North Plainfield High School NJROTC Drill Team
On Saturday, November 3rd the NJROTC Drill Team prepared and practiced at the NPHS high school at 5:00 a.m. for their first competition of the year. Cadets prepared themselves early in the morning so they would have time to do their hair and uniforms, and to study for the competition. Members of the drill team are expected to arrive at practice every morning before school at 6:45 a.m.
Seeing each other every morning and often spending time outside of school makes the cadets very close which helps contribute to their overall success in competitions. “NJROTC is like my second family at school. We all get along with each other very well. Being in my second year of NJROTC, I can tell that everyone in the program is a hard worker and we all put in our very best to make this program the finest that it can be. Our drill team is close-knit too. We love competing in drill competitions against other schools and bringing home trophies,” said sophomore Christina Aguilar, who was recently promoted to Chief.
There are many different events in NJROTC competitions that the cadets participate in which require each member’s movements to be sharply executed and in sync. In events such as Unarmed and Armed Platoon, cadets march in a platoon of twelve and follow the commands their commander gives them. Armed platoon members carry rifles and perform more complex drill movements using rifles. In Colorguard, there is a team of four consisting of one American flag, one Navy flag, and two rifles who perform different and more complex movements compared to the platoons. In Physical Training, a team of at least four people compete against other schools in situps, pushups, and a one-mile run. In events such as the Inspection Team and Academic Team, cadets are required to study NJROTC material and current news for inspection. The appearance of a cadet plays a crucial part during an inspection. The cadets must have clean uniforms free from any stains or wrinkles. Factors such as messy hair and poor knowledge can impact the overall score of the team. Additionally, the varsity teams are made up of cadets who have been in the drill team for more than a year, the Drill Team has a separate team of New Cadets consisting of first-year members.
Commanding Officer Christopher Monrroy, a senior, said, “Without all of the cadets’ hard work and their involvement in the program, the unit would not exist. I appreciate all the work the cadets put into drill and essentially learning how to become better citizens of society.”
The Drill Teams first competition took place at Pottstown High School and NPHS placed first in New Cadet Colorguard commanded by Raquel Kruszczynski, second in Armed Platoon commanded by Daisy Cifuentes, third in Varsity Colorguard commanded by Christina Aguilar, and placed third in overall performance.
Now at the end of their drill season, the cadets have just finished their last competition, which took place on March 23, 2019, at Rancocas Valley Regional High School. For their last competition, NPHS placed first in Academic team commanded by Maria Gonzalez, second in New Cadet Squad commanded by Jason Melendez, third in Unarmed Platoon commanded by Jenifer Hidalgo, third in Varsity Colorguard commanded by Christina Aguilar, and third in Inspection Team commanded by Abdel Rady. In total, they received third place in overall performance.
The cadets have now completed their drill season and are now teaching the New Cadets to be in the Varsity team. From now to the end of the school year, cadets will continue with teaching drill and raising money for the program.
I’ve met some of the most amazing people in NJROTC and I’ve had some of the most amazing experiences here, more than I could ever ask for. It’s a great place and I can’t wait to start my senior year in NJROTC.- Brian Yumiguano
Submitted by Brian Yumiguano, Drill Officer
