Saturday, March 1, 2025, JROTC cadets from multiple schools gathered at Fork Union Military Academy (FUMA) for a Drill Meet, where they tested their skills against others in the region. For some cadets, the event started with nerves.

“The Drill Meet made me nervous at first,” sophomore Alexander Jimenez said. “We had to switch up the format, and I had to call commands I hadn’t practiced. But we did well and placed third overall. It was fun, and the food was good.”

Although the team earned a third-place finish, not all cadets were fully satisfied with their performance.

“It was mediocre. We didn’t get as many awards as we wanted,” sophomore Jonathan Ortega said.

Junior Abril Paiz thought the event offered valuable lessons in drill techniques and teamwork.

“It was interesting to see how different teams interpret drill,” Paiz said. “We don’t have as much experience with military customs, so it was cool to see how others do it.”

Junior Amy Matamoros thought that HHS did well, and they also learned a lot. The cadets returned home with new insights and a sense of accomplishment after a day of competition.

“We were around a lot of military academies, and we were the only high school team. I saw a lot of ways we could improve, but overall, it was a good experience,” Matamoros said.