Let me tell you more about our Albert Gallatin JROTC drill team, the Captain of the drill team is C/CSM Zentkovich and her assistant is 1LT Balsinger. The platoon drill consists of nine to twelve cadets plus the commander. The squad usually consists of the more experienced cadets of eight plus the commander totaling nine. Practices are Tuesday and Thursday after school until four o'clock p.m. The team captain has to memorize around forty-five to fifty different commands in order.
How is the drill team graded at competitions, to find the winners? Depending on which school is grading you. The scoring is sometimes different. All commands are worth five points each. For example, “Present, Arms” if all cadets but one have their salutes correct, they might get a four on that command. The points add up, the highest score wins! Sometimes the “Report in” and “Report out” are worth ten points.
Did you know, the team is only as good as the worst person on the team? We win as a team and we lose as a team. The C/CSM is on the team all the time to make them better and the assistant also brings great motivation to the team. This year, the Drill Team won 1st Place at Valley High School and 2nd Place at Martins Ferry!
