St. Stephens High School’s JROTC military inspection had several firsts this year.
It was the first time the program was led by Commander Kevin Nash, who is a first-year teacher. It is the first time there was a full exhibition drill team demonstrating their skills. And it was the first time history played so prominently, with the inspection held on the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
The school’s JROTC program showed off what it had learned this semester, dressed in their pressed uniforms and shined shoes. The highlight of the program was the exhibition drill team, who kicked, twirled and flipped their rifles in the air, all with a simple double tap signal from Chief Cadet Nicholas Robinson.
Robinson, a junior, said being a member of the drill team is something he’s wanted to do since joining ROTC as a freshman.
“I saw a cadet do it my freshman year and I wanted to do it,” he said.
Robinson admits that commanding the exhibition platoon has its ups and downs, but putting together the drills lets him be creative.
“We just figure it out and we do it,” he said. “We decide what we want to do.”
Robinson plans to go to college and become a Navy pilot. He hopes to continue with the drill team, as well.
This is the first year there was an exhibition team because of the number of people involved.
“You have to have 13 to have a team,” Nash said. “This is the first year we’ve had that many interested. They’ve been motivated to learn it. They’ve placed in a few regional events.”
Nash said he was impressed with how all the ROTC cadets performed in their inspection. Twelve cadets received ribbons for personal appearance.
“I hope the parents are seeing the positive changes that we see in the classroom,” Nash said. “They demonstrate hard work and discipline.”
He said both the regulation and exhibition drill squads were “flawless,” and the students had learned a lot during the year.
“They learned to sing the national anthem with pride. They learned they can shine shoes better than a fourth-grader. They know it is better to demonstrate than to practice. And they learned the meaning of a commander’s challenge,” Nash said.
The inspecting officer, Commander Patrick McCaslin, agreed with Nash about St. Stephens’ cadets.
“It’s obvious the cadets worked very hard,” he said. “They did an outstanding job in the inspection.”
The company commander, Colby Phillips, said being the leader of dozens of cadets has been difficult at times.
“I have to make sure jobs get done,” she said.
To prepare for Wednesday, Phillips said she supervised the leading cadets who oversee others, as well as creating a PowerPoint presentation for McCaslin to see what the company does. She said they also had numerous company practices.
Like Robinson, Phillips said she plans to join the Navy, but in a different capacity.
“I want to get the Navy nurse scholarship,” she said.
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