Ready. Aim. Fire.
Those words can now be heard at Ridgeland High School, which is launching a rifle team through its Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. The goal is to enroll two teams of four cadets each. Students interested in marksmanship training are being sought.
“This marksmanship team has been my dream for several years now,” said Master Sgt. Carl Gentry, who instructs the school’s 130 JROTC cadets.
A row of about six targets lines a wall in a training room for practice. The program’s leaders would like to build a shooting range, and are seeking a few more rifles for the second team.
“One of the mainstays for Ridgeland’s Junior ROTC has been our drill team,” Gentry said, adding that last year the school started a Raider team to reach out to cadets who are especially physically fit.