FORT STEWART, Ga. - The field at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah resonated with the marching sounds of 200 Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets at the Drill and Color Guard Meet Feb. 4.
Cadets from Windsor Forest, Richmond Hill, Ware County, Bradwell Institute, Beach, Benedictine, Savannah and Liberty County high schools competed in various categories, with Soldiers from the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, Third Infantry Division on hand to judge the meet.
Master Sergeant (Ret.) George Bryan, a JROTC instructor at Windsor Forest High School, said the 260th Quartermaster Bn. Soldiers were asked to judge to incorporate "unbiased eyes" into the event. Cadet Col. Jamarey Baker, a senior at Beach High School, Cadet Lt. Col. Wesley Matthews of Windsor Forest High School, and Cadet Maj. William Welser of Richmond Hill High School, all agreed that it was a great idea to have the Soldiers as judges because it eliminated biased grading.
"If you are an instructor, you naturally want your school to win," said Cadet Maj. Welser.
"If Soldiers do not drill every day, it is hard for them to judge others," said Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) Linda Stevens, JROTC instructor at Beach High School. "This is the first time that we had people other than the instructors judging the cadets -- I like it. I want my kids to feel the pressure of a different set of eyes, but I hope next time the Soldiers will be able to spend more time with the cadets at drill practice."
Sergeant Billy Lee Scott Jr., 260th Quartermaster Bn., was a judge at the event and said he learned a lot from participating in the Drill Meet.
"Soldiers need to conduct Drill about an hour every week as a refresher," he said.
The meet culminated with an award ceremony. Major Dandrell Pernell, Department Head, Military Science ROTC at Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah State University and Savannah College for Arts and Design, presented the awards.
"This is something that I would like to continue," said Lt. Col. Michael Busteed, Senior JROTC Instructor at Windsor Forest High School, in reference to the partnership between 260th and Windsor Forest High School. "Cadets having people who they can look up to, and the Soldiers giving back to the community that they live in? It is a win-win situation."
The 260th Quartermaster Bn. "adopted" Windsor Forest and Beach High Schools as part of the 3rd Inf. Div.'s Adopt-A-School program.
WINNERS:
Regulation Unarmed Platoon
1st Place: Bradwell Institute
2nd Place: Windsor Forest HS
3rd Place: Beach HS
Female Regulation Unarmed Platoon
1st Place: Ware County HS
2nd Place: Beach HS
3rd Place: Bradwell Institute
Regulation Armed Platoon
1st Place: Bradwell Institute
2nd Place: Richmond Hill HS
3rd Place: Windsor Forest HS
Female Exhibition Armed Platoon
1st Place: Richmond Hill HS
Regulation Unarmed Squad
1st Place: Richmond Hill HS
2nd Place: Groves HS
3rd Place: Bradwell Institute
Female Regulation Unarmed Squad
1st Place: Beach HS
2nd Place: Ware County HS
3rd Place: Richmond Hill HS
Regulation Armed Squad
1st Place: Bradwell Institute
2nd Place: Liberty HS
3rd Place: Benedictine
Female Regulation Armed Squad
1st Place: Bradwell Institute
2nd Place: Liberty HS
3rd Place: Ware County HS
Exhibition Armed Squad
1st Place: Richmond Hill HS
2nd Place: Bradwell Institute
3rd Place:
Female Exhibition Armed Squad
1st Place: Richmond Hill HS
2nd Place: Savannah HS
Color Guard
1st Place: Beach HS
2nd Place: Richmond Hill HS
3rd Place: Liberty HS
Female Color Guard
1st Place: Liberty HS
2nd Place: Bradwell Institute
3rd Place: Beach HS
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