- June 04, 2024
I am Brian Finney, a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and 21-year military veteran. I currently serve as a Naval Science Instructor and leader of the Baldwin High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) in Milledgeville.
I was introduced to Jamariyuh Chandler by the school’s Work-Based Learning program coordinator as a young man who wanted to speak with me about pursuing the military as a career after graduating from high school. Due to the nature of my position, students are referred to me all the time for this same reason, but rarely are their inquiries actually serious. The first time I met Mr. Chandler was in passing, since our scheduled meeting had to be postponed twice because of another urgent situation requiring my attention. In most experiences, this would turn the student the other way and cause them to lose interest, but not Mr. Chandler.
We finally got the opportunity to talk on a Wednesday morning in late January. In my opinion, first impressions are key to determining levels of professionalism, and Jamariyuh definitely passed that test. He showed up in a shirt and tie and conducted himself just as if he was showing up for a job interview—including a firm handshake, making eye contact, and formally introducing himself. During that meeting, I learned that not only did he want to talk about a potential military career, but he had also applied for the Army ROTC scholarship and was awaiting the results. I knew then that he was a young man who was serious about his future and that bringing him into our program would be mutually beneficial. This opportunity would serve to be instrumental for him to gain experience in what the structured environment of the college ROTC program will be like, which he strives to be a part of.
Once Mr. Chandler officially began to report to me daily, he wisely did a lot of observing and learning how the other senior cadets did their jobs. Initially, he worked in our Supply department, assisting with uniform and property inventory and management. As he got more comfortable with the flow of the unit, he assisted the senior cadets with periodic classroom instruction of the first-year cadets. He taught subjects such as Mentorship, Professionalism, and Teamwork.
Initially, on days of the unit’s weekly uniform wear and inspection, Jamariyuh observed as upperclassmen cadets conducted the full operation of the platoon and inspected every junior cadet. Due to him having locs, I advised him that he couldn’t be issued a uniform to participate because his hair wasn’t in uniform regulations. To my surprise, shortly thereafter, Mr. Chandler arrived one morning with a military regulation haircut, determined to wear a uniform and show the other cadets that he wanted to set the right example. This too spoke volumes to me about his dedication and his desire to sacrifice to be a part of something serving a greater purpose than what he was used to.
From that point, Mr. Chandler began to expand his role in our unit, despite his lack of NJROTC experience. He proceeded to train others in one of his strengths—physical training (PT). Being the senior captain of the school’s wrestling team was a testament not only to his physical abilities but also to his ability to be a leader among his peers. He immediately impacted our unit in that regard, as he would motivate others as well as provide remedial training sessions for those who needed extra help with PT.
He would later expand his versatility by continuing to step outside his comfort zone by learning the fundamentals of military drill. He learned the basics of our drill rifle routine and marched with our unit in the 2024 Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Macon.
The skills that Mr. Chandler either gained or enhanced while working with the NJROTC at Baldwin High will greatly help him in his next level of life. Skills such as discipline, effort, accountability, teamwork, and sacrifice will prove to be transferable anywhere he goes. I greatly benefited from what Jamariyuh brought to our unit. Having a young man who not only talked the talk—but walked it as well—was a much-appreciated asset. It was quite refreshing to witness that he could work alongside like-minded upperclassmen and be trusted to lead their peers in the right direction, all while being an example of the Navy’s core values of honor, courage, and commitment. Students like Mr. Chandler serve as motivation for those behind him as an example that they too can pivot their life situation into whatever they want, as long as they are willing to sacrifice and put in the work to achieve it.
