Forward, march!

PALMER — For a high school student, being involved in a team isn’t limited to sports or academics.

Hundreds of gung-ho young Army, Navy and Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) cadets showed what teamwork is all about Saturday at Colony High School, host of the 12th annual Josh Prins Invitational JROTC Drill Meet.

Participants from Bartlett, Bethel, Chugiak, Dimond, Eagle River, Eielson, Lathrop, North Pole, Service, South and Colony high schools demonstrated their hard work, precision and discipline at the event. The Josh Prins Invitational JROTC Drill Meet honors the life of former Colony JROTC cadet Joshua Prins, who died 11 years ago at the age of 18 after a long battle with leukemia.

A sea of green, black and blue uniforms filled Colony’s main gymnasium as qualified judges representing the U.S. armed forces evaluated each school’s routine in critical drill areas: alignment, cadence, precision, distance, interval, military bearing, snap, steps in marching originality and degrees of difficulty. Each of the six events (color guard, regulation armed and unarmed, exhibition armed and unarmed, and first-year cadet unarmed) brought applause from families and supporters and recognition from their peers.

Sgt. Matthew Akeson, a Colony High senior, has been practicing Army JROTC routines for three years. Akeson and his fellow Colony cadets were from the only school present at Saturday’s meet to run through all six routines.

Akeson said he hopes to enroll in a trade school as a carpenter’s apprentice when he graduates, and JROTC and the long hours of practice each week have given him a sense of purpose for when he goes out to make his mark on the world.

“It gives me leadership experience and I’ve made a lot of friends doing this,” Akeson said before filing in with his team for the exhibition unarmed event.

Capt. Sydney Parker, 16, said she became interested in Colony’s JROTC from watching her sister before her. She is in her third year.

“I think it’s a way to teach more discipline and shows what the military has to offer,” Parker said. “It’s my main chance to preview the armed forces.”

Parker said she hasn’t decided what her future will hold, but she has not dismissed signing up for the National Guard. Her plans are to become a medic one day.

After Colony cadets strutted their stuff for the regulation armed competition, 1st Sgt. David Gogert explained what went well and what needs improvement — namely a few cadets needing to keep their rifles aligned with the rest of the squad.

“Rifles should be up, not bobbing around,” Gogert said.

Gogert has been leading Colony’s JROTC troops in drills for 15 years. He said his love for the youths keeps him coming back.

“It’s important to instill discipline, self-control and teamwork,” Gogert said. “Our mission is to promote community service, not recruit for the armed forces. If the end result is their interest in our country’s service, then great.”

Lt. Col. Dan Page, an Army instructor at Colony High School and a retired U.S. Army officer, said JROTC practice is the same as other sport disciplines at Colony. JROTC members began training for this year’s drills back in October, starting as early as 6 a.m. for cadets involved in the exhibition teams.

“The armed drill teams have the added work of learning the routine with a rifle,” Page said. “But they all have a routine to learn, sometimes routines that have been handed down by former drill teams over the years. It is tradition.”

One by one, teams strutted their stuff in front of the judges, American Idol style.

South Anchorage High School cadets took to the gym floor for the regulation unarmed competition, while three judges observed every move.

“About face!” the commander directed. Three by three, the cadets never missed a beat in formation as they looked ahead in emotionless confidence. They take their routine dead serious.

Page said it’s all about honor, respect and discipline.

The last competition, the exhibition armed drill, is JROTC’s equivalent to the Super Bowl and is the most difficult routine for a team to accomplish. Colony High’s 13 cadets twirled, spun and aimed their unloaded rifles in mirror-like unison. Although some of the steps were out of place and a rifle fell to the ground during the routine, the overall performance garnered Colony a third-place trophy at the end of the day. It was the second of two trophies the local school earned to add to its collection.

“We did good, considering,” Page said. “It was the first time in four years that we’ve seen exhibition teams at this school, and with low cadet numbers, I think we did great.”

Anchorage’s Dimond High School JROTC took home the first-place prize for the exhibition events.

“They kicked butt,” Page said, adding that if parents aren’t involved with helping a potential cadet in joining JROTC, then they’re missing out. “Most people, I think, still think we’re about recruiting for the armed forces. It’s just not true. We teach citizenship and community service, first and foremost. If we don’t catch them as freshmen, then we miss out. The parents should be more involved because the kids really do have a lot of fun doing this.”.