in the Regionals.
2022 – The introduction of Robotics & Drones to the JROTC Curriculum as part of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.).
RCHS JROTC took part in the JPA Inspection March 09, 2023. Received a score of 95.29% making the Tiger Battalion – “Honor Unit With Distinction” {under JROTC Program of Accreditation standards / J.P.A.}
2023 - Raider Team Hosted their 2nd Regional Raider Competition against LHS and THNVHS on April 22, 2023. Wins 1st Place in the Regionals. Abigail Atwood was named as the RCHS JROTC MVP.
2024 – Archery Team is established (January 16th, 2024).
2024 – RCHS JROTC holds their first Military Ball at Smoke Rise Steakhouse (March 02, 2024)
2024 - Raider Team participates in Mattoon HS’s Raider Regionals against Mattoon HS and Danville HS on October 19th, 2024. Wins 1st Place in the Regionals. Breanna Brown was named as the RCHS JROTC MVP.
2025 -
2026 -
Outcome: The JROTC cadre is committed to excellence as echoed in our battalion motto, “Step Up To The Challenge!” The Richland County High School Army JROTC program is rich in the tradition of excellence, as it has annually earned the highest unit award, the Honor Unit with Distinction. The JROTC cadres instruct the cadets in leadership, discipline, and character (morals/values/ethics) to develop them into better citizens. As mentors, we develop leadership potential with numerous leadership opportunities to take charge and influence the actions of others by providing purpose, motivation, and direction. Embedded in leadership training is logical decision-making and effective communication, orally, written, and listening skills. We use drill and ceremony as well as physical training to emphasize discipline. In JROTC, we improve cadets’ level of physical fitness and instill in them the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle. We mold their character based on the Army Values of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage and model it on a day-to-day basis. By taking personal accountability, you demonstrate integrity through your honesty and commitment to fixing the problem. This not only rebuilds trust with your team or supervisors but also shows your dedication to high standards and continuous improvement. It reinforces a culture of accountability and reliability, where everyone is encouraged to own their actions and contribute to collective success.