DON KOHLBAUER / Union-Tribune
Posted on 02/05/2006 9:59:24 AM PST by radar101
ESCONDIDO, CA – Standing with her fellow junior ROTC cadets, Lilia Tellefson, 15, tried not to smile as a seemingly irate Marine Corps drill instructor shouted orders in her face. For the most part, the Sweetwater High School student maintained her composure as the drill instructor inspected her uniform and removed her cap, known as a “cover” in military lingo.
But she made a mistake when she put it back on.
“Tell me that I have cataracts!” the drill instructor screamed at the girl, the brim of his “smokey bear” hat nearly brushing her forehead.
Lilia looked bewildered.
“TELL ME THAT I HAVE CATARACTS!” he shouted even louder. “And that I did not see you put your cover on backwards!”
He then ordered Lilia to stand outside the designated inspection area. When she did, a smile crept momentarily across her face.
“I just felt like laughing,” Lilia said later.
Dozens of boys and girls from 19 Southern California high schools endured similar challenges yesterday during the Senior Chief Lewis Jackson Memorial Drill Meet at Orange Glen High, hosted by the school's Naval Junior ROTC. The event is named for a longtime school volunteer who died of cancer last year.
Volunteers from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and midshipmen from the University of San Diego ROTC graded the drill teams and color guard units on their appearance and general knowledge of military information. They were also judged on their ability to perform basic marching drills and exhibition drills – “fancy marching” as one observer described it.
Winners in each division were awarded trophies at the end of the day. Among the top local high school winners were drill teams from Mount Miguel in Spring Valley, Orange Glen, El Camino in Oceanside, Sweetwater in National City, Oceanside and Kearny in San Diego. Other big winners included Fontana and Long Beach Polytechnic high schools.
After inspection, the Sweetwater cadets gathered near a set of volleyball nets to critique their performance and laugh at the drill instructors' gibes.
One girl said she was told her voice was annoying.
Another said she was told she had an attitude.
A third girl said she became nervous during the inspection and began to quiver slightly. The drill instructor told her she had the “Harlem Shakes.”
“Even though they're getting yelled at, they're doing well,” said Gerry Forand, a retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer who works with the Sweetwater cadets. He explained that the cadets lose points if a drill instructor finds even the tiniest thread hanging on a uniform.
“Because they're Marines, they tend to be a little bit harder on the Marine units,” Forand said of the drill instructors. “They think, 'You're wearing my uniform; you better be wearing it correctly.' ”
Across the asphalt, other teams performed elaborate six-to eight-minute drills – some with rifles, some without – during the exhibition segment of the competition. Cadets marched in formation, rhythmically clapping their hands, stomping their feet and slapping their thighs.
Cadets from Patrick Henry High School in San Diego were pleased with their exhibition performance, but they said they had room for improvement. When asked why they chose to participate in the school's Naval Junior ROTC, they said it was a good way to make friends and learn leadership skills, and it looked good on college applications.
“It's better than PE,” added Chanae Jackson, 17.
Army Junior ROTC cadets from Long Beach Polytechnic High School had a strong showing yesterday. Even the freshmen – known as the Honeybees – marched with precision, despite having less experience than their older counterparts.
The routine seemed especially sweet after the cadets took a few barbs during inspections.
After removing 14-year-old Cameran Grant's hat, the aforementioned drill instructor took notice of the light-colored braids in her hair. The instructor leaned in and growled: “Did you come to my inspection looking like Goldilocks?”
But Cameran wasn't rattled.
“He was just getting on my nerves and spitting in my face,” she said later, “and I couldn't wipe it off.”
Dana Littlefield: (619) 542-4590; dana.littlefield@uniontrib.com
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Thanks for the flashback. I was the cadet commander for the Santana Hish School JROTC unit 20 years ago. We we're attached to the Mount Miguel unit.
i'm glad there is such a program in high schools.
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