The pomp and regality of Friday’s JROTC Military Ball at William G. Enloe High School may contrast with the usual activities of a high school cafeteria, yet the formalities seemed to come quite naturally to the JROTC cadets.
With utmost maturity, they commenced the evening with traditional components of a military ball: presenting the colors and rendering the ceremonial toasts. As the cadets stood at attention, wearing either dress military uniforms or ball gowns, the sweet tea and lemonade in their glasses served as the only reminder of their young age.
As per tradition, they toasted the nation’s president, the U.S. Army, their friends and family in attendance, as well as fallen comrades and those missing in action.
The evening highlighted the same personal discipline that enables the young people to carry out JROTC’s demanding physical and mental drills. “The purpose of the military ball is to teach the cadets some of the formal parts of the military experience,” said JROTC Senior Army Instructor Major Charles S. Robertson. “What you see tonight is all cadet-led.”
EHS senior Kei-Jhana Butler led this year’s organizing efforts. “It’s a chance to show our parents what we’ve accomplished, and a chance to show the whole battalion what we’ve done,” said MAJ Rob. Cadets also looked forward to having fun with music and dancing after the formal program’s end. “The school has a prom and other organizations have their nights. The military ball is a chance for us to be together with our friends.”
Guest speaker 1LT Naadira Alcedo, US Army Special Operations Command, was a student of MAJ Rob and SFC Williams in Campbell University’s Senior ROTC Program, encouraged the cadets to keep thinking big.
With utmost maturity, they commenced the evening with traditional components of a military ball: presenting the colors and rendering the ceremonial toasts. As the cadets stood at attention, wearing either dress military uniforms or ball gowns, the sweet tea and lemonade in their glasses served as the only reminder of their young age.
As per tradition, they toasted the nation’s president, the U.S. Army, their friends and family in attendance, as well as fallen comrades and those missing in action.
The evening highlighted the same personal discipline that enables the young people to carry out JROTC’s demanding physical and mental drills. “The purpose of the military ball is to teach the cadets some of the formal parts of the military experience,” said JROTC Senior Army Instructor Major Charles S. Robertson. “What you see tonight is all cadet-led.”
EHS senior Kei-Jhana Butler led this year’s organizing efforts. “It’s a chance to show our parents what we’ve accomplished, and a chance to show the whole battalion what we’ve done,” said MAJ Rob. Cadets also looked forward to having fun with music and dancing after the formal program’s end. “The school has a prom and other organizations have their nights. The military ball is a chance for us to be together with our friends.”
Guest speaker 1LT Naadira Alcedo, US Army Special Operations Command, was a student of MAJ Rob and SFC Williams in Campbell University’s Senior ROTC Program, encouraged the cadets to keep thinking big.
