Fishburne Drill Teams Win With Focus, Precision

Photos courtesy of Sharon Petrelles
Full gallery HERE

The large atrium of Huguenot High School in Richmond, Virginia is silent except for the called commands of senior cadet Larkin Petrelles (Falls Church, VA), commander of Fishburne Military School’s Armed Exhibition Platoon team. As the routine, and the day, unfolds it is clear that the Caissons are in control of Saturday’s 14-team JROTC drill meet.

The cadets make it look effortless. The Exhibition rifles spin through the air in unison, are caught, and thumped authoritatively on the ground before the next sequence begins.  The Regulation Drill Team responds instantaneously to commands, moving as a single unit across the floor. If they are nervous in competition, they do not show it.

The ease at which these young men perform in competitions like the Richmond meet is the result of many months of daily practice—over their lunch period in the gym, in the quad with their rifles, and in impromptu sessions to work out the kinks. The end result is nothing less than amazing.

“Sometimes I forget they are teenagers,” said Sharon Petrelles of Falls Church, VA, after watching her son, senior cadet Larkin Petrelles lead the Armed Exhibition Platoon team to a first place finish on Saturday.

Clearly, the hard work paid off at the Richmond meet, as the Caissons took home a total of six trophies:

First Place:
Armed Exhibition Platoon, commanded by Cadet MAJ Larkin Petrelles ’16 (Falls Church, VA)
Armed Exhibition Squad, commanded by Cadet SFC William Goshgarian ’17 (Virginia Beach, VA)
Inspection: Cadet 1SG Matthew Jones ’17 (Freeport, NY)

Second Place:
Armed Regulation Platoon, commanded by Cadet 2LT Camden Teubner ’16 (Boca Raton, FL)
Armed Regulation Squad, commanded by Cadet LTC Brian Draper ’16 (Washington, DC)
Unarmed Regulation Platoon, commanded by Cadet SSG Joshua Kovach ’17 (Crownsville, MD)

“The cadets were highly disciplined and motivated,” said Senior Army Instructor LTC Robert Hunt. “They displayed outstanding sportsmanship throughout the event.” Fishburne’s JROTC teams are instructed and supported by Hunt, Army Instructor MSG William Morton and Army Instructor 1SG James Hensley, all of whom work tirelessly to keep the school’s JROTC program among the best in the nation.

“We are proud of the hard work and success of these young men,” said Fishburne Superintendent Gary Morrison (VA). “Their performance this weekend illustrates why our JROTC program will remain an Honor Unit with Distinction.”

Congratulations on a job well done!

Fishburne Military School is the oldest and smallest of all military schools for boys in Virginia. Its college-prep curriculum is built upon the structure of an Army JROTC program. FMS is designated as a JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction and may nominate qualified candidates to the United States Service Academics. Fishburne hosts one of only four Summer JROTC programs in the nation, accredited by US Army Cadet Command.