Tafuna High School’s (THS) Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program has been awarded the Honor Unit with Distinction – Gold Star achievement for Accreditation (JPA).
The achievement recognizes the program’s outstanding performance, earning the highest percentage points among the five JROTC programs on the island under the American Samoa Multiple School Unit and the Department of Education.
The US Army Cadet Command Regulation 145-8-3 dictates that the JPA is used to evaluate secondary educational institutions and JROTC Instructors, ensuring compliance with minimum program criteria.
School districts and instructors receive a JPA visit at least once every three years. During the evaluation, THS JROTC was assessed on seven key areas: Unit Report, Color Guard Inspection, In-Ranks Inspection, Continuous Improvement Plan, Service Learning Project, Cadet Portfolio & Interviews, and Instructor Portfolio.
The program earned a perfect score of 100% in five out of the seven areas, which are: Service Learning Project, Cadet Portfolio & Interviews, In Ranks Inspection, Unit Report and Instructor Portfolio.
In the other two areas they earned 96.43% for the Continuous Improvement Plan, and 96.67% for the Color Guard Inspection. Their overall score was an impressive 99.13%, earning them the prestigious Gold Star distinction.
THS JROTC Department, including MAJ Siimoa Galoia, MSG Acania Puletasi, and SFC Lei Solaita, expressed gratitude to District Army Instructor, MAJ Rodney Malauulu, and his staff for their efforts in the JPA.
They also thanked the Tafuna High School community for their support during the process, as well as Erate for their IT assistance, ensuring a smooth accreditation process.
The JROTC department also extended special thanks to the parents of participating cadets, acknowledging their sacrifices in allowing their cadets to practice and rehearse. Their support played a significant role in the program’s success. Additionally, they recognized Principal Tutuila Togilau for her unwavering support of the program and its cadets.
