Ringgold High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet Ashley Howard takes a knee while practicing spinning her rifle for the upcoming national competition.The cost
The trip was expected to cost the RHS JROTC $6,000. To see if you can help, contact the school at 706-935-2254.
For the first time in school history, the Ringgold High School Tiger Guard Drill Team is taking a full team to nationals. The 2016 National High School Drill Team Championships are being held April 30-May 2 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
In preparation, the cadets have been practicing five days a week for more than three and a half hours per day after school, said RHS Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Army instructor Sgt. Joey Sisemore.
Drill Dynamics from San Antonio, Texas, trained RHS cadets for two weeks before nationals. The group has trained 12 national champions.
“Our drill team throughout the year finished no lower than third place all year,” said Sisemore. “Total, we had 22 trophies just at the competition in Decatur, placing first in everything. We have color guard, exhibition, squad and platoon. At North Springs in Atlanta, we got the overall Champion Commander’s Cup. We received over 60 trophies so far this drill season.”
The school’s JROTC has brought home eight trophies from nationals over the last four years in color guard and exhibition.
The Tiger Guard drill team consists of 14 cadets who comprise a male and female color guard, solo and dual exhibition team, squad exhibition team, an inspection team and a platoon.
“We are the smallest school at nationals,” Sisemore said. “We will compete against JROTCs in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.”
RHS sophomore Ashley Howard competed last year as a freshman and hopes to reclaim some of her titles this year.
“Ashley has won every solo exhibition event that she has competed in this year,” said Sisemore. “In 2014 we took eight cadets to nationals and brought back six national trophies for Tiger Guard. At nationals last year we took one color guard team and it placed in the top 30 in the country as an all-freshmen team last year. The solo [Ashley Howard] last year finished 12th in the country.”
Ashley has already accepted a letter to compete in the Tiger Guard in the world championships after she graduates from RHS. She spins a rifle solo. She said she is thinking about becoming a military nurse after graduation.
“Nationals last year was nerve racking,” said Ashley. “It was my first time to compete in solo. I got 12th. It was exhilarating and exciting. I’m glad to be going back this year. I’m doing a solo and color guard. I will be in an armed and unarmed platoon and inspection. We have to learn all branches of the military leaders before nationals. We will practice every day throughout the week. It amazes people.”