By By MaryClaire Foster
Seven ROTC programs from three states participated in the Escambia County High School Drill Meet on Jan. 21.
Senior Naval Science Instructor John Sweeting said that most drill meets are held on Saturdays and are more formal than the event he organized, but he wanted to give his students, as well as other school’s a relaxed atmosphere to compete in.
Naval Science Instructor John Spaulding said the event was held for both the ROTC students to gain more experience with meets and the faculty to see what they are all about.
This is the second year the meet was held and Sweeting said he is pleased with how it went.
The participating schools were Baker High School from Baker, Fla.; Central High School from Phenix City; Milton High School from Milton, Fla.; Moss Point High School from Moss Point, Miss. and Robertsdale High School from Robertsdale.
The seven schools competed in seven categories, which included unarmed basic (Regulation), unarmed exhibition, armed basic (regulation), armed exhibition, color guard, individual and tandem exhibition.
The teams and individual competitors were graded based on a national standard by four judges all of whom are military recruiters. The judges were, Petty Officer Brady with the Navy, Staff Sergeant Allen with the National Guard, Staff Sergeant Waltz with the Army and Sergeant Greene with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Laura Boutwell, a member of the ROTC, said she was glad to have the opportunity to participate in the drill meet.
ROTC member Shykeitha Crenshaw said the meet allowed them to get inspiration for their own drill techniques.
Lavan “Lee” Martin and Byard Swift were two of several members of the local chapter of the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars who were spectators at the meet.
Martin said he enjoyed watching the event and seeing the ROTC programs in action.
Swift said too, that by coming out they were also supporting the endeavors of one of their own.
Winners in each division were: Unarmed Basic (Regulation) first place Moss Point, second Milton and third Baker; Unarmed Exhibition first place Murphy, second place Robertsdale and third place Moss Point; Armed Basic (Regulation): first place Milton, second place Moss Point, and third place Baker; Armed Exhibition: first place Milton, second Baker FL, third Moss Point; Color Guard first place Moss Point, second place Central, and third place Baker; Individual first place Timothy Plant of Robertsdale, second place Rickie Hartley of ECHS, and third place Daniel Roehrig of Central and Tandem Exhibition first place Alex Tuck and Sydney Grove of Robertsdale, second place Steve Curtuiss and Daniel Roehrig of Robertsdale and third place Jameisha Morse and Shelby Dennison of Murphy.