Staff Sgt. Jason Molczan (far right) grades JROTC cadets participating in the competition.
The Waynesville Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps hosted its fifth annual Inter-Service Drill Competition Jan. 26 at the Waynesville High School gymnasium.
Fort Leonard Wood instructors and drill sergeants graded a total of 23 JROTC teams from Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, and Indiana at the drill meet.
Staff Sgt. Jason Molczan, Company D, 795 Military Police Company, drill sergeant volunteered his Saturday to judge the competition.
“I believe JROTC is an important part of these young adults’ lives because it gives them an experience of the military that most people will never have,” he said. “It teaches them discipline, teamwork, and a commitment to something bigger than themselves.”
Molczan also described JROTC as a program that teaches students core foundations of the military.
“Cadets have an opportunity to partake in some of the training events normally reserved for trainees going through Basic Combat Training,” he said. “It allows them to have a head start on their peers, even if they don’t pursue the military.”
He said that the education provides intangible benefits to JROTC cadets.
“The confidence they gain and the skills they learn in JROTC will help prepare them to be successful and to overcome adversity in the future,” Molczan said.
Following the competition, Command Sgt. Maj. James Breckinridge, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood, congratulated the participating JROTC cadets and handed out trophies to the winning teams, representing a job well done. The overall event champion was Ozark Missouri High School.
