For more than three decades, the Army Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (JROTC) program at East Union High School established in 1995 has been a constant in Manteca.

Steady, disciplined, and quietly dominant. Walk onto campus during a competition day and you’ll see it immediately.

Cadets moving with purpose.

Commands echoing across the drill pad.

Teams from across California lining up to compete.

What you don’t see as easily is the history behind it, the years of work that turned this program into one of the most respected in the region, and increasingly, in the nation.

That reputation wasn’t built overnight.

Over the years, East Union’s Lancer Battalion has consistently performed at a high level, hosting major events and competing against some of the top programs in the state.

Their annual drill and Raider competitions regularly bring in hundreds of cadets from across California, turning Manteca into a hub for JROTC excellence. More often than not, East Union wins.

Whether it’s placing at their own large-scale competitions or taking first place at invitationals like the Fresno State Raider Challenge, the program has built a reputation for winning. In fact, their dominance at Fresno has become almost routine.

The Lancers have won the competition year after year, winning 9 years out of 10 of the competition being held.

But the real shift came when East Union stopped being just a strong local program and started proving itself on the national stage. In recent years, cadets have competed against the best JROTC programs in the country — and proven they belong at the top.

At the 2024 U.S. Army National Fitness Challenge Championships in Daytona, East Union brought home a first-place finish in the obstacle course and followed it with another top placement in endurance events, going head-to-head with elite programs from across the nation. That same drive has carried into other areas.

Just this past year, East Union cadets qualified for Robotics Nationals in Sandusky, Ohio, placing among the top 50 teams in the country — another sign that the program’s strength goes beyond physical competition. And in academics, the results speak just as clearly.

East Union has earned a spot at the JROTC Academic Bowl National Championships twice before, finishing in the top 15 out of more than 2,000 teams nationwide — an achievement that places them among the most well-rounded programs in the country.

This summer, they’ll return once again, continuing a tradition of competing at the highest level. That kind of result comes from months of training, early mornings, and a culture that expects excellence. And it’s not just one team or one year. It is a consistent legacy of excellence.

“That’s what makes this program special,” said Nihar Jain, the current Battalion Commander, “It’s not just one team or one group of cadets. Every year, new leaders step up, and the standard keeps going up.”

Even before those national titles, the program was already gaining recognition as one of the top JROTC units in the country: consistently placing, qualifying, and competing at the highest level available to high school cadets.

But talk to the instructors, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) John Tao, and Sergeant First Class (Ret.) Oscar Moreno, and they’ll tell you the same thing every time: the mission has always been simple — to build better citizens. That shows up in the way cadets lead each other, run events, and take ownership of something bigger than themselves. It shows up in the hours spent training for competitions, but just as much in the time spent setting up, cleaning up, and helping younger cadets find their footing.

Thirty years in, the legacy is clear.

Yes, it’s measured in championships, hundreds of trophies, state dominance, and national dynasties. But more than that, it’s measured in people.

Students who came in unsure of themselves and left as leaders. Graduates who carried those lessons into the military, into college, and back into their communities. Cadets who learned not just how to win, but how to lead. That’s why the program has lasted.

And after 30 years, East Union JROTC isn’t slowing down.