Third row: Dodds, Phillips, Cunningham, Dickinson, Jones, Campbell, Ruun. Second row: Miller, Drayton, Sexton, Bethea, Crabtree, Mothena, Dowd, Manning, Blanding. Front row: Graham, Jackson, Branon, Roach, McClinton, Nance, Gentry, Stewart

By Tammie Maddock

The Jr. ROTC Drill Team from Dreher High School recently took first place honors in the overall competition among the area’s seven high schools with Jr. ROTC programs. Participating schools represented three branches of the military; two Air Force, two Navy, and three Army.

Dreher has a Navy Jr. ROTC program that serves as a youth citizenship development program and is in no way designed to recruit for the military. Many cadets will go on to pursue a college degree, and some will pursue a career in the military. According to Col. Richard Barber, faculty advisor, the purpose of the program is to create leaders.

It was Dreher’s first time winning the coveted competition in which they swept the platoon events winning first place in the platoon fancy armed and unarmed drills. Individual honors went to Cadet Kevin Dickinson who took first place in the Individual Knockout, an event that showcases a cadet’s ability to follow commands.

According to Cadet Company Commander Ty Ruun, Dreher’s win was of greater significance because their team lost a number of seniors from last year and new cadets stepped up to the challenge. Ruun is a senior who became interested in Jr. ROTC when his brother was in the program in 1999.

Dreher’s 25–member team meets every day for an hour and a half class. They will compete in the Navy Jr. ROTC Championship hosted by USC in January.