What does it take to become the best? For Peninsula School District’s TideHawk Company Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC), the answer is a combination of academic excellence, leadership, discipline, and service. Those qualities recently earned the TideHawks the title of NJROTC Area 23 Most Outstanding Unit, the highest honor awarded across a region spanning seven states and territories. The recognition places the Gig Harbor-based program among the nation’s top NJROTC units and highlights a remarkable year of achievement, and as a community, we couldn’t be prouder of the young cadets whose hard work and dedication have earned such an exceptional honor!
More Than a High School Program
According to Command Master Chief Robert Stockton, the TideHawk Company is built to be far more than an extracurricular activity. Established in 2021 as a Navy National Defense Cadet Corps unit before officially becoming an NJROTC unit on July 1, 2024, the program now serves students from Peninsula High School, Gig Harbor High School, Henderson Bay High School, and approved private and homeschool students across the district.
Everything the program does, Stockton explained, comes back to a single guiding phrase: Standard of Excellence. “Those three words define our culture and our expectations,” he said. “Excellence is not something we pursue occasionally. It is the standard we strive to uphold every day.”
That standard has translated into results. Alongside the Area 23 title, the TideHawks have earned three consecutive Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors designations, won the 2026 Navy JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl National Championship, and helped graduating seniors secure more than $2.2 million in college scholarships this year alone — part of a total exceeding $5 million since 2022. Cadets have also logged more than 6,000 hours of community service over the past two years.
But Stockton is quick to point out that trophies aren’t the point. “Those accomplishments are not our mission. They are the result of our mission,” he said. The program’s real purpose, he explained, is to develop leaders who serve others before themselves and dare to lead when it matters most.
A Week in the Life of a TideHawk
So, what does that actually look like day to day? Stockton says the program’s success comes less from extraordinary moments and more from ordinary days executed with consistency. Mondays are dedicated to physical fitness, which he describes as a lesson in resilience as much as conditioning. Tuesday’s shift to Naval Science coursework covering leadership, naval history, and citizenship, along with a peer-led “Call to Quarters” study period built on the idea that teaching a concept to others is the best way to master it.
Wednesdays are reserved for discussion of current events, ethics, and national security topics designed to sharpen critical thinking. Thursdays bring Uniform Inspection and Drill Day, where cadets hold each other accountable down to the smallest detail. Fridays flex to whatever the week calls for, whether that’s competition prep, community service, or guest speakers. Outside the classroom, many cadets stack additional hours into drill, marksmanship, CyberPatriot, Stellar Explorers, orienteering, and Brain Brawl.
“We don’t ask, ‘How can we win the next competition?'” Stockton explained. “We ask, ‘How can we become better leaders today than we were yesterday?’ Winning championships is simply a byproduct of hundreds of small decisions made consistently over time.”
Preparing for Life Beyond the TideHawks
While some TideHawks go on to serve in the military, many pursue college, trade schools, or civilian careers, and the program is designed with that range of futures in mind. Cadet Commander Mary Ficca explained that NJROTC’s core purpose is leadership development, not recruitment.
“Our mission is to prepare every cadet for success, no matter which path they choose after high school,” explained Ficca.
That preparation extends well beyond the classroom. Cadets visit the Washington State Capitol to see civic leadership firsthand and travel to Washington, D.C., to experience the nation’s history and system of government up close. Trips to colleges, universities, and professional worksites give cadets a look at potential career paths before graduation.
“When a TideHawk graduates, they leave not only with knowledge and experience, but with the confidence, character, and leadership skills to excel throughout adulthood.”
A Year Full of Milestones for Peninsula School District’s TideHawk Company
Beyond the top unit honor, the TideHawks swept every category at the Northwest Drill and Rifle Conference Central Sound Division Championship, a result Stockton credits to months of early-morning and after-school practice paired with a culture where experienced cadets mentor newer teammates.
The academic side of the program shone just as bright. The TideHawks’ Brain Brawl team advanced to the National Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida, finishing sixth in the nation. Their Leadership and Academic Bowl team went even further, traveling to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and returning home as the 2026 national champions. On the National Academic Examination, the unit ranked first out of 106 teams in Area 23 and 39th out of 1,818 teams nationwide, a milestone Stockton says reflects years of steady growth from the program’s early days as a newly formed unit.
The TideHawks also broke new ground this year, qualifying for the CyberPatriot State Finals for the first time after building the cybersecurity program from scratch with structured weekly training. The Stellar Explorers team advanced to the national semifinals, applying classroom math and science skills to real-world aerospace problem-solving. The marksmanship team traveled to Alaska and placed fourth overall in Area 23, and cadets represented Washington State in the National Memorial Day Parade in the nation’s capital, an experience Stockton called one of the greatest honors the program has experienced.
Superintendent Krestin Bahr says the recognition reflects the broader culture the program has built. “This places the TideHawks among the top NJROTC units nationwide, reflecting a culture of excellence built on alignment, accountability, and a commitment to developing leaders of character,” Bahr said, adding that it also underscores the district’s ongoing support of military-connected students, recently reaffirmed through PSD’s second consecutive Purple Star Award.
With regional and national competitions still ahead, the TideHawks show no signs of slowing down. As Stockton put it, the mission remains simple: to develop disciplined, confident leaders ready for success in college, careers, and service.
