Teens will go out in droves to support their school's basketball team or to watch their friends take the stage in a school play, but very few have ever seen a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corp drill meet. That's not surprising.

Though the JROTC program is fairly common in high schools throughout the central and northern parts of the state, Santa Fe l and Los Alamos high schools are the only schools in Northern New Mexico that offer the program.

JROTC is a leadership program sponsored by the United States armed forces. However it is not "an arm of the military."

"Most people think if you join JROTC it's mandatory that you join the military, and that's not true and all," said Santa Fe High senior Thomas Barrera. "It's about learning leadership skills and other essential skills."

"I've been in JROTC all four years of high school and will not be joining the service upon graduation," Santa Fe High senior Cindy Granillo said. "Some people seem to think JROTC teaches you to kill people, but that's very wrong. JROTC teaches you to become a leader and become successful in life through leadership and teamwork."

Granillo is a JROTC lieutenant commander and the JROTC operations officer. Not only does Granillo help command one of two unarmed drill teams with her friend, Cassidy Lee, but she also handles all of the logistics of the group's trips and drill meets.

"It's positions like these that take people far in life and give them the experience they need to be successful. People should recognize the good that the JROTC program does," Granillo said.

Barrera is both a lieutenant commander and commander of the unit. Barrera explained that commanders and lieutenant commanders oversee the cadets and help them to prepare for drill meets and competitions.

Santa Fe High's JROTC program was established in 1968, more than 20 years before the program was introduced into Los Alamos High School in 1983. The JROTC program at Santa Fe High has around 200 participants, making it one of the largest JROTC programs in the state.

"We're trying to teach kids citizenship and prepare them for college. Physical fitness is an important part and also working in teams. We have a staff of senior cadets that we put through a lot of different training and courses, that we like to consider role models for the younger kids in the program. They are very carefully selected," JROTC instructor Mark Plowman said.

Last year, JROTC participant Gabriella Reinhardt went to the Area Nine Leadership Academy. Together, kids from Texas, Arizona and New Mexico "learned to be in a position to lead young people." At the leadership academy, Reinhardt was selected as the finest role model of all the cadets there.

"(JROTC) provides the student body with prospective and active leaders in the classroom," Barrera said. Yet the JROTC program continues to receive little recognition within the school community.

"Many JROTC graduates now hold respectable positions in the workforce and some are officers in the military," Granillo said. "People should recognize that ROTC helps many become successful in life, and its sole purpose is not to train students to join the military."

Granillo went on to say that the team has brought home several trophies in various competitions.

"We compete at drill meets and have drill teams, and our physical fitness teams have won plenty of trophies, but our successes are never glorified or recognized as much as those of the sports teams at Santa Fe High," Granillo said.

Barrera has his own opinion why JROTC might receive less credit for their work as compared to other groups.

"I think it might be looked down upon in today's society because of the war in Iraq," Barrera said, but that doesn't stop him or Granillo from participating. They feel the positives outweigh the negatives.

"The best thing is that you get to experience a whole new part of the American culture. You get to experience what today's military goes through as well as learn key leadership skills, day-to-day teamwork skills and everyday knowledge," Barrera said. "It takes a lot of time and training, but if you have the heart it's a great thing to do."

For Granillo, JROTC has been an essential part of her high school experience.

"It has instilled in me many great values, and most importantly, given me confidence. I've also learned that hard work will take you far," Granillo said. "Perseverance is what helped me the most during all my years of high school. JROTC helped in my schoolwork, and it taught me to be a better person and always be willing to help others."

Plowman believes it's the close bonds formed by the students that make the program special.

"I think we provide a better family atmosphere than most things in the school," he said. "We have cheerleaders and varsity football players in JROTC, but those other programs are only for a short part of the year. We're all year round."

It was family that inspired Barrera to join JROTC in the first place.

"About 30 years ago my father was also in JROTC, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps," he said.

Plowman said that every participant is dedicated.

"The kids are here in the morning, on the weekends and in the summer," Plowman said. "It's a tight-knit group and it helps kids stay out of bad situations. JROTC provides the kids with the chance to be a part of something bigger than themselves."

Tori Velarde is a senior at Santa Fe High School. You can reach her at tori@velardenm.com