After coming home from five deployments to the Middle East during challenging political and operational times, Lieutenant Colonel Bradford Lee Gaddy was willing to make an important transition in his military career.
Finding an opportunity as a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) instructor at West Johnston High School, Gaddy became a respectable and admirable instructor and co-worker by students and teachers alike.
“He’s shining more of a light on the programand making it more interesting to students,” said Samantha Lam, West Johnston High’s Media Coordinator. Gaddy’s military and early experiences in childhood help impact students’ success, motivation, and attitude both in and out of the classroom.
However, Gaddy fought with feelings of internal doubt when making these decisions, and frequently used his wife and two children to encourage him throughout his transition period.
According to the Army JROTC command, “the success of the program is largely due to great Army JROTC instructors in each high school classroom.”
Gaddy’s influence goes far beyond the school walls, coaching and motivating the National JROTC Raider Competition, a Senior Trip to Orlando, FL., and bringing recycling and beautification to West Johnston High.
“Life is about creating your own journey, you have to get out there and create your own way”, Gaddy commented. He is reinforcing these ideas in the classroom to “Motivate young people to become better citizens,” which is the mission of JROTC. Gaddy’s dedication goes even further in his life, owning a small business, and pursuing a PhD, with hopes to “inspire to make one’s life journey a little easier.”
Gaddy continues to reflect on how he has impacted countless lives throughout his experiences and trials, with the confidence he instills in his cadets and students today. “When you teach, you’re making a sacrifice for something beyond yourself, you’re working to make other’s lives better,” Lam asserted.
Upon Gaddy’s decision to become a JROTC instructor, he recognized the importance of compassion, commitment and patience with students who are learning at different levels, and going great lengths to make sure that every student is successful.
“Once you tell yourself you can do it and it’s time to do it, there’s nothing left to do but prepare and make it happen, Gaddy expressed.”
