Glover honored as top JROTC cadet
Warren County High School?s JROTC Pioneer Battalion Awards Ceremony was held Thursday night and proved the program has taken the advice of Dylan Thomas, ?Do not go gentle into that good night ? Rage, rage against the dying of the light.?
The program that seemed to be slipping into that good night at the end of the 2005-2006 school year is back in force less than a year later and rage might not be a strong enough word for all the cadets have accomplished.
?The ROTC program is back,? said Dr. Haskell Greer. ?It is bigger and stronger than ever and spearheaded by two motivated individuals.?
Those individuals are Col. Mitch Sartain and 1st Sgt. Tim Howard, who took over the program when Col. John Black and 1st Sgt. Ernest Brewington retired.
?This program is to motivate young people to be better citizens,? said Sartain. ?We have done so well we might have to add a new company next year. If we do, it will be called Delta. All the credit goes to the cadets. They have showed excitement, motivation and they hit the ground running.?
During the year, the program has participated in four parades, 13 color guard events, held an open house, gone to competitions, visited the VA hospital in Murfreesboro, collected boxes filled with items to be sent to soldiers in Iraq, and raised $5,000 in fundraisers just to name a few activities and programs.
On Feb. 13, the program underwent a formal inspection to ensure cadets were maintaining expected standards.
The inspection has a maximum score of 600 and requires a score above 450 to pass. The overall score for Warren County?s program was 576, which is 96 percent. Inspection categories included:
? Cadet staff briefing
? In-ranks inspection
? Supply/ personnel function
? Curriculum knowledge
? Drill and ceremony
For all their hard work and dedication, land was donated to the program by the school system. The land, adjacent to the high school, will be used to build an obstacle course which will build self-esteem and confidence in cadets.
During Thursday night activities, 16 different awards, ribbons and recognitions were presented to cadets and program supporters.
Honors handed out to cadets included Cadet Challenge Awards, 1st Sgt.?s Rock Club, Most Improved, American Legion Award, Recruiting Award, Excellent Staff Performance Ribbon, JROTC Leadership Ribbon and Superior Cadets Awards.
Last but not least, the Cadet of the Year and Katy McKelvey Award was presented to Capt. Nicholas Glover, a senior. To win this award, a cadet must demonstrate outstanding leadership as well as academic excellence. Along with receiving this award, Glover applied for, and was awarded, a four-year ROTC Scholarship worth $60,000 to Tennessee Tech.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the obstacle course is scheduled for next week. Use of the area will begin in the 2007-2008 school year. The program currently has 108 cadets.