By Anne Ruisi
In 2007 as he thought about retirement, Air Force Master Sgt. Grant Gibson considered a second career in emergency preparedness.
Although he earned a master’s degree in homeland security, Gibson ended up in the classroom as an Air Force Junior ROTC instructor, first in Columbus, Ohio, and then at Hoover High School in 2018.
“I’ve not looked back ever,” said Gibson, an Iowa native who came to Hoover High to open the Air Force JROTC program that he’s helped guide for the past five years.
Gibson spent much of his 20-year military career working as a public health technician, which included a variety of responsibilities such as contact tracing for certain health conditions.
He got his first taste of teaching during a stint as an instructor at the Air Force’s Airman Leadership School, and then he was asked to do a leadership program by a high school in Oklahoma.
“We hosted a camp for Air Force Junior ROTC,” he recalled. “We flew on airplanes, did the obstacle course. I really, really enjoyed it – and teaching.”
Air Force JROTC doesn’t require cadets to enter the military after high school. Its mission is to develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community.
In the program’s first year in Hoover, about 70 students enrolled and the program was going well. Then the pandemic began, and enrollment suffered. This year, 54 students are participating. About as many boys as girls are in the program, with perhaps a few more girls than previous years.
“COVID kind of killed us,” Gibson said. “I think next year we’ll get back up” to more participation.
Gibson is one of two Air Force Junior ROTC instructors at Hoover High School. He and Col. Chris Moulton teach classes and work to develop their students into cadets.
Service Before Self
The program is grounded in Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all they do, according to Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Section 2031, which outlines Air Force JROTC requirements.
The in-classroom curriculum includes Air Force heritage and traditions, the development of flight, military aerospace policies and space exploration.
Activities include teaching cadets life skills and helping them develop character. They also learn about the chain of command, standards of military life, such as how to wear their uniform, military customs and courtesies, Gibson said.
“We ease them into the program,” Gibson said, adding he focuses on leadership development. “Eventually, as they grow with the program, it becomes a cadet-led program,” he said.
Air Force JROTC teams in drill, color guard, drones and academics each have a student commander who is responsible for making sure their team is successful at what they do.
They also are exposed to wholesome experiences and hobbies, such as model rocketry and radio-controlled aircraft.
Community service is a large part of the program, and the cadets participate in traditional activities, such as posting the colors at a public event.
They also volunteer with Team Red, White & Blue, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of American veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.
Gibson is a member and his cadets have participated in events such as Team Red, White & Blue’s Old Glory Relay from New York to Atlanta when it’s passed through the community.
That event featured teams of runners carrying the American flag in a cross-country relay that included a 40-mile stretch through this area. Gibson let his students participate and they had to do all the planning for the sunrise to sunset run.
“They absolutely had a ball with that. They had so much fun, so much pride in being part of something so big,” Gibson said.
Participating students develop confidence, self-discipline, self-reliance and learn to work together as a team – skills that are valuable after high school in military or civilian life.
“They’ve got the experience, so they’ll fit in and make a difference right off the bat,” Gibson said.
