THE Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets of the CNMI won several awards in this year’s Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet in Torrance, California.
The CNMI was represented by the Public School System JROTC Multiple School Units, consisting of cadets from Kagman High School, Marianas High School, Saipan Southern High School, Tinian Jr. Sr. High School and Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr. Sr. High School.
The CNMI cadets brought home 16 trophies including the Traveling Trophy – Army.
The last time the CNMI won a major award was in 2013 when it also bagged the overall national trophy.
This year, the CNMI competed against 24 other Multiple School Units across the nation, including Guam which brought home five trophies.
SSHS and MHS cadets represented the Commonwealth in the varsity division, while the three other CNMI schools competed in the novice division.
The national drill meet consists of several competitions in four divisions: unarmed, armed, color guard, and saber.
Armed drill teams march, spin, and compete with demilitarized grand rifles, while the unarmed drill teams focus on formations comprised of beats, stomps, claps, and uniformity.
The saber team resembles the unarmed drill team, but competes with non-lethal sabers instead of rifles.
The color guard teams handle the national and service flags, as well as non-lethal rifles.
Tinian Stallion Battalion C/LTC Cielo Long said the CNMI novice team only had three practice sessions as a unit prior to the competition, but still managed to best the other schools in the division.
Practices were intense, she said, given that the representatives from each of the schools in the CNMI all competed against each other in the local drill competitions.
“We had to practice in a short amount of time and be able to adapt with other members from Saipan and Rota,” she said. “So it was stressful, but honestly, I think we all learned a lot from it…. We weren’t expecting anything, but to see that our hard work paid off was just awesome.”
She added, “We ended up placing first in our exhibition category…. It was awesome… Experiencing competitions in the states really brings your anxiety to a different level, but honestly, it was just fun to experience it with the whole CNMI team.”
Long encouraged the CNMI cadets to take advantage of this annual opportunity and to not stress about the competition portion.
Retired Sgt. Maj. Herman M. Atalig, the Board of Education member from Rota, commended this year’s CNMI JROTC team for a job well done.
“It’s really tough because the kids have to have great discipline and develop that teamwork. In order for them to be effective and win, they have to practice, they have to rehearse for at least two or three months. Coordination and cooperation are very important in teamwork. I’m so honored that we’re doing this…. It really depends on the team, how hard and committed they are. If they are committed and they believe and work hard, they’ll definitely win.”
He noted that the competitors are the best of the best among the nation’s schools.
MHS principal Dr. Jonathan Aguon, who was one of the cadets’ chaperones on this year’s trip to the national drill meet, said: “We’re very proud of our students…. Even though we are a speck on the globe, our students can compete in the states and even internationally. Getting them to see what’s beyond the shores of the Marianas has been a really good experience for them, also building relationships with our various schools here — Saipan, Tinian, and Rota — has been very fulfilling and very wonderful to see.”
Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada said the entire PSS family is proud of the motivated cadets from Saipan, Tinian and Rota and their experienced JROTC instructors.
For her part, Tinian Jr. Sr. High School Principal Liz Hofschneider said: “It’s amazing how fast the cadets from three high schools — TJSHS, KHS, and Dr. RHI — planned and organized their routine. They had two days only to practice.”
She added, “All of our cadets worked hard together to master the routine and perform well. Their dedication and motivation are highly admirable. CNMI students excel anywhere they go. They represent our schools and our islands well.”
SSHS Principal Vince Dela Cruz said he is “proud of the cadets who competed and represented the CNMI as one team.”
CNMI JROTC Commander Marie Ann Hembra of Saipan Southern High School leads her unit during the 2022 Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet Unarmed Varsity Competition in Torrance, California on Saturday, besting several schools in their division to take second place in the nation. The CNMI JROTC took first place overall in the army division.
The PSS JROTC MSU cadets pose for a photo with their haul of trophies from various divisions — in the novice and varsity categories — at the recently concluded 2022 Golden Bear National Drill Meet in Torrance, California.
The CNMI JROTC cadets, along with their chaperones, pose for a group photo Wednesday at the Saipan airport upon their return from the national drill meet in California.
