by Aaliyah L. Orrick

Last Friday, February 11, 2022, Poston Butte’s Junior ROTC had their 4th Annual Military Ball. During this formal evening, everyone was dressed beautifully and handsomely, including Cadets that were dressed in their uniforms very nicely. The evening was filled with dancing, delicious food, and honorable ceremonies. We have the pleasure of thanking the Top Five, Maj. John Napier, Sgt. Alan Gawronski, Cheyenne Arnett, Kaitlynn Crosby, Jeremiah Duncan, as well as the Culinary team, for an amazing evening at the Ball.

Towards the beginning of the night, the Color Guard (Yesenia Cabrales, Brandon Groat, and Roger Hagood) as well as the Honor Guard put on an amazing performance for the National Anthem. They performed the ceremony for the memorial of the Fallen Soldiers table, honoring those who are missing in action from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. We thank Cadets Avygail Verdugo, Adelene Martinez Ruiz (ASMR), Brandon Groat, Kaitlynn Crosby, and Madalynn Visnaw for honoring our fallen soldiers that evening.

A lot of dancing took place during this evening, and everyone was having so much fun. A couple of line dancing songs took place, including the Cupid Shuffle, The Cha-Cha Slide, and the Macarena, and everyone jumped in, dancing the night away. The DJ played some amazing songs and even included fog and a bubble machine. There was no doubt that the vibe in the room was amazing. Everyone had a blast and no doubt enjoyed their night.

I interviewed 5 of the attendants who were at the Military Ball to see what they had to say about this eventful night.

“I had a really good time, and I thought everyone looked amazing. I loved seeing how so many people showed up and how many people put so much effort into the Ball. That has to be my favorite part of that night. I thought the Honor and Color Guard did amazing, especially in front of everyone. The food was good, my only complaint was the sweet tea. I thought the DJ did an alright job, I mean we didn’t ask for much. I think my overall experience went very well, and I would definitely go again.” ~ Jeremiah Duncan (SMSgt)

“I think it was very fun to attend and have a great time. My favorite part was definitely dancing with all of my friends and being an absolute Whack-A-Do. Honor and Color Guard did such a great job, even when they didn’t have much time to practice. I thought the food was pretty good; I loved the mashed potatoes. The DJ was pretty good. He had to put up with all my song suggestions, and I loved his boots. My overall experience was amazing! I had an amazing time, and I would definitely love another Military Ball soon!” ~ Abbigail Speciale (SrA)

“I had a lovely time. I danced with all of my Cadets. I absolutely loved seeing everyone enjoying themselves and getting to know each other. That has to be my favorite part of the Ball. The Honor and Color Guard had a couple rough patches, but we did an outstanding job. I didn’t get to try the food. I was too busy making sure everyone was well and fed, but it looked so delicious. The DJ did a great job, we wouldn’t have had a blast without him. Overall, I say it was a 10,000/10 experience, I’m grateful to spend time with such amazing people!” ~ Kaitlynn Crosby (Capt)

“It was amazing, I had a spectacular time with everyone. My favorite part was dancing with everyone to all the great songs, and seeing everyone’s dance moves, it was awesome. I say Color and Honor Guard did an amazing job with the amount of time we were given. I’m so proud of how we did. The food was so good; I loved it. Culinary did a great job. The DJ did amazing with the music. He had everyone up on their feet and dancing. Overall, I loved it. I definitely would go again next year!” ~ Avygail Verdugo (Airman)

I’m so glad I was able to experience this amazing event with such amazing people from all four units. I can’t wait to see what happens next year!