-JROTC: Bigger and Better Than Ever
By: S. Plunkett
I.E.K.H.S. Mighty Ray Battalion, Bigger and Better than Ever
“Battalion, Attention! MIGHTY RAYS!” These are the words that you would hear often at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School’s JROTC program. JROTC, a popular acronym used all over the United States and the Virgin Islands, stands for Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. Created in 1916, JROTC has affected the lives of over a million plus cadets, and continues to do so every day. This year, the program has seen its highest number of participants; more than 230 cadets are assigned to three companies --Alpha, Bravo, Charlie-- and a headquarters, or HQ.
Close to 5,000 cadets have passed through the doors of the Kean High School's JROTC building. Roughly 2,500 cadets have joined some branch of the military at the end of the four-year program.
Many people, including parents, students, and some community members, have their own views of what the organization is, and what it does. Some might be positive, and others might be negative. Some falsely believe that joining the military is a requirement upon entrance. That is incorrect. If upon graduation the student decides to join the military and he or she has participated in the program for four years, that knowledge and experience would benefit that individual greatly. In most cases, soldiers who join the military have to go through basic training, and would likely start off with the rank of Private/E-1. If a student completes the full four-year JROTC program in high school, he or she will be enlisted in the Armed Forces wit
h the rank of Private First Class or Grade of E-3.
Other factors that might cause students to turn away from the program would be the hair cut issue for the males. It’s true, there are certain rules and regulations that the program must uphold, and normal conservative haircuts and hairstyles are required.
Despite negative beliefs, the program is highly educational and informational. JROTC provides cadets with skills they can use to succeed in high school and values that can be incorporated in their everyday lives. “While being in the program, it has affected me positively. I have gained leadership skills, and now I can do public speaking,” said Jeffrine Niles, Battalion Commander of the Mighty Ray Battalion. She stated that cadets get to compete in a positive way, whether between different battalions, within the companies, or even within the squads.
JROTC members participate in various activities and many service learning projects that could be valid as community service. The annual Coastweeks Coastal Cleanup is a
n event where the whole battalion participates in a worldwide effort to pick up trash on the streets and debris on our coasts. (Areas for Kean cadets include the salt pond, the National Park, and along the road up to the stop light on top of the hill.) Starting from the school gate, the cadets record the trash that they pick up in an effort to analyze who should take responsibility for the trash on our islands.
Other community service activities that the cadets take part in include marches and parades. The Veterans Day Parade and Memorial Day Parade are the two that are mandatory for all cadets. Many of them also take part in different marches for causes, like the Walk Against Gun Violence, Stop the Bleeding, Fire Prevention, and Woman's Jogger Jam, just to name a few.
The annual Military Ball is a mandatory, formal event for the cadets in which they utilize proper etiquette. Usually held in the month of March, it is one of the most awaited events. Another is the Masquerade Ball where cadets dress up according to a theme. They would also eat, dance, show off their outfits and just have fun together. Themes that were utilized before included
: “Kickin' it Ole School,” “Wild Wild West,” and “Island Style.” Cadets get to experience new things while in the program. By attending Summer Camp, they would interact with different kids from various schools and participate in different fun activities, such as learning to rappel off the rappel tower, complete an obstacle course, to paddle a kayak in the sea, and they even learn how to make a flotation device from their pants!
Another advantage comes from participating in after school extra-curricular activities, including the armed and unarmed drill teams, color guard, raiders, and drum corps. Joining one of these teams and getting selected to perform presents an opportunity to travel and make new friends.
Another event that the Mighty Ray Battalion enjoys is the Inter Battalion Drill Competition where the companies compete by playing different games to gain the title and banner of "best company.”
The cadets compete in what is known as the Battalion Drill Competition with various schools to try and get some trophies for different segments, including platoon drill, squad drill, unarmed exhibition, and the armed exhibition, just to name a few. Sometime in April, the Battalion Drill Competition is held either on St. Thomas, St. Croix, or Puerto Rico.
Before graduation from high school, students need a certain amount of credits. They would have a choice of either two years of gym or two years of JROTC. If they choose JROTC, it would be equivalent to the same two years of gym.
Instead of just athletics and health which gym provides, JORTC teaches the cadets map reading skills, a more in depth approach on health, drill and ceremony, how to march and follow regulations, and above all, how to be a leader. If they remain in the program for the full four years, the last two would be considered electives. Some students don’t stay in the program in the long run because they may not feel like complying with certain rules, like avoiding the big hair styles and the long fingernails for females.
The cadets are placed in classes based on the number of years they have been in the program, and the classes are based on their LET, (Leadership Education Training) level. [See sidebar a
t end for explanation of rankings] When students first join the program, they don't really know what to expect. Often, their friends might be in different companies or not in the program at all, causing them to become shy and quiet. Many 9th graders sometimes start out shy. They might be unaccustomed to the freshman title or just nervous about being in high school. But while in the program, those same shy cadets would get out of their shell. “You get close to the cadets, and they not only become your friends in your company, but also during the course of the school day and out of school,” said Natasha Todd, a LET 4 company XO in JROTC at Kean.
"We are like a family. We are always together and whenever we go out, it's usually a group of us, and we are all in the program," says Ranisha Mascole, a Let 4, who is Alpha Company Commander. Within the program, the cadets are there for each other, to talk to and get advice from. Whether in need of a friend, a listening ear, or even a shoulder to cry on, there is always someone present. “Cadets act as mentors, and the Let 2's, 3's and 4's act as big brothers and sisters for the Let 1's,” said Neil Jno-Baptiste, another LET 4 Executive Officer in JROTC at Kean.
The Mighty Ray Battalion has been around for twenty-five years and is still going strong. As always, they continue to be the best and strive for success in everything that they do. Now, to be the cherry on top is the Mighty Ray Battalion cadence:
“We are the Rays, Uh huh, The Devil Rays, Uh huh,
Ya’ll wanna step to us and get stingged off, Uh huh,
We keep it real, uh huh, We keep it real, uh huh,
Ya'll are scared of us, ya'll know the deal
Last but not least, uh huh and please don't cry, uh huh, we are the best in the U.S.V.I
~BREAKDOWN~
R. A. Y. S, RAYS HOLLA!!!!"
Core Knowledge
A battalion is composed of companies; each company is composed of platoons, and those platoons are composed of squads. The Battalion Commander (BC), who is the highest ranking cadet that holds the top position, is Cadet Major Jeffrine Niles. The Battalion Executive Officer (XO), who holds the second highest position, is Cadet Captain Shakima Plunkett. The Battalion Sergeant Major, who holds the third highest position, is Cadet Sergeant Major Shathea Fahie.
The first year cadets are called LET 1's, and their Army Instructor is First Sergeant Leroy Mars. The second and third year cadets are called LET 2's and 3's, and the Army Instructor is Sergeant First Class Patrick Farrell. The senior cadets are called LET 4's and their instructor is actually the Senior Army Instructor, Colonel Eddy Charles, the newest addition to the Ivanna Eudora Kean Devil Ray Battalion.
