TINIAN — During the recent Gineptin Ha’anen Taga Festival, the audience looked toward the stage as C/SSG Jaedon Lenteja, carrying his 8.5 pound rifle, marched on and greeted the crowd. As he performed, the rain started to pour. But even as the audience sought shelter under the canopies, Lenteja continued his performance.
Cadet Staff Sgt. Jaedon Lenteja is a sophomore of Tinian Jr Sr High School. He joined the JROTC program during his freshman year. He is also a member of the San Jose Parish Crusaders Youth Ministry.
Prior to the Gineptin Ha’anen Taga Festival, Lenteja joined the drill competition, which got him interested in handling rifles. He would stay after school almost every day and practice with his rifle, sometimes on his own.
Lenteja said he also watched different kinds of videos on YouTube depicting armed drill performances, and tried to practice some segments. “Although it takes a lot of precision and effort to imitate every move, it is great to showcase what we are capable of in rifle exhibition, especially here on the islands,” says Lenteja.
Through his daily practices, he slowly got better which soon led him to his recent performance onstage which featured a series of spins and beats with his rifle.
“I was not nervous at all before the performance,” he says. “I felt that I had worked and practiced so hard, it was just natural to me. That feeling changed when it started raining while I performed. The rain caused my rifle to become slippery and the lens of my glasses got misty. I still continued despite the unfortunate circumstances, and in the end, I felt that I did not disappoint the audience,” he adds.
Lenteja hopes to accomplish many aspects of the solo and team armed exhibition drill in the future.
He believes that it is a new concept for the islands and expanding it would be a game changer for upcoming competitions. “This would not only give opportunities to myself, but also to the other JROTC cadets who would like to showcase their talents.”
As for now, his goal as a JROTC cadet is to maximize his experience. He also looks forward to continue working with his fellow cadets and his instructors. After high school, Lenteja plans to attend flight school and eventually become an Army pilot.
The Stallion Battalion is proud of Cadet Staff Sgt. Jaedon Lenteja for his marvelous performance at the recent Gineptin Ha’anen Taga Festival which celebrated the legendary Chamorro Chief Taga
We hope he was able to inspire you in a way, and that he was able to achieve his goals. We would also like to encourage other students to delve into their talents and use them for the benefit of our community.
C/SSG Jaedon Lenteja prepares to catch his rifle during his performance at the recent Gineptin Ha’anen Taga Festival on Tinian.
C/SSG Jaedon Lenteja and his rifle.
