New Book
A Guide for Instructors Navigating the Transition from Army Life to the Classroom
"You took an oath. You continue to serve. The uniform came off — the commission never did."— LTC (Ret.) Richard Crossley Jr.
The Book
There's one book on JROTC history. Zero books on what it actually feels like to stand in front of a 16-year-old who doesn't care about your rank. Making JROTC Work is that book.
Teach the meat, not the pudding. How to bring intellectual depth and real challenge into a program too often dismissed as just an elective.
Be the chameleon in the crayon box. Align your program to what your school actually needs — so JROTC becomes indispensable, not invisible.
360° — cadets, military, school, community, civic, and patriotic groups. If you're not at the table, you're on the menu. How to build the alliances that protect and elevate your program.
Data that principals and U.S. Army Cadet Command (USACC) actually care about. Not only drill scores — graduation rates, scholarship dollars, test performance. Numbers that make programs viable and bulletproof.
Who It's For
You have the certification, the discipline, the passion. Now learn the part nobody warned you about: teaching is not the same as instructing.
Even after 10 years, there's something new to learn every single year. If your program has plateaued, this is the honest conversation you've been missing.
No director. No mentor. No professional development support. This book was written for you — the instructor out there alone, figuring it out without a roadmap.
Understand what a truly well-run JROTC program looks like and assist you in meeting your goals and objectives. And how to develop your instructors leading your program.
About the Author
LTC (Ret.) Richard Crossley Jr. brings 23 years of distinguished military service and 25 years of JROTC leadership to his first book, Making JROTC Work. A native of McComb, Mississippi, he began his Army career as an enlisted soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division. He later became a 1979 ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and earned a Master of Public Service degree from Western Kentucky University.
His military career included assignments as Platoon Leader, Company Commander, Aide-de-Camp, Small Group Instructor at the U.S. Army Armor School, Operations and Training Officer with III Corps, Executive Officer of 3-66 Armor, Secretary of the General Staff for the 4th Infantry Division, and Deputy Inspector General at AAFES Headquarters in Dallas, Texas. These assignments provided him with extensive experience in command, leadership development, training, organizational management, and institutional assessment.
After retiring from the Army, LTC (Ret.) Richard Crossley Jr. devoted his experience to educating and developing young leaders. He served as Senior Army Instructor and JROTC Department Chair at North Side High School before becoming the Fort Worth Independent School District’s Director of Army Instruction in 2011.
Led the first JROTC program to secure Texas Education Agency approval for a U.S. Military History course taught by JROTC instructors, and instituted an annual staff ride giving the course’s top-performing cadets the chance to study leadership, history, and citizenship at Civil War battlefields, national parks, and national historic sites.
Established STEMavrick, a weeklong STEM-focused camp at the University of Texas at Arlington. Also reopened the FWISD Outdoor Learning Center and renamed it Camp Rango, transforming it into a place for leadership development serving students, educators, and civic and patriotic organizations.
Under his leadership, FWISD expanded to 15 high-school JROTC programs, while the district’s middle-school Junior Cadet Corps grew from 15 to 21 programs. Cadet graduation, attendance, and assessment results increased by 25 percent, while SAT and ACT performance improved relative to district results. Scholarship awards increased from $4.2 million to $19.4 million.
“To seek, to learn, to grow, and to fly.”
LTC (Ret.) Richard Crossley Jr.’s leadership philosophy — helping every student reach their potential
His vision is “preparing all students for career, college, or community leadership.” Guided by the belief that “We motivate,” he emphasizes integrity, trust, accountability, teamwork, empowerment, risk-taking, and creativity.
Written primarily for JROTC instructors and secondarily for school administrators, Making JROTC Work provides new and seasoned instructors with practical insights and a pathway for developing successful, rewarding programs regardless of location. Drawing upon nearly five decades of military and educational leadership, LTC (Ret.) Richard Crossley Jr. presents a practical framework centered on four essential principles: Rigor, Relevance, Relationships, and Results.
Be First
Join the waitlist and be among the first to know when Making JROTC Work is available. LTC (Ret.) Richard Crossley Jr. will share updates and early insights along the way.
Available Now
Available on Amazon. Order your copy today — and share it with every instructor who needs it.