Linden High School’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) marked a signature moment in the program’s history on Monday, Sept. 16, 2025, when 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝘼𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙬 𝙏. 𝙋𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙝, 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙, visited the school to celebrate the program’s extraordinary growth.
With 614 cadets, Linden now has the largest NJROTC unit in the world, a distinction that reflects the program’s strong leadership, community service, and student engagement.
The day began at 7 AM with a meet-and-greet in the NJROTC classroom, where Mayor Derek Armstead Mayor of Linden, Superintendent Dr. Atiya Y Perkins, Principal Charles Koonce, Board Member Brianna Armstead, and the cadet leadership team welcomed Admiral Pottenburgh and Commander Andrew Hochgraver.
Following the meet-and-greet, cadet leaders delivered a 30-minute briefing showcasing the unit’s structure, recruitment strategies, and extensive community involvement.
“The brief was fantastic,” Pottenburgh said. “As I shared with the cadets, it was impressive as a high school unit, but it would have been just as impressive if they were an actual Navy unit, like a squadron or a ship or a submarine. Those cadets are extremely impressive — how they carried themselves, how they talked about the advancement process, and how they take care of the local community. I’m very excited to be at Linden High School.”
The morning concluded with a high-energy assembly in the high school auditorium, where more than 600 cadets gathered to hear Admiral Pottenburgh’s remarks and participate in a lively question-and-answer session about leadership, service, and future career opportunities.
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬
Superintendent Perkins expressed gratitude to Admiral Pottenburgh, NJROTC instructors, veterans, and cadets for their dedication and service.
“In times when our world feels divided, moments like these unite us,” Superintendent Perkins said. “As a Navy wife, I understand the sacrifices that come with protecting our freedom. Today, our cadets stand alongside one of the top admirals in the United States Navy, proving there are no limits to what they can achieve. Continue showing up as the best version of yourselves, because these achievements are worth celebrating.”