The Coast Guard established its first JROTC unit in 1992, in Miami, FL. Under recent federal legislation, the Coast Guard is expanding the JROTC program to every Coast Guard District by 2025.

Per 10 USC Chapter 102, the flagship purpose of JROTC is “to instill in students in United States secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States, and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.”

In light of this, the mission of Coast Guard JROTC is: Developing Service-Minded Citizens of Character. To accomplish the mission, the program develops cadets on the COAST:

• CITIZENSHIP – building character and values
• OPERATIONS – learning about government & military operations from history to present day
• ADVANCEMENT – preparing for a successful career
• SERVICE – honoring community and country
• TEAMWORK – learning to lead self, to lead others, and to be a positive and productive team member