JROTC drill teams look to be Army's best

By Steve Arel, U.S. Army Cadet CommandApril 3, 2013

2012 Army Nationals
Douglas MacArthur (Texas) High School competes in armed exhibition during the 2012 Army National Drill Team Championships. The school won the armed and unarmed division titles in last year's inaugural competition. Photo by Steve Arel/U.S. Army Cadet ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

In the first national drill battle of East vs. West, the West, and specifically Douglas MacArthur High School, proved to be the Army's best JROTC's best.

The San Antonio program dominated the Army National JROTC Drill Championships, taking the top spots in both the armed and unarmed divisions. And beating perennial national power Francis Lewis (N.Y.) High School in the process.

The second annual meet takes place Saturday at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, with both schools squaring off with 70 other programs from across the country.

Each of U.S. Army Cadet Command's seven brigades with JROTC programs will have teams compete in the daylong event. Participating schools were chosen based on their performance at brigade-level meets earlier this year.

Teams in the armed and unarmed divisions will be judged in four categories: inspection, regulation, color guard and exhibition. Awards are presented to the top five schools in each category.

The featured speaker at Saturday's awards ceremony will be Maj. Gen. Jeff Smith, commanding general of Cadet Command.

Despite shining in the 2012 Army Nationals, Douglas MacArthur couldn't repeat its success at the National High School Drill Team Championships a few weeks later in Daytona Beach, Fla. It finished behind Francis Lewis, which was runner-up in the demilitarized arms division.

Winners of this year's Army Nationals advance to the national meet, set for May 4-6.

Armed exhibition competition at Saturday's competition, as well as the awards ceremony, will be streamed live through Cadet Command's UStream channel at http://bit.ly/ZbHuAB.

Related Links:

Army Nationals live stream

Cadet Command news archives