Fishburne Military School Hosts highly successful first drill meet

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On Saturday, March 31, Fishburne hosted a drill meet that was by all accounts a tremendous success. Harrisonburg, Buckingham and Massanutten Military Academy attended the meet.

SFC Grazier AI, Buckingham HS, said the meet was the “best meet” he had ever attended. He said he really liked how the meet was laid out and organized. The drill teams used Hobby-Hudgins locker rooms, and the lower tennis courts were marked and divided to allow two events to be scored simultaneously. The event lasted all morning, from opening ceremony to the presentation of awards.

Fishburne’s first-ever drill meet was a huge success based on all the reports we received from all the schools, spectators, and all the Fishburne cadets that came out to support their school. The Fishburne Color Guard and Drill teams took home several trophies, including first place in Armed Exhibition Platoon commanded by Patrick Guiffre, first place in Armed Exhibition Squad commanded by Shawn Thomas, second place in Color Guard (even though they had the highest score, the FMS Guard was not eligible for first place) and two third-place trophies for the Armed Regulation Squad commanded by Jayce Brooks and Unarmed Regulation Squad commanded by Malcom Reynolds.

The support team headed by the Battalion Commander William Ulrich did an outstanding job during the entire event.

It wouldn’t have been possible without the help from a few much appreciated individuals. Ms. Byrne and the key club provided breakfast and lunch meals, and the quality and variety of the menu items received high praise from all the schools attending. Ms. Davis (mother of Cadet Allan Davis) had encouraged the JROTC Staff to have the very first FMS Drill Meet and inspired everyone to make it a reality. Also Derek Weaver from the Board of Trustees also came out and helped al day with concessions and actually purchased all the leftover pizzas and gave them out free to our cadets.

The biggest highlight of the meet might have been when the Hudgins Rifles did a double lift with Cadet PSG Cochran being on the second tier spinning his rifle during the reporting out.

Fishburne looks forward to making this first time event into an annual one.