Fishburne Celebrates Parents’ Military Weekend

Families came from as far away as California and Puerto Rico to converge on the FMS campus and celebrate their sons’ accomplishments during the school’s annual Parents’ Military Weekend. From academic success and community service to athletic prowess and military precision, every facet of Cadet life at Fishburne was highlighted throughout the weekend-long festivities as individual Cadets as well as teams, clubs and groups were feted and praised for their growth and progress through the first quarter of the academic year.

After an early morning of Parent/Teacher conferences, the Fishburne family gathered at Waynesboro’s First Presbyterian Church to honor those young scholars who would soon be inducted into the National Honor Society. Eight Cadets were named to the M. Frank Wooten Chapter of the NHS while two became members of the Edward B. Young, Jr. Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. Students are selected for induction based upon strict criteria which include overall scholarship, service to community, leadership skills and personal character.

This year’s address was delivered by SMSgt Michael A. Steinkraus USAF (RET), FMS Class of ‘83. Steinkraus, who was deployed over 15 times in his career, was selected to be an instructor at the USAF Expeditionary Center, DET 1 as superintendent, tanker instructor and acting first sergeant. He was chosen to be the first enlisted tanker executor in the CENTAF AOC in 2005. Cadets listened intently as he related anecdotes from his 28-year career outlining the importance of integrity, personal honor and compassion to the development of true leadership skills.

Following the Honor Society ceremonies, families moved to the Lawton Chapel on campus for the installation of Cadet Officers and induction of new members to the FMS Key Club. The Key Club, a community service organization, welcomed 17 new members in addition to the 16 returning members. Each year, the club takes on a number of local service projects such as food drives and fundraisers along with national service projects. This year, the club announced, its national effort will be to support The Eliminate Project to combat Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) through fundraisers for UNICEF.

With the conclusion of morning ceremonies, a well-deserved lunch break was taken prior to the FMS Caissons’ football match-up against rival MMA. Families donned their FMS gear and flowed into the stands at Anderson Field for the afternoon contest during which Senior Athletes were honored with an on-field ceremony. With the crowd cheering, waving placards and ringing cowbells, the Caissons put up a strong-willed fight but ultimately came short of a victory. With heads held high, the team retired to their locker room to prepare for the evening’s final event . . . dinner.

The Caissons’ gymnasium had been transformed into a banquet room where new Cadets and their families were greeting in a receiving line and all settled in for catered dinner. The FMS Color Guard opened the event by posting the Colors to great applause and Fishburne’s 12th Superintendent, COL Gary R. Morrison VA, FMS class of 1981 addressed the assembled Fishburne Family. Morrison praised the 2012-2013 Corps of Cadets for their pride, cohesion and take-charge attitude.

As Saturday morning dawned, New Cadets and their Cadre were hard at work completing a number of team-building exercises designed as a final Breakout for New Cadets to enter the Corps. Litter carries and a 3-mile road march led up to the capstone event . . . the bus-pull. New Cadets strained against a taut rope to pull an FMS school bus until, finally, the remainder of the Corps joined to complete the task and pull the bus to the finish line. Cheers and chants of “I believe we will succeed” filled the air as the last obstacle between the New Cadets and their official membership in the Corps fell.

To the delight of Parents and Family, the FMS Raiders followed up this exercise with a rappelling and one-rope bridge demonstration. Cheers rose again as one Fishburne Raider after another stepped off of the barracks rooftop and rappelled safely to the ground before quickly constructing and crossing the one-rope bridge. At 10am the festive crowd returned to the front parapet for precision drill demonstrations by the FMS Color Guard, the Exhibition Drill Team and the Hudgins’ Rifles. Having completed all their routines, the Corps returned to barracks to prepare for one final ceremony.

The Corps Review Parade stepped off precisely at 11am and took the field with all Colors proudly waving in the brisk breeze. Taking the review and inspecting the Corps was Mrs. Elizabeth Green, mother of Cadets Colin (’13) and Ryan (’13) Green. Mrs. Green addressed the assembled Corps and family outlining the difference FMS has made in the lives of her sons and highlighting the attributes of a Fishburne Man. Summarizing the Fishburne experience and giving voice to purpose of the weekend’s events, Green noted that FMS Alumni prove to be successful in all professions “because they have learned to be a leader for life during their time at Fishburne . . . and I look forward to [watching current cadets] inspiring others to learn more, do more, dream more and become more. Go Caissons!”