en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:33:57 GMT 15 By Angelic Rivera
"Attend Hut.... Forward March," yells the Commander initiating the cadets to drill. N.J.R.O.T.C. is an academic program that teaches leadership, citizenship, and Nautical Sciences. Freshmen students can take N.J.R.O.T.C. in replacement of physical education, but if you join later it is an elective course. What some of you may not know is N.J.R.O.T.C. has a competitive side as well. Sergeant Gunnery Ramirez states, "Drill demonstrates both sides of leadership which is following and leading. Also it shows how to pay attention to details, instruct knowledge, and team work." Cadets can earn PA Letters that are placed on a Varsity Jacket and a signed letter by Perth Amboy's Athletic Department. Meldrick Rodriguez, the Executive Officer says, "All the schools fear us because they know we're top-notch. We make them work hard, and think twice about how to battle us." The squads practice 6 hours a week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after school, and they practice every other Saturday from 9am-12pm. When practicing the routine, they record the drills, so they can review and correct any stumbles or para praxis. Competitions are twice a year. One is at Neptune High School in November, and the other is at Linden High School on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The one at Linden is the most important because it is a regional event, and all the best competitors are there. The competitions run 6-8 hours with 15-25 schools participating. There are military personnel who volunteer from the Marines and/or Army. They watch every movement of the drillers. They take off points for any faults in uniform, marching, and even working as a team. Like any sport, there are regulations, so every year a letter of instruction is sent out dictating the categories, time limits, uniforms, and etc. of the competition. The equipment they use will either make them, or break them depending on their technique in handling it. Cadets compete in two areas, drill, and the academic and physical fitness section. Selected team members take a written multiple-choice academic test, and a physical fitness test. The major competition is with drill teams competing in various drill squads such as color guard, rifle marches, trick drill, and etc. Units with highest score are awarded with 1st -3rd in each category and an overall trophy. At the Neptune competition on November 14th, they kept their heads up high. "Even if we had a sour taste of defeat, we had learned that our preparation was good but not good enough. So with hard work, we can get better," said Meldrick Rodriguez. The team is looking forward to redemption at the Linden competition in January. They hope to bring back the feeling of achievement. Last year in the Linden competition, they won 1st place trophies Varsity Armed Platoon Drill and NS1 squad, 2nd place in NS1 color guard, and 3rd place in upperclassmen squad. Although N.J.R.O.T.C. is an academic program, it has the competitive edge. ]]> Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:59:00 GMT