- June 5, 2026
The Mainland High School Air Force Junior ROTC program completed the school year with 38 cadets up in the air — at an indoor skydiving experience, during a field trip to iFLY in Orlando.
According to a press release, the cadets earned over 4,000 hours of community service during the school year. They supported numerous veteran activities, including presenting the colors, cleaning the Oakridge Cemetery with the Vietnam veterans, planting flags in multiple cemeteries for Memorial Day and assisting at the VA nursing home in Daytona Beach.
Cadets also took 10 field trips, including an overnight visit to the USS Alabama Battleship Park and Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum, Spruce Creek Fly-In and Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, NAS Jacksonville, Gametime, a St. Augustine historical tour, Kennedy Space Center and Space Florida, Wonderworks and Busch Gardens.
The program hosted a drill meet for 11 schools, held a military ball, ran an awards ceremony that provided over $7,000 for graduating seniors, and is now preparing 10 cadets for a week-long summer leadership course at The Citadel in South Carolina.
Mainland ROTC teacher, Maj. Michael Miglioranzi, is retiring this month. He and fellow instructor Master Sgt. Garthwaite said they are "extremely proud of our cadets’ accomplishments and wish the best for their future success," the press release states.
Mainland's ROTC program is looking for interested students to join. All uniform items are provided free. Since this is a citizenship program, cadets are not recruited nor expected to join the military.
For more information, contact Garthwaite at 386-258-4665, ext. 54338.
