Some 653 JROTC cadets from 13 high schools, most of them in the North Alabama area, took part in Redstone’s daylong JROTC Day Thursday and were encouraged to serve selflessly and consider military service in their future plans.
“You’re the future; you’re the future of Alabama; you’re the future of our country,” guest speaker Maj. Gen. Walt Duzzny, the Army Materiel Command chief of staff, said in welcoming the cadets.
“Soldiers are lifelong learners, you never quit learning,” he said. “That journey begins with the types of things you’re doing now. Ultimately all the effort of your cadre, your faculty, your teachers, everything that you’re doing is to set you guys up for success for your future.”
Duzzny urged the cadets not to place limits on themselves and to set high goals, emphasizing selfless service to others, one of the Army’s seven core values.
“‘I’ is not involved in selfless service, it’s always we or us,” he said. “In serving your country, you’re doing your duty loyally without the thought of personal recognition or gain. It’s never about you, it’s about a team.”
Held most of the day on the Redstone Activity Field, junior and senior cadets heard from a panel including Marion Whicker, executive deputy to the commanding general at the Army Materiel Command; Capt. Kayla Freeman; Lt. Col. Jason Kim; and 1st Sgt. Michael Mills. A panel of cadets from Alabama A&M University’s ROTC program spoke to freshman and sophomore cadets.
“As you consider all the great options and all the possibilities for your future, I would encourage each and every one of you to take a strong look at the opportunities in the military and all branches of service,” Duzzny said. “All of our military branches right now, I guarantee, are looking for young men and women just like you.
“Take a strong look at that as one of your options as you look to what you want to do with your future,” he said. Whatever career path they choose, “I encourage you to seek out and look at new challenges and opportunities, new perspectives and be that lifelong learner.
“Continue to work hard, be a leader and make a lasting, positive impact in whatever you’re doing.”
Tameka Smith-Grant, the School Age Center’s director, sang the national anthem before Duzzny spoke to cadets.
Three cadets in Buckhorn High School’s JROTC program, each planning a different path after high school, said the event gave them a chance to meet cadets from other schools and learn about the careers of leaders on the installation.
Seventeen-year-old Garrett Maddon, a junior who’s interested in West Point after high school, enjoyed hearing about the panelists’ experiences.
“I really enjoy being here with my battalion anyway, seeing everyone grow,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot about the opportunities that are in the Army. I really had no idea we had an Army jazz band. That’s something I’m really interested in.”
John Daniels, an 18-year-old senior, plans to attend the University of Alabama in Huntsville and major in electrical engineering. Hearing the panel discussion and being able to network with cadets at other schools was rewarding for him.
Being part of Buckhorn’s JROTC program for four years “changed me as a person. I matured a lot.
“It really brought me out of my shell. It helped me grow a lot.”
The sportsmanship and camaraderie among the cadets impressed Cayden Clausell, a 17-year-old junior.
“I learned a lot” from the panelists’ presentations, said Clausell, who plans to be in the ROTC program at the University of North Alabama. “It makes me more excited to go into the military.”
The event included a physical fitness challenge, with Marshall Technical School taking first place; James Clemens High, second place, and Columbia High, third.
Garrison Commander Col. Brian Cozine presented the Commander’s Cup to Bob Jones JROTC.
Columbia High’s JROTC received the team trophy in the spirit competition.
Eagle Battalion Commander Jessica La, in receiving Columbia’s trophy, praised the battalion, adding, “This (JROTC) event was beautiful.”
“We are honored and privileged to put this on,” Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Dylan Lemasters said after the awards presentations. “As you move forward in your leadership journey, always, always, always invest in your people.”
Erica Lewis, Redstone’s school liaison officer, said 30 tenants at Redstone took part in the event to be a panelist or provide booths to showcase their organizations. Displays included Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters and Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or M-SHORAD, and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD.
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