High school students cross into the blue

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Michael Hess
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Patrick Barone, Lakenheath High School junior ROTC drill team flight commander, bought his first 10-pound M1 Garand ceremonial rifle as a freshman to use with the drill team. He wanted a challenge and professional edge that the 3-pound wood rifles didn’t provide.

The detachment followed his lead and went the extra mile. The school has since purchased eight white-strapped replicas for the drill team to twirl, twist, kick and throw while representing the school and RAF Lakenheath in competition.

Barone is now a junior and he runs a tight ship. His efforts made the RAF Lakenheath drill team one of the top in the command at the 2006 European Drill Competition recently.

Thirteen schools competed for the gold in five categories: armed and duo exhibition, inspection, regulation and color guard. The team took home four second place trophies and an individual medal for the individual drill-off.

The initial $127 rifle was a small investment for the doors the program opens for the students who participate.

Barone entered the program as a freshman JROTC-airman basic. Next year, three years later, he will pin on the JROTC-colonel insignia to his collar and take on the roles and responsibilities of JROTC group commander.

The detachment has the rank and organizational structure similar to an Air Force group with enlisted ranks up to senior master sergeant and officer ranks to colonel. The organizational structure spans from element to group with leadership positions at each tier.

“The cadets have a lot of responsibility around here. I let them run things,” said retired Lt. Col. James Nelson, Lakenheath High School JROTC commander.

The squadrons hold different tasks within the group such as the drill team, which not only performs at official high school functions, but also helps to recruit Lakenheath Middle School 8th graders into JROTC.

The team performs several routines to spark their interest in the program and advertises for the cadet training camp in August, which drills the future freshman in the basics of JROTC - dress and appearance, customs and courtesy and marching movements.

Last year, the detachment was unable to host the event and the first thing Barone plans to do as group commander is reinstate the camp.

“You can certainly see the difference in this class of cadets compared to the others who went through the camp. A major part of the camp is dress and appearance, so without that, our first couple inspections of the year were a disaster,” said Barone.

The camp ensures the future freshman not only know how to wear the uniform and march, but also so they know what they are getting into.

“JROTC is a volunteer program. Cadets are either here because they want to be here or their parents made them,” said Barone.

The class appears on a cadet’s report card as a letter grade, so their level of involvement and military bearing is noticed and recorded.

“The biggest problem are cadets who join, then change their minds. Those are the cadets you see with theirs hands in their pockets walking across the grass,” said Barone.

Cadets can leave the program at the end of a semester if they don’t like the program, but sticking with it carries many opportunities such as scholarships and travel.

For instance, Barone hopes to receive an Air Force ROTC scholarship while he works toward his psychology degree at Georgia State University. He has traveled to Germany several times for drill competitions and attended leadership workshops in Washington D.C. and Singapore.

“This has been an amazing experience, especially going to Singapore,” he said.

These are opportunities available to any cadet who stays involved.

“If the students stick to the program, keep involved and make an effort, then they will succeed,” said Mr. Nelson.

Group leadership encourages cadets to participate in community service projects, which are excellent for college applications and resumes, said Barone.

Flight chiefs and squadron commanders closely monitor and record the work to log community service points.

The detachments recognize outstanding cadets. The drill team and community service achievers earn a high school letter and medals.

The medals are ranked similarly to the Air Force ribbon program. When cadets wear their racks of ribbons and insignia, the uniforms so closely mirror active-duty Air Force that cadets are sometimes saluted by servicemembers.

“We get saluted by Airmen a lot,” said Barone. “Normally, we return the salute and explain who we are. They usually are a little embarrassed.”

Though slightly embarrassed from the encounters, Airmen pass without thinking about the time and effort required to earn the ribbons and rank.

For these motivated teenagers, the rack on their uniform are a testament to their hard work and dedication. The hop in their gait comes from the bright future. Their overall success can only be from learning by example from the East Anglia military community Airmen volunteers and their zealous flight (soon to be group) commander.