Romeoville High School | Marine Corps JROTC

Leadership Through Service

At Romeoville High School Marine Corps JROTC, we believe the greatest leaders are those who choose to serve others first.

Community service is not simply another activity or a requirement for promotion—it is one of the pillars of our program. It teaches humility, compassion, responsibility, and the understanding that leadership is measured not by the number of people serving you, but by the number of people YOU are willing to serve.

View our Cadet Calendar for upcoming Service Opportunities below.

Cadets march in the Crest Hill Memorial Day parade annually.

Cadets escorted families at the Forgotten Warrior Memorial Foundation where loved ones revealed the newly etched name of their loved one who had succumbed to the effects of PTSD.

Request our cadets for a working party or Service Project here:

Community Service Request

Cadets pack dry-good, meal bags to combat global hunger with local organization: Feed My Starving Children.

First to Fight... First to Serve

The Marine Corps has long embraced the motto "First to Fight."

While our cadets are not preparing for combat, they are taught to embrace the same spirit of readiness and selflessness.

For us, "First to Fight" means being the first to volunteer.

The first to help.

The first to step forward when something needs to be done.

The first to serve those who may feel forgotten or overlooked.

Whether assisting veterans, reading to young children, supporting local charities, presenting the Colors at community events, or volunteering at school functions, our cadets learn that true leadership begins with action.

Servant Leadership

One of the most important lessons taught in our program is that leadership is service.

Leaders do not ask others to do what they are unwilling to do themselves.

Leaders set the example.

That philosophy is reflected in the way we operate every day. When our battalion eats together, our newest cadets are served first while our most senior leaders eat last. When we board buses, leaders are the last to get on after ensuring every cadet has a seat. At competitions and events, leaders start packing the buses first and stay at the school until every member of their team is ready to go home. Even in Raider Competitions, points are deducted if the captain of the team crosses the finish line first or is not heard motivating their team.

"Servant leadership is Marine leadership,
a tradition given to us by Marines of every rank and generation.
Leaders eat last."

- Gen. Eric M. Smith - Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (2023)

Cadets run a toy drive each year and deliver gifts - in uniform - to the children at the Dr. Jame Mitchem Early Childhood Center every Christmas season.

Service in Our Community

Each year, Romeoville High School MCJROTC contributes more than 2,500 hours of community service, making our battalion one of the school's most active service organizations.

Cadets proudly support organizations and events including:

Feed My Starving Children
Toys for Tots
Dr. James Mitchem Early Childhood Center
Lemont Park District Military Week
Memorial Day ceremonies and parades
Romeoville Police and community events
Veteran organizations: including AllenForce, Forgotten Warrior Memorial Foundation, Naperville Marines, and many others

Every hour represents an opportunity to strengthen our community while growing as leaders.

Why Service Matters

Service develops qualities that colleges, employers, scholarship committees, and communities value.

Cadets learn empathy, communication, teamwork, initiative, responsibility, and leadership while building resumes that reflect meaningful experiences rather than simply listing accomplishments.

More importantly, service changes perspective.
It teaches cadets that leadership is not about recognition or rank—it is about making a positive difference in the lives of others.

"When you leave Romeoville High School MCJROTC,

we hope people won't remember your rank.

We hope they'll remember how you served."

See upcoming Service Events on our Calendar

Calendar of Events

Request our Cadet Volunteers for your next Service Event

Request our Cadets/Working Party