• Throughout history, armies have practiced drill. In times of war, leaders used drill to move troops and equipment quickly from one location to another in an orderly manner. Drills also show how many individuals can move as one unit in a flawlessly timed effort. These unison movements are still important on the battlefield, where mistakes can cost lives. Discipline is a natural outcome of practicing drill. The discipline acquired through drill transfers to JROTC and everyday life activities as well.

  Drill is the foundation of JROTC— it reflects the structure of the program. It visibly and physically represents the chain of command. Drill teaches Cadets to work together from small teams of three to five Cadets, to battalions numbering in the hundreds.

  Drill helps:
  • Everyone knows where they fit in the organization
  • Facilitate task organization
  • Facilitate command and control
  • Facilitate mission or task accomplishment

  Many skills acquired through drill are useful in civilian life as well. Most importantly, drill contributes to the development of a cohesive team. Teams are an essential part of almost any job, career, or organization to which you will belong throughout your life. 

   Teamwork is the effort of a group to complete a task or goal. Successful teamwork requires each team member to cooperate with other members of the group to complete the effort as directed. As you read in the history of drill, teamwork and cooperation was a natural result of successful drill. Learning about teamwork is an important part of JROTC. It is a team spirit where all members work together to achieve the same goals. Teamwork also gives you the opportunity to interact with other Cadets. In most organizations that you will encounter, the members of a team or group will probably come from different backgrounds with different interests. However, by working together as a cohesive unit, everyone tries harder to get along with each other in a productive and professional manner. By working cooperatively with your teammates, you can improve your individual leadership, followership, and communication skills and abilities.

   In addition to learning and mastering individual and group drill during your JROTC classroom instruction, Cadets have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities through competitions with the other JROTC program drill teams.  The Silver State Brigade Drill competition season is normally held during the Fall season and features four events with a culminating Northern Nevada Drill Championship.  Drill competition events include squad and platoon drill (armed and unarmed), color guard, and individual and group exhibitions.

     Air Rifle - 

• WCSD JROTC programs have a robust history of competitive 10-meter, 3-position air rifle competition events and success with both team and individual national rankings.  The Ten meter, 3-position air rifle competition is both an NCAA and Olympic sport and is conducted in the same manner in the JROTC program. Cadets will study marksmanship safety in the classroom and will have the opportunity to compete with other schools as a member of their air rifle team.  The Silver State Brigade air rifle season normally runs from late fall through early winter and features league competitions, postal matches, shoulder-to-shoulder competitions as well as regional and state military service competitions.  We host the Northern Nevada Air Rifle Championship match and a junior Olympic match each year.  Additionally information on the JROTC air rifle program is found below.

   Cadets who are interested in target rifle shooting as a sport and who become members of their JROTC or school rifle team have many special competition opportunities. Competitions are a great way to measure your skills and progress as a shooter. They are always exciting, challenging experiences where you learn to control yourself and do your very best under pressure. They also offer opportunities to travel and meet new friends. The
  following are competition opportunities available to you:

  JROTC or School Rifle Team
  If your school has a JROTC rifle team or the school rifle team, your instructor will provide information about that program. Team members have a chance to practice regularly during the rifle season and to participate in competitions scheduled for the team.

  Postal Competitions
  In postal competitions, participating teams schedule matches where each team fires their score at their home range. Competing teams exchange scores by email, fax, or phone to determine who won. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps JROTC programs all have national postal competitions that all JROTC units are encouraged to compete in. The National Guard Bureau and American Legion sponsor two of the most popular national postals. To learn more about national postal competitions available to JROTC rifle teams, check the CMP website.

  League Competition
  In many areas of the country, school or JROTC teams organize leagues where they compete against each other in shoulder-to-shoulder competitions. Won-lost records usually determine league standings. There are many JROTC or high school leagues in the United States. The largest and most active high school league is in Georgia where the Georgia High School Association recognizes rifle as a varsity sport.

   Major School-Age Competitions

  There are a growing number of major competitions for school and JROTC rifle teams. A program goal of many JROTC or school teams is to do well in one of these major tournaments. They include:

  
  • State Junior Olympic Championships. Almost every state now has a state qualifying competition for the National Junior Olympic Championship in the winter or early spring. Many states organize their qualifiers in three or four different sections so that travel distances are not great and as many teams as possible can participate. Check the USA Shooting website for a listing of state qualifying competitions.

  
  • CMP Cup Matches. These are large regional high school competitions where participants come from several states. CMP Cup Matches have sporter and precision class individual and team events and offer an opportunity to earn credit points for Junior Distinguished Badge awards.

  
  National Recognition Opportunities

  When school-age rifle teams participate in major competitions, they become eligible to earn many special awards. Some of the most important awards are the Junior EIC badges and Distinguished Badges that are offered by the National Three-Position Air Rifle Council. Individual shooters who participate in Junior Olympic State and National Three-Position Air Rifle Championships can earn credit points for EIC badges and the prestigious Junior Distinguished Badge that are shown in Figure 6.10.6. Distinguished Badges are usually awarded in special ceremonies. There also are National Records for three position air rifle shooting, including separate record categories for Army, Navy, and Marine Corps JROTC competitors. The most comprehensive summary of all of the competition opportunities available in target shooting appears in the Youth Shooting Opportunities Guide that is published by the CMP. 

    JROTC Leadership & Academic Bowl (JLAB) -