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Patrick Henry High School team and unit commanders accept the
Captain J. Moreno Trophy from MOWW member Cpt. Debbie Kash |
While the sound of the school bell signals the end of the school day to many students, for over a thousand JROTC cadets countywide, it serves as a reminder to head over to their JROTC unit areas to practice for the annual San Diego Unified School District Regulation Drill competition. Cadets from each grade level participate in competitive tryouts within their respective units for the honor of representing their respective schools at drill competitions, often dedicating several hours each day practicing their drill technique to distinguish themselves from their peers.
Once the best of the best have been selected by their cadre and unit leaders, they spend countless hours perfecting their drill movements and execution. The culmination of these extensive practices is the first phase of the annual San Diego Unified School District JROTC Regulation Drill Competition, consisting of the Best Drilled Platoon and Best Drilled Squad competitions. This year, the event was held in two phases; the first having taken place at Serra High School on December 9th, 2017, the second, on Saturday, January 20th, at James Madison High School. Teams from each of the 13 units came together in fiercely competitive drill events, where they were closely evaluated by several military officials serving as judges for the competition. Each unit aims to achieve the highest overall score possible in each category to attain the coveted Captain J. Moreno Best Drilled Unit Trophy, awarded annually to the SDUSD JROTC unit whose performance in regulation drill exceeds that of all others in the brigade. The award, named after the late U.S. Army nurse and former San Diego High School cadet Captain Jennifer Moreno, serves to commemorate her superior dedication and service to her country and community, and is an immense source of pride for any unit deemed worthy of an award bearing her name. The recipient of this year’s Captain Moreno Trophy went to Patrick Henry High School, for its outstanding overall performance in all aspects of the Regulation Drill Competition.
This year’s first place winners in individual events include Morse High AJROTC’s First-year Color Guard, Scripps Ranch High AFJROTC’s Varsity Color Guard, Patrick Henry High NJROTC’s First-year and Third-year Best Drilled Individuals (BDIs), Platoon Drill Team, and Squad Drill Team, and Point Loma High NJROTC’s Second-year and Fourth-year BDIs.
Congratulations to all winners and all teams that participated!
