Hamilton High School NJROTC Program
Aiming to instill citizen and service values in Hamilton students, Captain Scott Eberwine (U.S. Navy, retired) and Gunnery Sergeant Todd McAlister (U.S. Marines, retired) lead the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps at Hamilton High School.
Eberwine and McAlister are Naval Science instructors with students who are cadets working to complete at least three years of the program. They focus on academics, drills and athletics. Cadets take orientation trips to various naval bases and experience life in the military on those bases.
Hamiltonians will often see Big Blue’s NJROTC cadets and instructors in parades and at area events.
McAlister enlisted in Active Duty Marine Corps in 1983. He has served in the field of automotive mechanics and says he always thought he would “end up as a service manager for a car dealership.”
“My background is automotive and truck maintenance while serving in the Marine Corps. I retired from active duty in February 2003 after serving 20 years. I went on to work for Truckway Leasing in Cincinnati. Prior to retiring, I got certified to instruct both Marine Corps and Navy JROTC. One day in November 2004, Captain Settlemoir (at that time, the Senior Naval Science instructor) called me and asked if I was still certified. I was interviewed and hired to start Day 1 of the second semester for that school year. The rest is history. I had no idea how I would do; I do believe my experience as a Marine Corps drill instructor helped me a lot,” McAlister said.
Eberwine’s connection to the HHS program came after he retired and then served as a substitute teacher throughout Butler County for a year. That helped him confirm that he was interested in teaching and that he wanted to continue full-time with the NJROTC program once a position was available.
“I am in my second year at HHS and definitely appreciate the support the school district and community provides to the NJROTC program,” Eberwine said. “Hamilton NJROTC has always had an outstanding reputation and last year, despite the pandemic, raised the bar even higher. We received for the second year in a row the Navy’s top designation as a Distinguished Unit with Honors. This designation provides me the ability to nominate qualifying students to apply to the military service academies (West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy),” he said. “Qualifying for Navy nationals in drill, we had a 9th overall in all categories and the third best Navy drill program in the nation out of nearly 600 schools,” Eberwine said.
Hamilton’s NJROTC armed exhibition team received fourth place, and the color guard team was declared national champions.
“All of these results were new highs for an already successful program. We had one student earn a four-year Navy ROTC scholarship and all 14 of our graduating students left with an actionable career plan, whether continuing their education in college, serving in the military or directly into the workforce,” he said.
Outside of working with the school district, McAlister lives in West Harrison, Indiana; is married to Pamela and they have five adult children and eight grandchildren. He is an avid college basketball follower and is a fan of the Indiana Hoosiers.
Eberwine, who grew up in Oxford, is married to Melissa and they have four children. Together they have lived in 15 houses across the nation. He played football for Miami University.
Both instructors said leading the NJROTC program through the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough.
“From a program standpoint, the many activities we normally attend may or may not occur if the host for the event has to cancel which it could be with short notice,” Ebereine said. “From a teaching standpoint, I have to think through a lesson and determine how it can be accomplished both in person and in a virtual setting if required. I have found some students to have excelled in this environment but have had several that required a bit more attention in order to stay on task.”
McAlister echoed those sentiments and said there is no replacement for face-to-face connections.
“We tried really hard to keep things upbeat and positive, but sometimes it really was not enough. Families struggling, kids struggling, kids having internet issues, anxieties running high … but I must say, the kids found a way and were resilient when their backs were against the wall,” he said.
To learn about the NJROTC program at Big Blue, visit the website hamiltoncityschools.com. Click “schools,” then “Hamilton High School” and then “programs.”