JROTC Cadets May Not Wear Service Uniform Items

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UPDATE: AFJROTC cadets may wear the Hap Arnold, Wing and Star cap device only if the unit has written permission from HQ AFJROTC. Individual cadets may not wear the device, but special teams may with the written permission. For more on seeking permission, read the article, New AFJROTC Drill Team Uniform Policy. JROTC Cadets May Not Wear ANY Service Uniform Items. …

Service Core Values and You

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Each Service several years ago began codifying what the service stands for and what standards the service members needed to uphold. Even if you are a first-year JROTC cadet, you need to take on these standards and make them your own. It will be so beneficial for you right away and in the long term. Don’t follow the ways of …

An Embarrassing Color Guard Performance

DrillMasterAsk DrillMaster, Color Guard/Color Team, Honor Guard Training, Instructional 2 Comments

I created this article for two reasons: Help deflect questions that usually arise and come my way. The questions go something like this: “Can we do this/[is this proper] for our color guard?” Communicate to everyone, even Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, law enforcement, and firefighters that what you do is usually caught on camera and/or video and affects others in …

Drill Team Recruitment and Retention

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Program Motivation/Incentives “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” Napoleon Bonapart This is the reason, among others, that we in the military have ribbons, medals, badges and other awards. The same for JROTC and all cadet and even scouting programs. Ribbons and shoulder cords are worn on the standard uniform and help let everyone know …

JROTC Recruitment and Fundraising

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JROTC has not had the funding available to do many things over the last 2 years and I believe that it will either remain the same or become worse over time. Therein lies two issues, 1) recruitment of cadets and, 2) funding. A little while back, I posted on Instagram that I wanted cadets to send me their ideas on …

Create Goals, not Dreams

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But not just goals, SMART Goals The difference between a goal and a SMART goal is your goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. SMART goals give you a much better avenue to reach your goals. Your dreams are the fuel that drives the high-performance goal engine. Specific Broad, general terms are not going to help. What, …

The JROTC “Feeder” Program

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If your JROTC unit does not have a plan on how to recruit at the local elementary schools that feed your high school, then you need to implement a strategy this school year! JROTC programs need cadets, that we know. If 8th-grade students are unaware of the benefits of JROTC (leadership, organization skills, drill team, etc.), then those students will probably …

Resistance to Change: Betrayal?

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I felt the need to follow up the article that published last week, Resistance to Change: The Five Monkeys Syndrome. My help is sought out on a consistent basis from high school and college drill teams and also first responder honor guard units. I teach courses and, when asked, also give free advice over the phone, through email or on videos …

Resistance to Change: The Five Monkeys Syndrome

DrillMasterColor Guard/Color Team, Drill Team Training, Drill Teams, DrillMotivation, Honor Guard, Honor Guard Training, Instructional Leave a Comment

Even if you are a cadet in high school JROTC or in Sea Cadet, Young Marines, etc. you may have come across this syndrome. If you are an adult, you most definitely have come across this. Please watch this short video before reading on and it will explain. Image courtesy of Sharon Browning and Associates. [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-PvBo75PDo[/embedyt] Now, we are …

My Cadet Hero

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The best reason for JROTC, in my view, is that high school cadets can wear a military uniform and participate in different activities no matter their physical issues. I have worked with JROTC units for many years and have had the opportunity to work with many, many cadets. Of those cadets I have seen some with physical issues that would …