1. Twenty-eight motivated and patriotic cadets took advantage of the opportunity to show their appreciation for the many American's who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedom and liberties by marching in the well-attended Dacula Memorial Day Parade on May 29, 2017. This was the fourth successive year DHS NJROTC cadets participated in this great event and were recognized by the Parade Marshall for being the only JROTC unit in Georgia to participate. It is an event that will always be locked into our schedule. DHS should be proud of their cadets who took time out of their summer break to participate!!
2. Cadets Adam Burton and Laura Avellaneda attended the very challenging NJROTC Area 12 Leadership Academy (LA) at Riverside Military Academy, in Gainesville, GA held June 10-17, 2017 earning the coveted silver shoulder cord. Their performance at this prestigious event was "off the charts". LA is not for most cadets. Given the rigor and demands, only the top 2-4 cadets from every Area 12 NJROTC unit (58 units in GA/Jacksonville, FL) are invited. They were joined by Capt Jim Roger and MSGT Tony Johnson who served on the LA staff as Classroom Instructor and Platoon Advisor, respectively.
3. DHS NJROTC set a new attendance record at the Basic Leadership Training (BLT-Summer Camp) held at Bert Adams Scout Camp, July 23-27, 2017 by sending 31 cadets. This breaks the previous attendance record set by DHS NJROTC in 2016 with 26 cadets. Ten other NJROTC and a total of 120 cadets participated in a challenging and competitive week that included marksmanship (rifle/archery), swimming, boating, military drill and uniform inspections, ROPE course, rappelling, outdoor skills, orienteering, and extensive physical demands. Seven DHS cadets participated and excelled as members of the cadet leadership staff, including the current Commanding Officer (Adam Burton), Executive Officer (Elizabeth Jimenez), and Operations Officer (Laura Avellaneda). Nine of the 31 DHS cadets were rising first year cadets. It was another very impressive DHS NJROTC showing!!
4. Upon return from BLT, nineteen rising first year cadets participated in the 2017 NS1 Orientation held Friday, July 28th. This was an opportunity for NS1 cadets to get a "jump start" on NJROTC by learning about the NJROTC mission, SY 2017-2018 goals, upcoming schedule, drill, and advancement requirements. Most importantly, it provided an excellent opportunity for them to meet a truly exceptional cadet staff that consisted of over 10 motivated and enthusiastic upperclassmen.
5. Over 15 cadets participated in DHS Super Thursday (August 3rd) by providing school support as escorts in the Building 600 Atrium and in "manning" a NJROTC Informational Table in the cafeteria. It was a great "kick-off" to an exciting new year.
SY 2017-2018 promises to be an exceptional one for DHS NJROTC. In addition to the enrollment numbers increasing to over 130, DHS NJROTC currently enjoys an improved "depth" with high numbers of active, energetic cadets. SY 2017-2018 promises to be a truly exciting and memorable year for the unit. Check out the DHS NJROTC website linked to the eClass page."
