Despite the unprecedented change to the 2019-2020 school year due to the coronavirus, the cadets of the Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) are determined to finish strong, supporting many upcoming school and community service projects. Among those events are the boys and girls home track meets, the clean-up of the Michigan City Friendship Gardens, and Graduation. The cadets are also preparing for their week-long summer leadership camp at the St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin.
The cadets are currently working hard completing E-Learning assignments that will prepare them for the semester final exams. Additionally, the units being taught will assist the underclassmen to assume greater positions of responsibility within the corps of cadets next school year. “Thanks to the extraordinary work of our Technology Department, we are able to bring our instruction into the homes of our cadets,” said Senior Marine Instructor Major Tom McGrath. “We are replicating our in-school instruction just about as close as you can without actually being at MCHS. As a result, we have some junior and sophomore cadets ‘chomping at the bit’ to fill leadership roles for next year.”
“In true Marine fashion, our cadets have faced adversity and overcome it with great, positive attitudes,” said Marine Instructor Master Sergeant Jeff Benak. “The easy thing to do would be to ignore the assignments, but our cadets have put forth great effort in completing them. They are doing whatever they can now to develop themselves as the future leaders in our school, our community and beyond.”
In addition to finishing the current school year strong, the underclass cadets are already looking forward to the 2020-2021 school year. One of their goals is to qualify and win the MCJROTC National Military Drill Championship. They will start practice this summer so that they can “hit the deck running” at the start of the school year. This year’s meet had to be canceled. It was scheduled to be held in Daytona Beach, Florida. The assumption is that it will be held there next year. The cadets are determined to qualify out of their MCJROTC Region and win the meet in Florida. That trip would be done at no cost to the cadets or MCHS. The Marine Corps would cover all expenses.