Harford County Public Schools applied for its first Army JROTC program in 2016.  Now in 2023, seven years later, Army JROTC is finally coming to Harford County Public Schools.

The 4th Brigade of the U.S. Army Cadet Command has announced approval to place a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program at Joppatowne High School. This initiative started back in 2014 with the efforts of former president of the Susquehanna Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, Jeff Brock, who worked with the Harford County Board of Education and the Harford County Public School System to pursue the establishment of a JROTC program in Harford County. In 2016 the Harford County Board of Education voted unanimously to submit a formal application for a JROTC program.

The planning and implementation phase will now begin with an anticipated start date of the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. There is much work in the year ahead. Joppatowne High School and Harford County Public Schools administrators will work closely with the U.S. Army Cadet Command to determine the funding needed, which is typically shared between the Army and the School System, and to determine the space and material needed to start the program. The School System will also need to begin the process of recruiting and hiring the instructors for the program. The typical JROTC unit falls under the instruction of a Senior Army Instructor (SAI) and an Assistant Army Instructor (AI). These individuals must be fully retired from active service as a Commissioned Officer, Warrant Officer, or Noncommissioned Officer. The Chapter will follow the JROTC developments and provide assistance when and where needed, to include financial support, as part of our Community Outreach program.

JROTC is not simply about recruiting high schoolers for the military, but teaching students leadership, self-discipline, and organizational skills. Employers and colleges seek the kind of skill set gained through JROTC. The participants are given military style training and taught from a curriculum that includes subjects such as leadership, geography, civics, health, and history.

The newly established JROTC program will dovetail with Joppatowne’s Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Program, a signature program offered to students in the school's attendance area.