ROTC cadets from CNMI take 16 trophies in mainland drill meet

Over in NMI, over 50 student cadets bagged 16 national trophies in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps competition in California. KUAM News met them just as they returned home with trophies in hand.

Cielo Long, the battalion commander at Tinian High School, told KUAM News, “We were not expecting anything, but to see that some of our hard work paid off was just awesome.”

Over 50 students from Saipan, Tinian, and Rota saw that hard work translate to the 16 trophies they brought home after fierce competition at the Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet in California.

"Once you kind of go into the mindset where you can just have fun and experience something outside of your borders, you can do wonders with that," Long added.

The NMI’s high schools took the top spot in the Army’s traveling trophy and Unarmed Novice exhibition category, surpassing over 20 stateside school drill teams.

Retired sergeant major Herman M. Atalig, now with the Board of Education, added, "It really depends on the team how hard and committed they are. If they are committed, if they believe, and work hard, they will definitely win."

This was the first time all public high schools in the NMI competed in the annual tilt across the unarmed, armed, color guard and saber competitions.

Principal of Marianas High School Jonathan Aguon said, "Beyond just performing well in the competition, this was a proving point to them that even though we are a spec on the globe, they can go out and represent internationally, globally so getting them to see beyond the shores of the Marianas has been a really good experience for them."