HAMPSTEAD, N.C. — Topsail High School has established a new Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. This is also the second program established in North Carolina with Camden County High School being the first.

What You Need To Know

  • Topsail High School is number five of six Coast Guard JROTC programs in the United States

  • There has been a low in recruiting numbers across all branches of the military
  • The U.S. Coast Guard is projected to be 1,000 openings shy of its goal to fill 4,000 position this year

  • There are over 300,000 JROTC cadets across all branches in the United States

Having JROTC programs allows youth to explore other options after graduating high school. 

This comes as the recruiting number for military branches has been low. The U.S. Coast Guard is projected to be 1,000 openings shy of its goal to fill 4,000 position this year, which is better than any other military branches.

Former Capt. Joseph Solomon has retired from the Coast Guard and is now working as a senior maritime science instructor at Topsail High School.

The military has always had meaning in Solomon’s life.

“I actually decided I wanted to be part of the Coast Guard when I was in third grade,” Solomon said.

Giving back to his community is also something Solomon has done his whole career, which is part of the reason he began teaching after retiring from the Coast Guard. 

“It’s a way to stay engaged with with the Coast Guard and, you know, certainly a way to give back to my community working with with young men and women,” Solomon said.

While the JROTC program educates kids on military history and what the military offers, Solomon emphasizes that the program is meant to teach leadership rather than recruit.

“Our focus is on developing service-minded citizens of character and developing them as leaders,” Solomon said.

The establishment of this new JROTC program has many excited, especially the cadets. 

“The cadets are very excited about the program. They’re eager to, you know, to develop as leaders. And they want to get help develop the program,” Solomon said.

One of those cadets is Solomon’s daughter Kelsey, who is a freshman at the high school.

“I had an interest in maritime science and law, and I thought that this can be a really good practice for other extracurriculars and good discipline work,” Kelsey Soloman said.

While Kelsey Soloman is planning to go to college after school, she said the military is a good backup plan and that her time in the JROTC program has helped shape her life.