Photo donated/Ashley Larkin.
The annual field day of the Junior Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JAFROTC) was held Friday, Nov. 29 on the football field. The intention was to bring all students together to create a sense of camaraderie.
Every Friday, students participate in physical training including activities such as running, situ ups, and pushups, with each squadron (Alpha , Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo) working together. When field day came around, these skills were put to the test as squadrons competed against each other.
The events kicked off with a baton relay race on the track, then lead into other events such as Tacky tourist, Australian Trolley, Three legged race, Sponge race, Tug of War, and Water balloon toss. “My favorite part is just doing the whole thing. We get a free day to go have fun, run around, exercise and be competitive,” said senior Supporting Group Commander Trent Hart.
This year’s planning began at the end of the 2012-2013 school year. “We have to get all the paper work together, like all the permissions slips and check if they are eligible to go due to their grades. And we have to fill out the teams of what squadron goes against which and that goes into the brackets of flag football, tug of war, and the relay races,” said senior MWR officer Jaeleen Roman.
According to Roman, over 200 of the 370 students in the JAFROTC were unable to attend due to low grades.
While the weather took a turn for the worst, the activities continued under the bleachers. “They got together underneath the bleachers and they did their chants. Each squadron did a special, one guy did a beat box, one guy did a crazy dance,” said Senior Aerospace Science Instructor Major Brian L. Humphrey.
The Bravo Squadron, who referred to themselves as the Bravo Bees, took the victory and celebrated with the bee buzzing chant.
“What I hope the students got out of this was fellowship. They grow on each other, like JAFROTC, were big on we stick with each other, we are basically a family so we want them to know we have each other’s backs,” added Hart.