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As the snow fell and the temperatures dropped, the students of Kaiserslautern High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps team received drill and ceremony training with the help of two noncommissioned officers from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command.
“We recently joined a partnership with KHS to support activities at the school. As far as the JROTC team, they asked for help and we came,” said Sgt. 1st Class George Isla, a communications plans NCO with the 21st TSC.
Maj. Gen. Patricia McQuistion, the commanding general of the 21st TSC, and KHS principal Jennifer Beckwith signed a proclamation announcing 21st TSC’s partnership with KHS in October.
“We had been looking for drill sergeants across the KMC. We didn’t have the technical leadership like we have now with the 21st TSC,” said retired Col. Leon Stamm, senior aerospace science instructor at KHS.
Sergeant Isla, along with Sgt. 1st Class Michael Short, a 21st TSC Support operations ammunition and logistics NCO, instruct students from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. every Monday and Thursday.
This part of the mentoring program allows Soldiers to mentor students at the school during the duty day and helps the cadets practice for upcoming drill and ceremony competitions.
“This has helped the cadets a great deal, especially the freshmen who have never drilled before, and it encourages the upper level cadets too,” Colonel Stamm said.
Professionalism, self confidence and discipline are some of the qualities these former drill instructors are instilling in the drill team. The KHS JROTC program has been in place since 1973, and it is the second oldest in Germany.
“The cadets can see the enthusiasm of the Soldiers who are helping them, and they see the results in their own performance,” Colonel Stamm said.
The competition the cadets are training for will take place the first week of March at Rhine Ordnance Barracks in Kaiserslautern.
