As the semester nears it's end, students in Robertsdale High School's Navy Junior ROTC program are looking back at what they have accomplished in recent months.

Since school let out in May, the students have presented colors at both Talladega and Daytona NASCAR races for the third year in a row and were named one of 12 schools to receive top honors from the Navy.

The program, which is comprised of 150 cadets throughout air rifle, brain brawl (a NJROTC curriculum competition), Cyber Patriot, orienteering, drill, sea perch and color guard teams.

Most recently, all cadets participated in an area managers inspection and pass and review on Nov. 1, where they were reviewed on overall appearance, including personal hygiene and appearance of uniform. Additionally, the instructors were also inspected on how they assisted the cadets.

The review was conducted by U.S. Marine Crops (ret.) Capt. Regan Cieff, who oversees JROTC programs throughout Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Florida.

Cieff said each program is inspected about once a year to maintain the health of the unit.
"You have drill ceremonies, supply chain check, uniform inventories and how the instructors are spending their money and so forth," Cieff said."They are scored and will fall into one of four categories; unsatisfactory, needs improvement, satisfactory or outstanding."

Cieff said that while the results are not yet available, he expects them to score well.

"Most of the unit and knowing these guys, it will probably be somewhere above satisfactory," Cieff said.

Cieff also said he would urge all students to participate in the program, as it teaches students life skills in addition to leadership skills.

"A lot of people get confused and think 'Man, if my kid joins ROTC in high school they have to go directly to the military,'" Cieff said. "I call these guys the defense; they have such a wide range of influence. They could give a campus tour one day, and the next day they are in the classroom teaching these kids how to go through an interview and shake someone's hand. It's very, very important, and I wish all kids would go through it."

Additionally, back in May the program was one of 12 schools in a five-state area to be named a Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors by the Navy.

According to Commander William Starr, the program is scored based on competitions performance, hosted events and community service.

"This year, we had 2,500 hours of community service. Our air rifle team ranked ninth in the country. The orienteering team ranked fifth. The Cyber Patriot team ranked in the top 12.5% in the country. Our robotics team is competing in an international championship, and the color guard team was invited to present at the Daytona 500 and Talladega race," Starr said. "We also hosted several competitions on our own campus."

The students also dedicated their time to volunteering at local nursing homes, soup kitchens and various community events throughout the county.

Starr also said he is proud of how far the program has come, especially the air rifle team, which he started in 2018.

"When I got here we had no team, and then I started a team and we didn't win, and I took them to a national championship so they could see it," Starr said. "Now, when we show up they say 'Oh, that's Robertsdale.' That's who we are."

Among the program's accomplishments, Starr also mentioned Haley Wheeles, an 11th-grader who was honored at the Nov. 1 review. Wheeles, who is a member of the orienteering team, placed ninth in the nation at the All-Service JROTC National Championship in March.

"I'm proud of the shooting team, but they aren't the only team. These kids come into this classroom everyday, and they practice and put their time in," Starr said. "JROTC has the community service, shooting team and robotics team, there is truly something for everybody."