PikeView JROTC Teams Recognized

BY Jimmy Adams, Tony Baldwin and James Dishner
PANTHER PRESS REPORTERS

     For several weeks now, the JROTC Drill Team have been preparing for the WV State Drill Competition, which will take place in Lincoln County on Saturday, January 16th. And with the competition just around the corner, the Drill Team has been training diligently.
     “This upcoming competition is our primary focus as of right now.” said one cadet. They have been training hard for weeks in “a professional environment” learning values such as leadership and teamwork.
     Cadet Sergeant First Class Michael Mullis is one of the several cadets who is tremendously excited for the competition. “We have practice every day after school and on most Saturday’s.” cSFC Mullis recalled. “It’s whenever we can get the gym or cafeteria floor open to practice.”
     When asked on the performance of the team, he replied that “everyone is on point. They know what they are doing.”
     In addition to the Drill competition, many JROTC cadets are also preparing for future Raiders competitions. According to the AI, Master Sergeant Riggs, there are 5 competitions coming up in March and April. They are really excited for the Walhalla Camp competition in South Carolina. “The course is set up Army Ranger style where five teams of two run through an obstacle course along a path.”
      To prepare for the competitions, the Raiders team has been going to CrossFit regularly. “The team started off weak and rough but training helped,” Master Sergeant Riggs described. “DBC is really good for the team; it really benefits their overall strength and cardio. Their only weakness is their skill knowledge for the task at hand.”
       The cadets are also prepared and excited for the future Raiders events. They described Raiders as a very competitive environment where everyone works together really well. As the Raiders Captain, cadet Lt. Colonel Brad Dorsey stated, “The physical aspect is very fun.” He also believes Raiders prepares him immensely for the military.
     In addition to Drill and Raiders, many cadets also participate on the Marksmanship team. cLtCol Dorsey states that “there is a more intimate level between the cadet and instructor,” during their matches.
     During postal matches, a handful of cadets, under the guidance of their instructor, shoot CO2 rifles at targets and send the scores in to rank nationally. Both Dorsey and cadet First Sergeant Katie Richardson believes the matches help hone in their mental capabilities to better their own marksmanship skills.