OLD BRIDGE — In front of the township Board of Education and an audience full of proud parents on March 19, 29 cadets in the Old Bridge Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Camp (JROTC) were honored by Mayor Owen Henry and JROTC Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Pitzer for their selflessness during superstorm Sandy.
For a nine-day period from when Sandy hit on Oct. 29 until Nov. 6, 2012, JROTC members volunteered their time in shifts to help local residents whose homes had been damaged or lost power as a result of high winds and rain take refuge at Carl Sandburg Middle School.
“Behind me stands, I believe, the best group of young men and women that this town has to offer,” the mayor said. “To say the least, the town was overwhelmed [during the storm]; devastation was town-wide. We needed help and, boy, did they deliver. We’re talking young men and women taking care of people twice, three times their age.
“As mayor, I was so impressed and so inspired. They gave me the strength to carry on, to continue my job. I would go [to Sandburg] at 1 or 2 in the morning and find a dozen men and women helping people in a time of need. We helped 250 people with food and a place to sleep. I felt it was important to be here tonight to let you know what you have. We’re so fortunate to have this program in town.”
Pitzer said as the storm loomed offshore, he received a call from the Office of Emergency Management asking if his cadets would be willing to help at the shelter.
“I sent a text message out to [Old Bridge High School senior and JROTC cadet] John Noonan. He threw a text back and said, ‘Chief, I’m all over this thing.’ He then called a bunch of the cadets, got them down there and got the place set up,” Pitzer said. “Not only did they set it up, they stayed there and worked it 24/7 the entire time, and when it was done, they tore it all down.”
Pitzer said Noonan was the leader of the ROTC pack and made sure everything at Sandburg ran smoothly.
For his leadership and selflessness during the emergency situation, Alan Strader, the township’s Office of Emergency Management coordinator, wrote a letter to Pitzer requesting that Noonan be recognized. Pitzer endorsed the letter and sent it to Col. Matthew G. Anderer, Air Force JROTC director at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.
After hearing of his efforts, Anderer wrote to the cadet, saying, “I know you know our code of values. I know you know that service before self is more than a catchphrase, as you demonstrated after [superstorm] Sandy. I would like to personally thank you for your leadership during that time of need, and I look forward to more great times and great things from you.”
In addition to the letter, Anderer sent a JROTC recognition coin — the highest honor a cadet can receive — to Noonan, who happily accepted it. He was met with a resounding round of applause from residents, board members and his fellow JROTC cadets.
The Old Bridge JROTC is involved in several community centered volunteer initiatives such as food drives for homeless shelters. The cadets racked up 2,100 hours of community service during the storm, and are already up to 6,000 hours in 2013.
Contact Thomas Castles at [email protected].