𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ — By 6:30 a.m. on March 27, the NJROTC spaces at Linden High School were already buzzing with disciplined energy. Uniforms were checked. Boots polished. Flags rolled and ready for action. While most students across the country were still asleep, 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐍𝐉𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐂 𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

And they did.

With more than 600 cadets in formation and Commander Eric Humphreys, NJROTC Area 2 Manager and United States Navy (Ret.), serving as inspecting officer, Linden High School hosted its 2025 Annual Area Manager Inspection (AMI)—a full-day showcase of precision, leadership, and unity that confirmed what many already knew: 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐍𝐉𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐂 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐉𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐂 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝,” 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐝 𝐂. 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫, 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲. “𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐠. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲.”

Decker, a former Navy helicopter pilot, beamed with pride as he added:

“There are 641 NJROTC units across the country—and a few more in places like Italy, Spain, Guam, and Japan. But Linden is the largest in the world. And we’re not just big—we’re good. These cadets are leading one of the most authentic, powerful youth programs in America.”

“𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐖𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞”: 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐬

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐭𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐘. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬, herself a military spouse, praised the cadets as a point of pride not only for the school district, but for the entire City of Linden.

“Together, we serve—and I mean that literally,” said Dr. Perkins. “As the wife of a military veteran, I know firsthand the sacrifices and strength it takes to serve this country. And I see that same strength in these cadets. Each one of them has taken an oath that will never die. It’s a commitment to excellence, to leadership, and to citizenship that begins here and will shape the rest of their lives.”

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟗𝟐 𝐭𝐨 𝟔𝟎𝟎+: 𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

Founded in 1986 with just 92 students, the Linden High School NJROTC unit 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Today, it surpasses 641 programs nationwide, along with additional units overseas.

This year’s AMI broke records: every cadet received an “𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠” 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧—an achievement unprecedented in the unit’s nearly 40-year history.

“What you’re seeing today is real,” said Decker. “This unit is run by cadets—for cadets. These students aren’t just showing up—they’re leading, they’re mentoring, and they’re creating a culture of excellence that can’t be replicated anywhere else.”

Commander Eric Humphreys echoed the sentiment:

“It’s one thing to be big—it’s another to be great. Linden is both. These cadets are confident, capable, and supported by a system that begins with students and radiates outward to parents, teachers, administrators, and the Linden community.”

𝐀 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞

The day began well before sunrise. At 6:30 a.m., top cadet leaders and naval science instructors reported for final preparations. By 7:30, the full regiment mustered in the gymnasium. Commander Humphreys arrived by 8:00 a.m., receiving a pre-brief from the Senior Naval Science Instructor and Cadet Commanding Officer. From 8:15 to 10:45, Humphreys and guest inspectors from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and National Guard conducted in-depth inspections.

“Normally, only 10 or 15 cadets receive exemplary appearance ribbons,” Decker noted. “But today, every single cadet received an ‘Outstanding.’ That’s never happened before.”

By 11:00 a.m., the ceremonial phase began. A ceremonial ship’s whistle signaled the arrival of the official party. Parents, school leaders, military recruiters, and elected officials packed the gymnasium. Cadets presented the regimental colors and sang the national anthem. Then came the award presentations, rank promotions, precision drill demonstrations, and enlistee recognitions.

Among the dignitaries were Superintendent Perkins, Board of Education President Dr. Marlene Berghammer, board member Samuel De La Cruz, Principal Charles Koonce, Mayor Derek Armstead, and members of the City Council. Families filled the bleachers—many clutching flowers and snapping photos—as they beamed with pride.

“You Have Joined an Exclusive Family”

A highlight of the ceremony was the promotion of Cadets Carlos Cubillos and Jonathan Rivera to Senior Chief Petty Officer.

“You have not merely been promoted. You have joined an exclusive family,” said Decker during the solemn ceremony. “More will be expected of you—not because you are older, but because you are now leaders.”

Leadership Fueled by Love

Senior Cadet Commanding Officer Josue Carpio, who will attend Monmouth or Villanova University and aspires to become a naval nurse or occupational therapist, gave a powerful speech about why students commit to NJROTC:

“This program is more than just a class. It’s a family—a first family for many of us,” said Carpio. “If you ask me why I lead, my answer is love—love for this organization, love for what it represents, and love for each other.”

City, School, and National Leaders Echo Praise

The scope and caliber of Linden’s program drew heartfelt accolades from every corner of leadership.

Principal Charles Koonce said:

“You are the pillar of Linden High School. You represent everything we stand for—discipline, structure, honor, and service to the community. I’ve worked with several ROTC programs over my 26 years in education, and I can say with supreme confidence that this is the best. The love and commitment that Commander Decker and his team show to each of you is truly remarkable. On this day, I don’t just feel like a principal—I feel like a proud dad watching his children stand tall in glory, discipline, and unity. You make this school, and this city, incredibly proud.”

Mayor Derek Armstead, a longtime supporter of the program, added:

“I’ve been around since the early days of this program, and to see where it is today—it’s truly unbelievable. Linden, New Jersey, a small town by most standards, is now home to the largest NJROTC unit in the world. That’s not just impressive—it’s historic. While I love all our student-athletes, the team I admire most is ROTC. You’re not playing for trophies—you’re preparing for life. You carry yourselves with pride and purpose. I know some of you will go off to do amazing things—and I also know many of you will come back and help lead this city.”

True Leadership. Real Impact. Global Reach.

Commander Decker reminded the audience that Linden’s NJROTC is 100% cadet-led—from mentoring peers to planning competitions, managing uniforms, and executing daily operations.

“This program is different. It’s not pretend—it’s real,” said Decker. “Cadet Captain Josue Carpio leads over 600 students. His leadership—and that of the top four and top sixteen—is remarkable. These students are immersed in values that stay with them for life: discipline, responsibility, service to others, and leadership under pressure. It’s been the honor of my second career to serve as their mentor. This is the most meaningful work I’ve ever done.”

Superintendent Perkins summed it up with this:

“Linden is incredibly proud of this program—not just because it’s the largest in the world, but because of the caliber of young people it produces. We are not just educating students—we are empowering future leaders of this community, this country, and this world. What we witnessed today was nothing short of inspiring.”

It’s Not Just About the Numbers—It’s the Mission

While the numbers impress, it’s the mission behind them that defines Linden’s NJROTC:

10 seniors are enlisting in military service this year

Dozens of students are pursuing careers in law, medicine, engineering, aviation, and public service

Hundreds of hours of community service have been completed

Lifelong bonds of friendship, leadership, and purpose are being formed every day

And among those rising to serve their country, these ten cadets have made their post-graduation commitments to the Armed Forces:

New Jersey Army National Guard

• Carlos Cubillos

• Ashley Agbottah Grubbs

• Marie Paul

• Johancis Algarin

United States Navy

• Christian Oliver Brooks

United States Marine Corps

• Adrian Rivera

• Erika Martinez

• Janessa Barahona

• Logan Fine

• Maria Castenada

Their decisions are a testament to the program’s core values—and a powerful reflection of what NJROTC in Linden truly prepares students to do: lead with purpose and serve with honor.

FAST FACTS – LINDEN NJROTC
Founded: 1986
Enrollment: 600+ Cadets
Distinction: Largest NJROTC Unit in the World
Command Structure: 100% Cadet-Led Operations
Disciplines: Drill, Drones, Marksmanship, Academics, Orienteering, Athletics, Service
2025 Military Enlistees: 10
Core Values: Honor, Courage, Commitment, Service, Family