The National Defense Cadet Corps (NDCC) was the forerunner to the current Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program and is essentially identical to it with just one exception: The NDCC is funded internally by the schools that opt for a military training system like JROTC but without any financial assistance from the Department of Defense. Therefore, the schools bear all costs associated with the program, including military instructor salaries, uniforms, training materials, and any other program expenses. As of 2012, there were three remaining US Army NDCC units in the United States. The US Navy began its program in April 2011. The US Marine Corps and the US Air Force also operate NDCC programs.