GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Clay High junior Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet Jane Johnson is a leader.

Since her freshman year, she has been a cadet with the program and has steadily risen through the ranks while demonstrating everything for which the program stands. Decorated multiple times, she now stands on the cusp of holding the highest cadet position, commanding officer of her unit, which she will take up the next school year.

“Cadet Jane Johnson was promoted to the Commanding Officer of the Clay HS NJROTC Unit on 09 April 2021 and will lead over 100 cadets for the 2021-2022 school year,” said Ret. Sr. Naval Science Instructor Lt, Berley Rodabaugh. “This young lady was the Administrative Officer for the 2020-2021 school year as a junior. This job is typically reserved for a twelfth-grade senior cadet; however, her maturity, commitment, and ability to do the job earned her the spot.”

Johnson isn’t just a model cadet but a model member of the Clay High student body. She has a 4.514 weighted GPA and is ranked 12th in a class of 442 students. She is on the “all A honor roll.” and is the Academic team captain for the NJROTC Brain Brawls, a game resembling Jeopardy. Johnson is also a member of the Varsity Marksmanship team and helped it qualify for the state-level competition in Anniston, Alabama. The team earned a sixth-place overall finish. She is on the drill team and competes against other schools that local active-duty U.S. Marines and Sailors judge. 

Earlier this month, Johnson was decorated again, this time by the Patriots Chapter, National Society United States Daughters 1812. Julia Saldivar presented the award, a JROTC bronze medal and certificate.

The award is given to a cadet who “who has demonstrated qualities of academic excellence, leadership, military discipline, dependability, patriotism and upright character in speech and habits, upon which our Nation was founded.”

“One of the missions of NSUSD 1812 is to promote patriotism,” said Jo Ann Orren, president of the Patriots Chapter, NSUSD 1812. “We do this by way of our National Defense Committee, which recognizes outstanding high school seniors who are involved in JROTC programs.”

Johnson has received some other decorations: the Military Order of the World Wars Bronze Medal, the Military Officers Association of America ROTC Bronze Disc Pendant, the Daedalian JROTC Achievement Award, and Honor Cadet with two Bronze Stars in place of the third award.

Surprisingly, given all of her success as a cadet, Johnson is not a military brat. Her interest was sparked by family.

“My brother was actually in NJROTC before I went into it,” she said. “He convinced me to join the unit because he was really involved, invested and he wanted to show me.”

Johnson is unsure whether or not she plans to join the military in the future, but says that it will likely be as a reservist if she does. She is unsure about her career plans but thinks that she will do something regarding politics.

The NSUSD 1812 was a great honor for her.

“Whenever I hear of an award being presented, I’m sort of just in shock because it’s such a great honor,” she said. “I feel a bit embarrassed and overwhelmed.”