NMI JROTC drill teams leave for regional meet

Three CNMI Public School System JROTC programs are traveling to Torrance, Calif., this week to compete in the 8th Brigade, Cadet Command Inaugural Drill Meet for all Western Region based schools. The competition occurs at North High School on Feb. 18, 2012.

The CNMI Drill Teams include Saipan Southern High and Rota and Tinian high schools. These teams will battle the best in the Western United States. The CNMI JROTC Drill Teams will represent the Western Pacific Region that includes Guam, South Korea, and Japan. Schools competing in this event hail from Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, California, Washington, Hawaii, and Idaho.

The Brigade Drill Meet will determine the champions that will compete in the U.S. Army Cadet Command JROTC National Drill Championships that will occur in Louisville, Kentucky on March 31, 2012.

This event maintains both an Armed Division (with drill rifles) competition and an Unarmed Division competition. Both of these competition divisions are trophied and scored separately. This will allow smaller schools to better compete with larger schools who always split their “talent” and form two competition units. There is no grand championship or other overall scoring that combines Armed and Unarmed team scores as current regulations maintain the Armed and Unarmed qualifiers do so independently.

The following events are counted toward a team’s Armed/Unarmed Championship point totals: Team Inspection, Platoon Regulation, Color Guard, and Exhibition Drill. Teams must enter and obtain a score in all four events in their division to win the division title. All teams are eligible to win team trophies within each specific event entered, no matter what other events the team enters. First through fifth place team trophies are awarded in each team event listed above.

Nominated schools from each Brigade will be allowed from two to five complete drill teams (Armed and Unarmed team) into the Army Nationals competition. 8th Brigade will inform the participants who will represent the Brigade at the Nationals at the conclusion of the Drill Meet.

LTC (retired) Robert Gay, CNMI PSS JROTC Director of Army Instruction, informed the CNMI JROTC schools of this opportunity back in October 2011. Gay was selected as the Head Evaluator for the Western Pacific Area.

The CNMI PSS JROTC held a CNMI competition at Marianas High School on Jan. 14. Saipan Southern High School won that portion of the competition and will represent the CNMI in the Armed Division.

Gay created a Joint Tinian and Rota Drill Team that qualified to compete in the Unarmed Division. Sgt. Maj. (retired) Jesse Leon Guerrero served as the head evaluator for the event.

Leon Guerrero is an Army Instructor at Simon Sanchez High School in Guam and started the Marianas High School JROTC Program along with Sgt. Maj. (retired) Frank Cepeda in 1991. Maj. Rose Mendiola and Capt. Fidel Castro of the University of Guam SROTC Program also judged the meet. Also judging were the CNMI’s Army Recruiter, Staff Sgt. Clint Castro and members of the 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry and the Theater Support Detachment.

“This is tremendous opportunity for the CNMI PSS JROTC program to make this trip to compete against the best drill teams in the Western United States. The federal government’s Cadet Command is providing $70,000 to support the CNMI PSS JROTC Teams’ participation,” Gay said. “Federal dollars will be more challenged in the next few years as the Defense Department is projected to make significant cuts in the foreseeable future.”

Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan and Board of Education chair MaryLou S. Ada observed the Jan. 14 Drill Championships and offered effusive praise for all the cadets and their outstanding efforts and performances. Gay said that all of the High School JROTC Programs are to be commended for their hard work and accomplishments.

The CNMI Team left the CNMI on Feb. 14 and will arrive in Los Angeles on Feb. 15. The plan is for them to practice from Feb. 15 through Feb. 17 at the North High School Drill Site. The CNMI Team will compete on Feb. 18 and tour historic sites on Feb. 19 before departing for home station on Feb. 20. The CNMI Team will arrive to Saipan at 9:35pm on Feb. 21.