“OORAH RIVERHEAD!!” was the last sound the Riverhead Naval Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Drill Team made before being drowned out by a sea of people clapping and cheering the armed team as they walked off the gym floor at the first drill meet held in Bethel, Connecticut on November 19th 2011. Not only did Riverhead parents cheer, but parents and cadets from other schools as well. The armed team walked off of the drill deck with their heads held high, confident they had done their best, and hoping for a win.
A little over five hours later, the crowd at Bethel High School was on its feet, yet again applauding the Riverhead drill team: it had won first place in the armed division. This process was repeated FOUR more times, as Riverhead placed for its unarmed platoon, freshman color guard, freshman inspection team, and room inspection.
The Blue Waves drill team may not have won first place overall that day, but they came away knowing that they could perform and realized what they had to work on for the next competition. For the last four years, the Riverhead drill team has been good enough to win over 10 drill meets, 50 trophies, and qualify for a spot in the Northeast Regionals, averaging third out of 52 schools. How do they do this?
Well…
It all starts when over 35 motivated cadets wake up every morning at 5 o’clock. For most teenagers, waking up at 5 am or earlier is not only a culture shock, but blasphemy. However, we wake up at this time every day, for eight months of the school year, just to come to school a half hour early, and practice for the next meet. A few cadets command between 30 and 90 different sequences of commands from memory in order to get the job done. Over 10 freshmen alone show up every day, and that’s a shocker in itself.
Many people can’t even handle a two and a half hour AFTER school practice, yet most of these cadets do drill every morning, AND have after school sports and helping the unit perform daily duties. Now add a six hour school day, work for some, homework, and other time, every second of a cadet’s day is used, and used wisely.
In the days leading up to a drill meet, like December 17th‘s at Southold High School, the cadets pull their game together and become one well-oiled machine, which hopefully—most likely—will win and qualify for Regionals.
The drill team is composed of many different teams all competing in two divisions. One division: the freshman, or Naval Science-first years, and the Varsity team: composed of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Both divisions compete in academics testing, inspection of uniforms and knowledge, and a Color Guard.
However, because the Varsity team has more people and is more adept, they have an armed team, which consists of 11-14 people with M1903A1 Springfield Rifles, and an unarmed team. Both freshman and Varsity members make up the physical fitness aspect of the team.
The freshmen have their own squad, led by NS-1 Abigail Wehunt, who led her team to a fourth place finish at Bethel. The freshmen also have a Color Guard composed of four cadets, who won second place with ‘Aleki Lui commanding them. John Roca led his Personnel Inspection team to another second place trophy, and the freshman Academic team, led by Ashlyn Whyard, made its way to fourth place as well.
Varsity (NS-2, 3, and 4’s) competed and won in the Armed platoon, earned second place with its Unarmed platoon, led by Cadet Ensign Thomas Kopp, and finished with two fourth place finishes and two sixth place finishes in Academics—overseen by Senior Brian Weinhardt, Personnel Inspection—led by assistant platoon commander Leanne Weber, and Color Guard—commanded by NS-3 Alison Miller, and orienteering—led by junior Cody Harris, respectively.
This was a heck of a performance by Riverhead, and even though they did not win overall in either division, they did put up amazing numbers statistically, as seen above, and now know how to function properly as a team.
The drill team is all about that: the team. Everyone relies on one another for the whole team to perform, and as many of us cadets say, “We’re one big family.” Which is exactly what NJROTC, and drill team is all about. It doesn’t matter what color you are, gender, intelligence, or even if you despise the person next to you, the team comes first, and in order to succeed, everyone has to cooperate. Just like a family.
For example, you know your sister is annoying, but you love her, because she's your sister, and you’d do anything to help her and better her and yourself. That’s what it’s all about. As they head to their next drill meet, I wish the team luck, and offer the only words of encouragement I can think of.
“OORAH RIVERHEAD!!!”