Chattanooga Central High School JROTC History

Central High School founded in 1907, on Dodds Ave, Chattanooga, TN.

A Military Training program instituted in 1914 by the Principal, and Staff, in anticipation of WWI.

In conjunction with the US Congress and War Department authorized JROTC for high schools in 1916.

In 1919 Chattanooga Central was selected as one of the 30 original schools to pilot the newly authorized program.

In 1927 the Army instituted a unit achievement award known as “Honor Unit”, which was later renamed “Honor Unit With Distinction” which central has held since inception.

In 1969-70, Chattanooga Central was relocated to its current site, in the Chattanooga suburb in Harrison.

The program has averaged over 185 cadets a year, and has graduated approxiamatley 16,000 cadets since 1919.

Chattanooga Central has remained during the 1990s and to the new millennium one of the systems premier units.

Central’s program has had several cadets who later became high ranking Commissioned/noncommissioned officers, in our various military services.