Puyallup JROTC instructor earns U.S. Army Cadet Command’s highest award

U.S. Army Cadet Command
FORT MONROE, Va.— Retired Army Maj. Monte L. Mingus of Rogers High School in Puyallup was named U.S. Army Cadet Command’s top senior Army instructor for 2006.
As the SAI for his school, Mingus was selected from more than 1,600 others throughout the U.S. and overseas where JROTC units are located. The command’s Incentive Award for excellence will be presented to him at a ceremony at the school in September to honor Mingus’ achievement.
“This selection is based not just on me, but it reflects the great support I have received from those around me,” Mingus said, citing fellow instructors, the school staff and the cadets.
He added, “This has truly been a group effort. Being an instructor and being able to work with students every day is a terrific job. It is amazing to see how much these students learn, develop and mature while in the JROTC program. Helping cadets get scholarships and teaching them skills they need to be successful in the 21st Century is very rewarding. “The mission of JROTC is not to put people in the service — our mission is to motivate young people to become better citizens,” Mingus noted.