The Indian River High School Marine Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Drill Team recently won first place at the Sussex County Drill Championships, held at Cape Henlopen High School on April 19. Maj. Frank Ryman, senior Marine instructor at the school, likened it to winning the Cape Henlopen Conference in the school’s more traditional sports.
The IRHS JROTC cadets beat out teams from Sussex Central, Sussex Tech, Seaford and Cape Henlopen to win the title. They received first-place trophies for Inspection and Squad Drill, second place for First Year Cadet Drill and third for Platoon Drill.
According to Drill Team Commander Brad Reed, a junior, each category had a number of points and their combined scores for all five categories were highest, making them first-place winners overall — something of which he and the other team members are very proud.
“It meant a lot. We went to four drill meets and didn’t win anything so to come together and win meant a lot.”
According to Reed, each team gets a drill card with a sequence of events they must perform. They got the drill cards two to three weeks before the competition and practiced them. All teams then have to do their drills by memory at the competition.
Cadet Sgt. Jared Lathbury, who said he joined the JROTC to gain leadership skills in preparation for a future as a police officer, was proud of the win.
“After all the hard work, it means we are the best in Sussex County!” he exclaimed.
Cadet First-Sgt. Jason Lathbury joined the JROTC to get a better idea about military life, along with some leadership experience, and plans to possibly join the military after high school. He said he knew the IRHS team would come home with something.
The win was especially notable for senior Brandon Smith, a cadet captain and company commander. “Being a senior, after not exactly a stellar season, it was satisfying come home with first. It was nice,” he said.
Master Sgt. Larry Hughes, who retired from active-duty Marine service in October of last year and started working at the school in December, is in charge of the drill team. He added that the win was a “big deal” for the cadets.
Ryman noted that the drill team has two competitive seasons and competes in various parades. This year, they will march in the Return Day Parade and the Selbyville Halloween and Christmas parades. They also have marched in various Christmas parades around the district.
Ryman explained that there are about 60 members of the JROTC at the school and 18 drill team members. He said the linkage between the JROTC and college or military life is out of date and that, mostly, JROTC today is about leadership education.
“There are five main areas of importance: leadership, citizenship, professional development, military skills and personal growth, so military skills is only one-fifth of the overall curriculum.”
The drill team will perform at the school’s awards ceremony on May 13, where many of the individual IRHS students will get awards from area veterans’ organizations. They will also perform at the school board meeting on the last Tuesday in May.
After that, the JROTC plans a field trip to Washington, D.C, in May and will get to view a free concert of the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team. In July, they plan an orientation trip to the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Va., where the members of the drill team who are interested in a future with the military will get a taste of what real military life might be like.
“It’s really a door-opener,” said Ryman about the JROTC. “Each of the cadets has to give speeches in class, and we work on resumes and job interviewing skills.”
As for the future of the drill team, Reed said they want to come back next year with an even bigger win.
“We’re wanting to come back next year and win state. Thanks go to Master Sgt. Hughes and Maj. Ryman for a good year,” he said.