Every unit is different. Every retired soldier is different. At my high school, the program was run by 3 VERY different men. There were three guys in charge - 2 first sergeants and a colonel. They were all freaking awesome. I wasn't in the battalion, but they let me become an "honorary member" who somehow got drug into road marches, but experienced wonderful benefits with rappelling. The JROTC was always busy going to the mountains, Florida for Scuba, competitions for the drill team, Raiders, rifle team, and color guard, and visiting army bases for training and tours.

Try to get into a similar organization in your area if this one isn't satisfying. Give ROTC a try. If you are interested in the military, being in the ROTC will provide serious benefits.

Stick through it!

I guess I'll give a bit of a Canadian spin on this.

A few of the senior CIC (Cadet Instructors Cadre) Officers that I've met during my time in Air Cadets were retired CF members, some recent, some years back. They usually have a lot to offer, but it all depends on the person.

It's a guarantee that you'll meet some that just don't care anymore, but from my experience, this is few and far between. Most of the time, you'll have one that cares about passing on their knowledge and experience to the younger generation, and try to give the kids some insight of the world around them. If you get one of these guys, make sure you listen to them as they're a valuable source of information. If you've got some spare time, take a moment to sit down and chat with some of them too, as I'm sure they've got plenty more to say than just when they're instructing.

As others have said, it's pretty much a hit or miss situation when it comes to getting a good guy. Just stick with it. When you get as much as you can out of it, JROTC can be a valuable experience.

Like every one else in this world some will be good at what they do and others are a waste of space. Have you ever tried marching up to him and telling him just what you think of him and his attitude.

Look at it this way, the variability in your JROTC instructors will probably be very close to the same as you will experience once you join the full fledged military. It's a great experience and allows you to see life a it is,... and will continue to be both in the forces and out.

To be able to judge, and handle others is a valuable life skill, make the most of it. Learn from it and try to emulate those you admire, don't waste your time bitching about the "drop kicks" you'll end up a better person.