The J.R.O.T.C. Rifle Team is already beginning to take aim! As of Monday, the rifle cadets are beginning their rigorous practice. Instructed by Sergeant First Class Kazminski, the tryouts began on October 7th, and since then, the cadets have been doing immense training.
All cadets take a safety exam before joining the rifle team, as well as an hour long safety class. Commands are given to the riflemen by a range officer, and there is one shooter per lane to avoid accidents. If anything or anyone goes down range, all cadets stop firing to minimize safety risks. Afterwards, the instructor will make sure the rifles are clear (unloaded and safe to handle).
The three main teams are the Prospects, the Middle Varsity team, and the Varsity team. The Prospects are the new recruits, eager to prove themselves and their accuracy. The Middle Varsity are the promising shooters, ones who display skills above their peers. And the Varsity team is the best of the best, hand picked for their excellent performance. All of whom are led by Cadet Captain Blaylock Duncan, the Rifle Commander.
So far, the Varsity team has competed in local and national competitions, with it all having started on October 29th against East Hamilton, resulting in a victory for our rifle team. They aim to have competitions every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of their season in December 3rd. So far, they’ve scored 2 wins and 3 losses nationally.
