MIDDLE TOWNSHIP – At their monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 6th, the members of American Legion Post 331 presented a donation of $6,000 to the cadets of the Middle Township High School Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) program.
The program provides schools not eligible for the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) with the opportunity to teach the NJROTC curriculum, while also enabling students to develop personal responsibility, respect for authority, integrity, self-discipline, and leadership. Unlike NJROTC programs, NNDCC Programs do not receive any Department of Defense funding for uniforms or operating expenses.
The program relies on donations to cover operational costs, including uniforms, equipment and storage, an annual military ball and awards event, and hands-on learning experiences such as military installation field trips, competitions, and team-building activities.
Post 331 has established a close relationship with the cadets as part of the American Legion’s Fourth Pillar of support to children and youth programs. The cadets, in turn, have supported Post 331’s events, to include providing a Color Guard and flag folding demonstration during Post 331’s Annual Flag Day celebration.
The school’s program was started in 2019 by veteran Susan J. Blood, USCG Lieutenant Commander, and has a current enrollment of 55 students. Retired US Marine Corps Staff Sergeant William Neill, a Middle Township Alumni, has recently taken command as the Navy National Defense Cadet Corps Instructor (NNDCCI) of the program.
Susan Blood will remain closely connected to the program in order to promote continued growth of the program. American Legion Post 331, located in Stone Harbor, provides support to veterans throughout Cape May County and is home for veterans from Avalon and Stone Harbor.
