Cadets excel in leadership course
Can you imagine 300 teenagers voluntarily jumping out of bed at 4:00am - and giving up their cell phones and computers for a whole week? Maybe voluntarily is not exactly the right word when you consider loud whistles and commanders barking orders as incentives to get up so early. But they did it - six days in a row. Eighteen hour days, jam-packed with back-to-back, highly physical activities, with only 30 minute breaks for meals.
During the summer break from school, thirteen specially selected AFJROTC cadets from Asheboro High School successfully completed Cadet Officer Leadership School (C.O.L.S.) sponsored by the US Air Force. They joined approximately 290 other cadets from 31 schools across the state June 26 through July 1.
The course this summer, conducted at Fayetteville State University, is similar to a mini version of Air Force Basic Training. Cadets begin the day at 4:00am with a physical conditioning program consisting of calisthenics and a one mile run, all of which are timed. Academics at this school are almost all outdoors, and consist of such subjects as: land survival (includes land navigation and spending a night in the woods in shelters constructed by the cadets), rappelling/obstacle course, rope bridge construction and crossing, and water survival and scuba training.
Cadets also compete each evening in team building sports activities such as dodge ball, kickball, volleyball, and a sport somewhat unique to the program called circle ball. In addition, each cadet must memorize a sequence of 40 drill commands and then command their flight through the sequence for evaluation. The cadets also undergo daily room and uniform inspections. Throughout the course, cadets are in competition both individually and as flights for the awards presented at the end of the course.
Selected to attend the Fayetteville State C.O.L.S. this year from AHS were Cadets Austin Stanley, Denisha Hill, Selena Cecilio, Emmanuel Montes de Oca, Danielle Nagle, Adam Holland, Elizabeth Carson, Charles Davis, Angelica Cordero, Yasmin Alejandro, Carlos Puerta, Sergio Mendez, and Scott Askew. Cadet Summer Davis also started the course but suffered a minor injury and was unable to complete the program. Cadets Danielle Nagel and Denisha Hill, previous graduates of the course, were selected to attend as members of the Cadre - the group of senior cadets who lead the flights throughout the week. Hill served as a flight commander for the week, while Nagel served as the Staff Inspections Officer.
All members of the AHS contingent graduated with success (except the one injured cadet), and will be awarded the AFJROTC Cadet Summer Leadership Ribbon, the AFJROTC Physical Fitness Ribbon, and the AFJROTC Achievement Ribbon. Cadet Colonel Danielle Nagel will serve as the AHS Cadet Group Commander in the upcoming school year, and all the graduates will serve as members of the cadet commander's staff, and are eligible to be considered for cadet officer rank.
Cadet Hill was also awarded the newly created Colonel Cecil Eason Leadership Award as the outstanding Flight Commander for the week. Cadet Stanley was awarded the Aim High Award in recognition as the most motivational member of his flight. Cadet Holland was part of the flight that won the highly competitive Sports Award, and Cadet Cecilio was a member of the best overall flight, receiving the camp's most coveted award, Honor Flight. Cadets Montes De Oca and Puerta were each recognized as the outstanding performers for their respective flights during the Military Drill evaluations. Both Cadets Nagle and Hill also received the AFJROTC Superior Performance Ribbon for excellence in their assigned Cadre positions.
All of the cadets should be very proud of their selection for the course and their success in passing. Each of them has proven they deserve the designation of "Best of the Best” from Asheboro High School.
Colonel Carle Hall, senior instructor for the AHS program stated that he and instructor SMSgt Ben Davis, are naturally very pleased but not surprised at the performance and display of excellence from their cadets. "We know, sometimes better than the cadets themselves, what these young people are capable of. We welcome these opportunities to let them prove to themselves and others just how outstanding they really are."