MCHS MCJROTC Wins First Drill Competition Ever

The Michigan City High School Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) military drill team won the first drill competition in school history on Saturday, March 23rd, at the Romeoville, IL High School drill meet. Michigan City defeated seven other schools by finishing in the top three places in eight of the nine drill events. Those events and the commanders for those events were:

  • Cadet Gunnery Sergeant Alex Wyman, unarmed squad;
  • Cadet Sergeant Major Mike Callahan, armed squad and unarmed exhibition;
  • Cadet Captain Paul Tobalt, armed platoon and color guard;
  • Cadet Second Lieutenant Cody Joseph, unarmed platoon and armed exhibition;
  • Cadet Corporal Jalen Stockley, first year squad.

 

Master Sergeant Jeff Benak, the Marine Instructor, stated how much the cadets deserved this win. “Some of these cadets started last summer with voluntary practices, and most have been drilling since September. With practices starting at 5:45 am, it takes real dedication to be on this team.”

Cadet Major Paul Howard, the commanding officer and a member of the team for four years, said that this was the most dedicated group of cadets he has seen. “We’ve had hard working cadets in the past,” he said. “But not in the same numbers as we have now. That’s why we were able to compete in so many events, which gave us enough points to be the over-all winner.”

Major Tom McGrath, the Senior Marine Instructor, expressed how proud he was of the cadets, but also cautioned that now was not the time to be complacent. “I am very happy for our cadets, as they have worked hard and deserved this win. However, we have no time to rest on our laurels. The biggest event of the year for us is our Command Inspection from the Marine Corps on April 23rd. The personnel inspection and drill evaluation are very important parts of that inspection, and we need our drill team to lead the way for our other cadets,” he said.

The cadets will be busy after the Inspection, with community service activities planned for the first three Saturdays in May and the Michigan City Memorial Day parade. There are two leadership camps planned for the summer, with the possibility of a third camp in the works. MCHS MCJROTC also marches in the Michigan City Summer Festival parade, the LaPorte County Independence Day parade, and provides Color Guards for various other patriotic functions during the summer.