SAN ANTONIO – With discipline and leadership being the main tenets of any Junior ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) program, it’s only fitting that the cadets at Sotomayor High School have a strong leader.
Meet Major Thomas Kleczkowski.
“I’ve been all around the world — Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and the Gulf War,” Kleczkowski told KSAT.
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After serving 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, Kleczkowski decided he wanted to use his wealth of experience to help mold future leaders. Not only that, being that he is an airplane expert, he also gets to teach an aerospace class. All of it fitting for Military City USA.
“Most of our kids have family members that are in the military, so they want to continue and follow in the footsteps and serve,” said Kleczkowski.
A fledgling program, Sotomayor’s ROTC enrollment is on the rise. It stands to reason, as the relatively new school is already busting at the seams with students. Around 2,500 students are enrolled at the high school located in far west Bexar County. More than 130 of those students are enrolled in ROTC.
“When we started in 2022, we had 67, so we’ve actually doubled in size,” said Kleczkowski.
Looking at their trophy case, you’d never know this was a relatively new program. We discussed this with senior Blake Desbien, who has set high ceiling for his final year.
“Our goal is to go to Daytona, Florida, for nationals,” he said.
ROTC programs regularly compete in color guard drills, armed exhibition, which involves spinning rifles, and physical fitness tests. Desbien said it’s improved his high school experience.
“I’m really glad I joined, because it’s almost been like a second home for me here,” Desbien said.
“I’ve seen people grow from the quietest kid to someone who takes accountability, stands up, and takes charge of situations,” said Kleczkowski.
That was exactly the case for Samuel Teague, also a senior.
“Whenever I first started I pretty much did not talk at all,” said a confident Teague.
Now, he is a leader in the program. Teague told us he decided to join because of the military presence in his family.
“My mom was in the Army, my stepdad was in both the Army and the Marines, my dad was in the Marines. My grandfather — I think he retired as a captain in the Navy,” said Teague.
There may have also been a secondary reason for Teague to join.
“Also, to get out of P.E.,” said a joking Teague.
In fact, those in ROTC receive their P.E. credit through the program. No matter the motivation, however, these cadets are making Sotomayor proud.
It is important to note that ROTC is not a recruitment for the military. Kleczkowski tells us that about half the students opt to enlist.