Written by: Cadet Sergeant First Class Trinity Iwicki and Cadet Captain Raquel Janes
“Newsome JROTC Wolfpack Battalion Finishes Strong”
April and May mark the time when students buckle down and begin preparations for their end of semester and end of course exams. There is also a final push towards accomplishing the myriad of goals, in and out of JROTC, Cadets and Teams set for themselves for the School Year.
The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) Clubs combined forces to participate in the 14 & 15 April 2018 “Relay for Life” raising money for cancer research by conducting different sporting events, themed running laps, and selling items. Several cadets spent the night at the school, earning service hours as they supported the cause.
In the final Cadet and Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) of the Month Boards for this School Year, Cadets Private First Class Jackson Kinsley and Sergeant Brandon Herdocia won for their respective Companies. Then, each of the eight monthly winners went on to compete in the Cadet and NCO of the Year Board with Cadets Sergeant Andrew Caceres (Cadet of the Year) and Sergeant First Class Justin Pavelko (NCO of the Year) coming out on top.
April 7th saw State Level Competitions for the Wolfpack Battalion Drill, Color Guard, and Rifle Teams. Competing at George Jenkins High School, the Drill and Color Guard Teams showcased their talents earning a fifth place trophy in Squad Exhibition Drill. With ninety-nine schools competing at the event, this is a feat to be proud of.
A few miles away, the Newsome Rifle Team competed at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) sponsored State Level competition. The Newsome “A” Team finished as the VFW Rifle State Champions and the Newsome “B” Team placed 5th overall. Cadet Staff Sergeant Logan Portugue was the Top Shooter forthe competition. The Team recently competed in the Florida Junior Olympics Rifle Competition earning three Gold, five Silver, and one Bronze Medal.
At this year’s JROTC Annual Awards Ceremony, held on 24 April 2018, over two hundred Cadets received awards for their outstanding achievements throughout the year. Among these awards was the Superior Cadet Medal, awarded to the Top Cadet within each JROTC Leadership, Education and Training (LET) level. Receiving the award are: LET 1 – Cadet Sergeant Andrew Fischer; LET 2 – Cadet Sergeant First Class Zachary Dench; LET 3 – Cadet Captain Kenya Smith; and LET 4 – Cadet Command Sergeant Major Oliver Musser.
The final award of the evening, the Senior Leadership Sabre, presented to the senior who has given the most to the Newsome JROTC Program during their four years, was awarded to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Mallory Hirn. Cadet Hirn also received the “Principal’s Leadership Award” at the Newsome Annual Awards Ceremony held on April 30th.
Here are a few of the major accomplishments achieved by members of the Wolfpack Battalion this year: Army Cadet Command’s Senior Army Instructor (SAI) of the Year (out of over 1,700 Army JROTC programs worldwide); Hillsborough County School District JROTC Cadet of the Year (out of over 5,200 JROTC Cadets); Legion of Valor Award (only two presented to Army JROTC Cadets in Florida); Two Military Academy (West Point and Air Force) and two Military Academy Prep School (Coast Guard and Air Force) Appointments; Three, Army Four Year ROTC Scholarships; Three, Army Three Year ROTC Scholarships; Eight Cadets attending the Florida Youth Leadership Conference (YLC); Four Cadets attending Boys State (only five total from Newsome); One Cadet Attending Girl State (only two total from Newsome); Athena Society Young Women of Promise Award (only one from Newsome); One Cadet attending the General Tommy Franks Four Star Leadership Seminar (only seventy students selected in the entire Country). Thirty Seven Cadets will attend the JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC) Summer Camp; The Battalion earned four State Championship Streamers (Cyber Patriot, Raiders, Rifle x 2) and the Army JROTC Honor Unit with Distinction Streamer. The Wolfpack Battalion has truly lived up to it’s motto of “Carpe Opportunum” or “Seize the Opportunity”.
For more information about the Newsome JROTC program, please visit our website: https://www.newsomejrotc.com
