We are proud to announce that 2026 Salem Tech graduate Joshua Haddad has been awarded the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) Gold Valor Award for heroic actions performed as an SCVTS Cadet in May 2026.
The Gold Valor Award is the highest decoration an AFJROTC cadet can earn, requiring a voluntary, life-threatening risk to save human life. It is exceptionally rare, with fewer than ten awarded nationwide each decade. Following a thorough investigation and approval from Headquarters AFJROTC, Cadet Haddad is the first recipient in New Jersey history and only the sixth nationwide in the past ten years. His conspicuous heroism and selfless service reflect the highest credit upon himself, his family, and the Salem County Vocational Technical Schools community.
Cadet Haddad will be honored in a formal ceremony held on the Salem Tech campus on Friday, October 23.
