Kingsley NJROTC Cadets Set Records, Earn Recognition at Army Challenge Camp

By GySgt Mathew Barr

Instructor at Kingsley High School

Naval Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps.

mbarr@kingsleyschools.org

Kingsley cadets recently attended the JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge at Fort Custer in Southern Michigan June 22-27. The kids hit the ground running on day one, waking up call 0430, and racking out 2000.

The Army threw a curve ball this year by splitting up the schools. There were 340 cadets training and they are broken in to Companies - Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta.

Kingsley set the bar high at camp! I walked into a conversation the first night at chow (dinner) where one Army instructor asked the other

"'Why are all these Navy kids 'outstanding?! Every single one of them is a go getter, motivated, knows how to drill, knows their knowledge, why can't all of our kids be like that?And they are all first years with eighth graders? They are making us look bad!'”

The commander in charge of Army JROTC in Michigan, Colonel Peters, invited us back next year saying "your cadets are so polite, professional, hardworking and encouraging, we want you guys back next year."

I have been getting nonstop compliments and praise from the Army staff who are working the obstacles and events.

Several of our kids were put into the leadership roles at camp. Even some of our incoming ninth graders! And they stepped up immediately.

Key recognitions:

• Levi Sterk was selected to carry the Naval Flag, Lizzy Widrig was selected to carry the Marine Corps flag during the ceremony. (This is a big honor)

• On the first day of training, Cadet Ankney's team set the Camp Land Navigation record with a completion time of 47 minutes

• Cadet Kizer was the champion speed shooter for Delta company with a time of 2 minutes

• Cadet Mack won the plank challenge, beating 60 other cadets

• Cadet Green broke the camp speed shooting record with a time of 1 minute 34 seconds

• Cadet Bauer as a squad leader led her rafting team, setting the Camp Rafting record with a time of 7 minutes

• Cadet Valencia led her team through the Leaders Reaction Course not only being the only team to complete the course but with a Camp record time of 20 minutes, with 8 minute left to spare.

• We had four cadets being recognized and awarded at graduation for outstanding leadership above and beyond their peers. Those Cadets are...

  • Cadet Phipps, Cadet Unterbrink, Cadet Bond, Cadet Stalker.

  • Cadet Barr was recognized for most improved cadet.

    • They all deserve awards but each company is only allowed to give 2-3 awards so the fact that we have 5 kids getting awards speaks volumes! 

Congratulations, cadets!