The Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC) Drill Team at Bob Jones High School. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – The Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC) Drill Team at Bob Jones High School recently competed at the ninth annual J.O. Johnson High School Invitational Drill Meet.

Retired Chief Master Sgt. Ellis Clark and retired Lt. Col. Randy Herd are JROTC instructors at Bob Jones.

The eight teams in competition were required to execute about 60 drill maneuvers, either stationary or while marching. “The performances are graded on how well a team executes these moves,” Clark said.

The drill meet supports local JROTC programs “by providing an avenue for teams to build camaraderie and then compete against one another to determine the best of the best,” Clark said.

Bob Jones’ four-member fitness team earned second place by completing as many sit-ups as possible in two minutes. “Then, they performed as many push-ups as they could in two minutes. Finally, they had to compete against the other teams in a mile relay,” Clark said.

The varsity team, led by Cadet Col. Christian Weiss, placed first for “Platoon with Arms.” The 10-member group performed movements with replica rifles while marching.

Cadet Col. Josh Monis led the varsity squad to second place for “Squad with Arms.” The seven members of the squad marched in a defined configuration while carrying arms.

The varsity, as well as junior varsity, squad tied for third place. Cadet 2nd Lt. Chantel Watson and Cadet Capt. Andrew Smith lead these groups, respectively. “This competition is exactly the same as squad with arms, but the team doesn’t use the replica rifles,” Clark said.

Cadet Capt. John Dyson commanded the honor guard to second place with intricate, ceremonial maneuvers with the American and Alabama flags. All maneuvers satisfy Air Force and Army drill manuals.

“My seniors are totally responsible for turning this team’s focus and performance around from previous years,” Clark said. “I’m extremely proud of them and will definitely miss them when they graduate.”