The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) competed in the first round of CyberPatriot, a national cyber security game that simulates a cyber attack on a computer system.
This is the third year that Michigan City has fielded a team. Last year, the cadets finished second in the state out of 38 JROTC programs. Michigan City is the only school in LaPorte and Porter counties to compete in this event.
The team members attended a nine day Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics camp at The Citadel (The Military College of South Carolina) in Charleston, SC last July. The Chief Instructor at the camp is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was the faculty adviser for the last year's national champion. Cadets worked with various software systems, learning different techniques to combat a cyber attack. The camp was funded by the U.S. Marine Corps, costing Michigan City Area Schools nothing.
“The ability to keep an information system secure is such a critical skill, both in the military and in the private sector,” said Senior Marine Instructor Major Tom McGrath. “This program provides the opportunity for cadets to be exposed to a possible well-paying, highly rewarding career.”
Master Sergeant Jeff Benak, the Marine Instructor, commended the cadets and the faculty adviser, Engineering and Technology Instructor Ralph Gee. “The cadets on our CyberPatiot team are also on our drill team, which starts practice daily at 5:45 am. CyberPatriot practice is after school. It takes much dedication to do both activities. We could not compete without the expertise of Mr. Gee.”
This was the first round of the competition. The scores are usually announced a week after the round is completed. The cadets will compete in two more rounds on December 4 and January 29. These rounds will determine who advances in the competition, with the finalists competing in Washington, DC, for the national championship in March.