JROTC Update from Colonel Hunt
The JROTC Department is very pleased with the start of the 2009-10 school year. The program is in its 90th year at Fishburne Military School. We are off to an excellent start.
We began the year with our FLTP Officer/NCO Training which was conducted over a ten-day period. Some of the highlights of our program include our two days at Fort Pickett which included confidence and team building activities such as: rappelling, an obstacle course, confidence courses, leaders reaction courses, navigating a rope bridge, first aid training, orienteering, drown-proofing, a rock wall climb and physical training/testing.
We have established our JROTC teams. The Color Guard has already performed at numerous community events including an INS US Citizen ceremony conducted at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia. On October 4th the Color Guard will present the Colors at the Annual AUSA conference held in Washington D.C. The Color Guard is commanded by Cadet Color Staff Sergeant Travis Knapp.
The exhibition drill team “Hudgins Rifles” had an outstanding turn out and has 26 members! The team has already added a new move and is really making great strides toward perfecting the routine. We will have and A and B team The overall and “A” team commander is commanded by SGT M. Patrick Guiffre a 10th grader who is doing an outstanding job leading the team! The “B” team commander is Cadet PFC Jacob Cochran an 8th grader who has been doing an excellent job developing his team
The Raider team is ahead of schedule and though it is still young it has several returning cadets and is led by Cadet First Sergeant William Ulrich. There first meet ins October 3rd and they will be conducting a 13 mile road march as part of their competition. During the competition they will be required to conduct one rope bridge, administer first aid and litter carry, negotiate a orienteering course and more. Then they will compete in a meet in Harrisonburg, Virginia on October 1, 2009. The regulation drill team several returning members to include three seniors and has begun preparing for its first meet which will be on October 17th.
Blessing of the Colors ceremony was conducted on September 9th and the guest speaker was BG Mike Bissell Commandant of the Virginia Women’s Institute of Leadership. The guest Chaplain was Col. Ed Hollowell former faculty member and FMS Class of 1957. The ceremony was attended by Board of trustees’ members Mr. Yount, Mr. Kerby, Mrs. McGann and Mr Fisher.
The annual corps training event was conducted on September 29th at Fort Pickett in which all cadets rappelled, negotiated an army obstacle course, field leaders reaction course and an Army Leadership reaction course. It was a great success with the Cadet Officers/NCOs leading the cadets through the various training events.
This year is a record Formal Inspection and will be conducted by VMI and 4th Brigade JROTC on February 11th, 2010.
We hope to see lots of friends and alumni at our events this year!
Sincerely,
LTC Robert A. Hunt, USA (RET)
