The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) participated in numerous events in support of MCHS and various organizations in LaPorte County. Since July 1, 2016, cadets have conducted nearly 1000 hours of community service.
During the weekend commemorating the 15th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania, cadets displayed a 60 by 30 foot flag for the football game between Michigan City and Valparaiso High School during the National Anthem. Cadets also participated in a ceremony conducted at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in LaPorte.
Besides supporting MCHS Open House on September 7, 2016, and football game on September 23, 2016, cadets participated in events supporting six organizations. Those organizations are Dunebrook, the Salvation Army, the LaPorte Polish Heritage Society, Homeward Bound, Cancer Research, and the United Way. Cadets worked and raced in the boat races at Stone Lake in support of Dunebrook on September 10, 2016. Dunebrook provides support for victims of child abuse and their families. Later that day, Cadets helped with the Salvation Army Stuff-a- Bus project that provides food to 800 needy families in Michigan City. Cadets worked the Polish Festival on September 11, 2016 at the Friendship Gardens in Michigan City and also participated in a 9/11 ceremony at the festival. Cadets provided guides and helped at water points for the Cancer Research 10K road race at Washington Park on September 17, 2016. The race was held to raise funds to support cancer research at Riley Hospital in Indianapolis. That same morning, cadets worked the shopping cart parade for Homeward Bound which helps the homeless. On September 30, 2016, cadets worked the United Way car wash.
“Our cadets are very unselfish,” said Marine Instructor Master Sergeant Jeff Benak. “With the hundreds of hours our cadets have already performed, it shows their commitment to helping our community.”
Cadets also started Drill Team, Rifle Team, and Cyber Patriot Team practice in September. For the first time, the Marine Corps will host a national drill championship in Dallas, Texas on April 22, 2017.
“Our goal is to qualify to attend, and then go and win that meet,” said Senior Marine Instructor Major Tom McGrath. “It take much dedication to be on our drill team, since we practice every school day from 5:45-7:00 am, as that is the only time the gym is available for us to practice. It will take a much-focused effort to make it to and win that meet, as we are competing against schools that have field houses and more gym space than we have. But I know our cadets are committed to achieving this goal.”
The Rifle team shoots mostly postal matches, where the shooters shoot at their own campus and mail the targets to a central scorer. Cyber Patriot is a national computer security competition, where cadets react to a fictional hacking of a computer information system. The first round of Cyber Patriot is on Saturday, November 12, 2016.