The Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps is a program designed to instill in High School students the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment.

Douglas Albert Munro – United States Coast Guard

Signalman First Class Douglas Albert Munro was born on October 11, 1919, in Vancouver, Canada. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Guadalcanal on September 27, 1942, in the Solomon Islands. Munro, serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, was tasked with leading the evacuation of nearly 500 Marines trapped by Japanese forces at Point Cruz. Under constant enemy machine gun fire, Munro demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership as he led a group of Higgins boats toward the shore.

As the boats neared the beach, Munro placed his own craft between the heavily loaded boats and the enemy, using his vessel as a shield to protect the Marines evacuating the island. During the operation, Munro was struck and killed by enemy fire, but his crew, despite being wounded, continued the mission and successfully evacuated all remaining Marines. Munro's selflessness and tactical brilliance saved countless lives that day.

For his gallant actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 24, 1943. Munro remains the U.S. Coast Guard's only Medal of Honor recipient, and his legacy is honored at the U.S. Coast Guard Museum in New London, Connecticut, and at the Douglas Munro Barracks in Cape May, New Jersey.

AMI

The Annual Military Inspection, also known as AMI, is an important part of the school year for all Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) cadets. The Annual Military Inspection is a thorough review of all aspects of a unit, used to ensure that everything meets Navy standards. The AMI is a day of pride for a unit, a moment to present its hard work and dedication to a group of high-ranking military officials. This fact holds just as true for the NJROTC unit of the Marine Academy of Science and Technology.

At the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST), cadets take AMI very seriously and are constantly preparing. Even when one AMI has just been completed, there is always another on the edge of the horizon.

The morning of AMI starts with the reformation of the Battalion on MAST Way and a march out to Pershing Field. Once on the field, two squads, known as Side Boys, flank the official’s viewing area to welcome the inspectors. As each official enters—whether that be the NJROTC Area Commander, the Senior Naval Science Instructor, the principal, or any other visiting persons—the side boys blow a whistle, ring the bell, and salute to announce their arrival. Next, the esteemed drill team performs their routine, showcasing their skills. After this, the Pass and Review Ceremony begins, meant to display the uniformity, bearing, and decorum of the unit. This initial ceremony is open to the public and hundreds of friends, family members, district administration, and others come out to show their support for the school. 

After marching back to MAST Way, underclassmen are dismissed to attend shortened class periods and prepare for the most important part of the day. While the rest of the cadets are preparing, members of the Battalion Staff then show the guests everything that goes on in the MAST NJROTC Unit to keep the unit running smoothly.

Following lunch, 77, the lunchroom and assembly building, is converted into an inspection hall. Each member of the unit, from the highest ranking senior to the lowest rating freshman, is inspected on their uniform, knowledge, and military bearing and etiquette. 

The reason that the Annual Military Inspection is so important, beyond the obvious of highlighting a unit's hard work, is that the overall grade a unit receives at their AMI determines the amount of appointments the Senior Naval Science Instructor is able to give out. Appointments are recommendations to one of the service academies: Naval Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, Air Force Academy, West Point Military Academy, or Coast Guard Academy. Typically, these appointments are awarded by either a Senator, Member of the House of Representatives, or the Vice President, but these appointments can also be given out by Senior JROTC instructors. The number of appointments that a Senior JROTC instructor is allowed to award varies heavily on the grade received during an Annual Military Inspection, so doing well is paramount to the success of a unit’s military-bound cadets. Before accounting for the grade received from an Annual Military Inspection, Senior JROTC instructors can give out 3 appointments, if a unit receives a Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors, then that number jumps to 6.

In the past, MAST has received the title of “Distinguished Unit With Academic Honors”, the highest grade that can be received, 41 times. The Distinguished Unit With Academic Honors is given to less than 30% of the 600+ NJROTC units worldwide every year. The most recent of these awards was presented by Rear Admiral of the Lower Half Mathew Pottenburgh, Naval Service Training Command, during his visit to the school on Tuesday, 16 September 2025. 

This year, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology will have its Annual Military Inspection on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025. The Pass in Review portion of the Annual Military Inspection will take place in the morning. The Area 2 NJROTC Manager, Commander Eric Humphreys, along with members of the Coast Guard Station, Sandy Hook, will be in attendance as this year's inspectors.

Rear Admiral Matthew Pottenburgh Visit

On September 16, 2025, Rear Admiral Lower Half Matthew Pottenburgh, Commander, Naval Science Training Command, visited the Marine Academy of Science and Technology’s Navy Junior ROTC unit. Rear Admiral Pottenburgh toured the campus and received a presentation highlighting the innumerable accomplishments of MAST students. Rear Admiral Matthew Pottenburgh was accompanied by his aide and fellow P8 Pilot, Lieutenant Clark; the Area 2 Manager, Commander Eric Humphreys; and Command Master Chief of Naval Service Training Command, Command Master Chief Andrew Hochgraver.

Following the presentation, Rear Admiral Pottenburgh was welcomed by the 276 dedicated NJROTC cadets of the Marine Academy and viewed what he called, “one of the most prestigious units in the country”. The Rear Admiral’s assertion was backed up by the 7,180 community service hours that students at MAST performed during the 2024 - 2025 school year. Pottenburgh also remarked about the incredible community that makes MAST so special. Not only were MAST teachers present, but members of the school board, administration, and Parent-Teacher-Student Association also attended to show their support for the battalion.

MAST cadets were then able to ask the Rear Admiral questions, many of which were about his own experiences in the Navy or about the ROTC and Military Academies. Rear Admiral Pottenburgh, being an NROTC graduate from The Ohio State University, provided valuable information and insight for the military-bound cadets. Towards the end of his visit, Rear Admiral Pottenburgh saw fit to award the “Distinguished Unit With Academic Honors” ribbon to the school for the 41st time, an honor only awarded to 30% of the 600+ NJROTC units. In addition to this, the Rear Admiral handed out additional awards to individual cadets in recognition of their academic achievements and community service work. These cadets include Cadet Daniel Chiu from Edison, Class of 2028, and Cadet Abigail Reilley from Little Silver, Class of 2028, who were recognized as Cadets of the Quarter for the fourth marking period of the 2024 to 2025 school year. Cadet Leila Brown from Manalapan, Class of 2028; Cadet Nicholas Amey from Keansburg, Class of 2027; and Cadet Nicholas Billows from Ocean, Class of 2026, were awarded the Honor Cadet Ribbons for having the highest Naval Science grades in their respective classes. Cadet Juliet Ginda from Middletown, Class of 2026; Cadet Zachary Clifton from Lake Como, Class of 2027; and Cadet Radhika Sandeep from Marlboro, Class of 2028, were also honored for having the highest number of community service hours in the 2024 - 2025 school year among their respective grades. Cadet Ginda completed 113 community service hours, Cadet Clifton completed 124.5 hours, and Cadet Sandeep completed 119 hours. In addition to these cadets, three more MAST cadets were honored for their exceptional academic achievements, having the highest cumulative grades, aptitude, and scholastic standing in all Unit activities: Cadet Andrew Viggiano from Ocean, Class of 2026; Cadet Nia Suresh from Ocean, Class of 2027; and Cadet Quinn Pappas from Tinton Falls, Class of 2028.

The chance to meet and speak with Rear Admiral Matthew Pottenburgh was certainly a memorable and valuable experience for all MAST cadets. After hearing his praise, our dedication has been renewed in preparation for our upcoming Annual Military Inspection in November. On behalf of all MAST students and faculty, we thank Rear Admiral of the Lower Half Matthew Pottenburgh for his kind words and the time that he took out of his busy schedule to meet with our unit.