JROTC Gets Dirty To Build Teamwork
May 13, 2017 at 3:36 a.m.
JROTC Gets Dirty To Build Teamwork
By David [email protected]
Maj. Friedrich Josellis, Warsaw JROTC instructor, said Lt. Col. David Farlow, Marion JROTC instructor, has been hosting field day for the last six years at a park near Marion High School. Warsaw’s JROTC students traveled to the event the last two years.
While Marion was going to continue its fall field day, it had planned to discontinue its spring event. While every cadet goes to the fall field day, only cadets with passing grades attend the spring event. Warsaw decided to pick up the spring event and invite Marion.
Sgt. Major Mark Whitford, Warsaw JROTC instructor, said the field day falls into Warsaw JROTC’s curriculum, including physical fitness and team building.
There are different stations as part of field day where students are told what they must do to accomplish it and are timed. Volunteers from the Army National Guard, Marines, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, and Warsaw Police and Fire Departments man the stations. “We invited them because they are about service and community,” Whitford said.
The final event was a single-elimination, best-of-three, muddy tug-of-war tournament.
Cadets from Warsaw and Marion combined to form the eight teams. The cadets get to know each other, and will see each other again at the fall field day, Josellis said. In June at Camp Atterbury, about 11 students from each school also will take part in some other activities like rappelling from towers.
Through events like field day, the cadets feel like they’re a part of something, feel more involved and become more engaged, Whitford said. “They’re also practicing leadership. The juniors will take over next year so they’re learning what it takes to be leaders,” Josellis said.
Since this is the first time Warsaw JROTC has hosted a field day, Josellis said they are learning what to do to make it a better event for next year.
Along with Marion to the south, Warsaw’s JROTC works with Concordia Lutheran’s program to the east and Hobart’s to the west. “Our cadets will see each other quite often. We work with each other,” he said.
Farlow said field day is all about building the team to gain the best possible results. JROTC, he said, is about encouraging leadership and teamwork. At field day, two schools come together and must do the best they can to face challenges.
“What better way to prepare young people for the future than where they have to face challenges and come up with a plan for those challenges and work as a team to do this,” Farlow said.
He said it’s all about the cadets learning to come together and working with kids different from themselves. Josellis said the teams cheer on the others.
“I am a firm believer that competition makes us better. Competition, when you help your opponent get better, not only helps your opponent get better but it helps you, too,” Farlow stated.
The Warsaw JROTC program’s first year was the 2013-14 school year.
Maj. Friedrich Josellis, Warsaw JROTC instructor, said Lt. Col. David Farlow, Marion JROTC instructor, has been hosting field day for the last six years at a park near Marion High School. Warsaw’s JROTC students traveled to the event the last two years.
While Marion was going to continue its fall field day, it had planned to discontinue its spring event. While every cadet goes to the fall field day, only cadets with passing grades attend the spring event. Warsaw decided to pick up the spring event and invite Marion.
Sgt. Major Mark Whitford, Warsaw JROTC instructor, said the field day falls into Warsaw JROTC’s curriculum, including physical fitness and team building.
There are different stations as part of field day where students are told what they must do to accomplish it and are timed. Volunteers from the Army National Guard, Marines, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, and Warsaw Police and Fire Departments man the stations. “We invited them because they are about service and community,” Whitford said.
The final event was a single-elimination, best-of-three, muddy tug-of-war tournament.
Cadets from Warsaw and Marion combined to form the eight teams. The cadets get to know each other, and will see each other again at the fall field day, Josellis said. In June at Camp Atterbury, about 11 students from each school also will take part in some other activities like rappelling from towers.
Through events like field day, the cadets feel like they’re a part of something, feel more involved and become more engaged, Whitford said. “They’re also practicing leadership. The juniors will take over next year so they’re learning what it takes to be leaders,” Josellis said.
Since this is the first time Warsaw JROTC has hosted a field day, Josellis said they are learning what to do to make it a better event for next year.
Along with Marion to the south, Warsaw’s JROTC works with Concordia Lutheran’s program to the east and Hobart’s to the west. “Our cadets will see each other quite often. We work with each other,” he said.
Farlow said field day is all about building the team to gain the best possible results. JROTC, he said, is about encouraging leadership and teamwork. At field day, two schools come together and must do the best they can to face challenges.
“What better way to prepare young people for the future than where they have to face challenges and come up with a plan for those challenges and work as a team to do this,” Farlow said.
He said it’s all about the cadets learning to come together and working with kids different from themselves. Josellis said the teams cheer on the others.
“I am a firm believer that competition makes us better. Competition, when you help your opponent get better, not only helps your opponent get better but it helps you, too,” Farlow stated.
The Warsaw JROTC program’s first year was the 2013-14 school year.
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