By Cadet Captain McKenzee Thornton
Before the 2017-2018 school year even began, cadets from the Newsome High School Junior Reserve Training Officer Corps (JROTC) were hard at work, ensuring the success of themselves and the Wolfpack Battalion. In June, Newsome JROTC sent over 30 cadets to attend the JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC), comprised of a four-day camp in Lake Wales.
A Newsome JROTC record was broken as six Newsome cadets were selected as ‘Top 10%’ out of over 400 cadets: Christian Weirdo, Logan Portugue, Spencer Caceres, Al Rogers, Kenya Smith, and Maggie Coonfare.
Now that school has begun, the Battalion has been an active presence around Newsome by executing it’s ‘Keep Our Campus Clean’ program every Friday afternoon as well as providing support at home football games and other special events around campus. Wolfpack Battalion seniors were recognized at the October 25 home football game ‘senior walk.’
In the classroom, cadets are currently acquiring beneficial life-saving skills in first-aid and preparing for the Presidential Physical Fitness Test, also known as the ‘Cadet Challenge.’ However, it is not only within the classroom that cadets are thriving. The September 2017 Cadet of the Month is Cadet Private Andrew Caceres and the Noncommissioned Officer of the Month is Cadet Staff Sergeant Alexander Melton.
In September, both the Newsome JROTC Rifle and Raider teams participated in their first competitions by starting the season strong, both teams brought home second-place trophies. The Rifle team repeated their second place performance again on September 30 defeating last year’s State Champions. Cadet First Lieutenant Hunter Dymond, from Newsome, was the “Top Shot” overall in the competition.
Two individuals from Newsome JROTC were recognized for their outstanding performance at the September 26 Hillsborough County School Board Recognition Board. Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Mallory Hirn, the Wolfpack Battalion Commander, is the recipient of the prestigious Legion of Valor Award.
This award is presented at the ratio of one in every 4,000 cadets. Mallory also recently won the Tampa Bay Chapter of Warrant Officers Scholarship award. Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Bolduc, the Newsome JROTC Senior Army Instructor, was recognized for being selected the Cadet Command Senior Army Instructor of the Year out of over 1,700 Army JROTC units around the world. Visit www.newsomejrotc.com.
