JROTC camp: It's all about leadership

  • Published
  • By Cadet 2nd Lt. Sean Greene
  • Northridge High School AFJROTC
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Over the week of June 10 through June 14, JROTC cadets from all over the state converged on Hill AFB for an intensive leadership camp. Junior ROTC is the high school level of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. The majority of the schools attending the camp were Air Force JROTC units. The farthest group came all the way from St. George. In addition, there was also a group from the National Defense Cadet Corps program, the only one in the state, at West High School in Salt Lake City. Previously this program was affiliated with the Navy JROTC, but that program closed a year ago.

The cadets came together not knowing each other, but had to learn fast how to work as a team. Every morning camp members would form up at 5:45 sharp for breakfast.

The first few days were devoted to team and leadership building exercises, activities focused on the basic concepts and skills of leadership.

Cadets spent time at the Airman Leadership School listening to senior NCOs talk about their experiences and guidance on leading and management styles. Cadets also got to ask questions on anything to a panel composed of first sergeants from the base.

Following that, cadets also got to ask questions and get the point of view from a group of Airmen on Basic Training and the Air Force lifestyle. This was no doubt helpful to the cadets who had questions but didn't know who or how to ask them.

After the first days of instruction, it was time for the cadets to put what they learned into practice. They were split off into groups and were rotated so each group would have time at performing a disaster exercise at the Base Operational Training Area on the east side of the base.

The exercise on Wednesday was a high stress situation, involving a disaster emergency. Cadets were thrown into different leadership positions at random on the spot. They had to work together and complete the tasks needed to accomplish the end goal for the exercise. They did not know when, how or where obstacles would pop up, but the cadet leaders just had to work with what they were handed and apply what they were taught.

The second day in the field was just as intense. The cadets started out being put into many smaller groups with a designated officer to advise each group. The teams were then rotated to different stations around the area with a certain amount of time at each station. Each activity had a new leader selected from the group, so everyone got a chance at serving as a leader. The stations had different objectives with their own set of challenges and set-backs. After the mission, the officer in charge would gather the group and go over the results, to go over what was learned.

The camp experience involved more than classroom lessons and field training. The cadets also got a chance to tour many areas of the base to learn more about the life and the variety of jobs in the Air Force.

Some of the areas toured included the flight line and maintenance hangars. Groups also got to see many other career fields ranging from EOD demonstrations to the security forces building to radar/communications installations. This gave the cadets a well-rounded view of the base.

In the end, the mission that the camp set provided the opportunity for all the cadets to learn something to help them in their studies of leadership. Even though it was stressful at times, each cadet took something new from the experience whether it be a new friendship, new skills, or new-found likes or dislikes.

This cadet would like to say thank you to the lieutenants who organized the whole operation and also thank all the personnel of Hill AFB who helped make the camp as great as it was.