By CINDY CROSBY
The Colleton County High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) hosted their first drill meet in over four years on Saturday, November 13 at Colleton County High School. Four schools, North Augusta High School, Battery Creek High School, Hilton Head High School and Wade Hampton High School, competed in the seven-category event. Colleton County was not eligible to compete as they hosted the event.
Hilton Head High School claimed first place with a total score of 2288, followed by North Augusta (2122), Wade Hampton (631) and Battery Creek (292).
“Saturday’s drill meet was a huge success with the help of the Cadets of the NJROTC, the NJROTC Booster Club and the seven Marine Corps Drill Instructors who were the official judges,” said Lt. Col. Jay DePinto. “The Colleton County NJROTC plans to make this an annual event.”
The NJROTC program was established by Public Law in 1964 under Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 102. The program is conducted at accredited secondary schools throughout the nation, and taught by instructors who are retired Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel. The NJROTC accredited curriculum emphasizes citizenship and leadership development, as well as maritime heritage, sea power, and naval topics such as the fundamentals of naval operations, seamanship, navigation and meteorology.
According to the NJROTC online index, classroom instruction is augmented throughout the year by extra-curricular activities of community service, academic, athletic, drill and orienteering competitions, field meets, flights, visits to naval or other activities, marksmanship sports training, and physical fitness training. Electronic classroom equipment, textbooks, uniforms, educational training aids, travel allowance, and a cost-share of instructors’ salaries are provided by the Navy.
