SAN ANGELO, Texas -- More than 600 students came from all over Texas to attend the 2016 Angelo State University ROTC Detachment 847, 18th Annual Drill Competition at ASU April 9.
Seventeen schools participated in the competition which included nine drill activities and a warrior’s challenge. The competition is a leadership project for ASU’s ROTC Detachment 847 cadets.
“This is entirely cadet run,” said Capt. Ryan J. Barnum, ASU ROTC operations flight commander. “We [the active-duty cadre] are there to kind of advise them, but 90 percent of the work has been done by the ROTC college kids. It’s a huge leadership project for them.”
Goodfellow Air Force Base volunteers helped the competition take place.
“We have about 75 volunteers out here representing all our services,” said 2nd Lt. Clayton S. Eilert, 17th Comptrollers Squadron deputy budget officer. “Joint total force, Team Goodfellow effort.”
One of the volunteer judges saw some new things while out there.
“I’ve seen some really incredible people out here,” said Airman 1st Class Nicholas W. Longstreth, 312th Training Squadron student. “Stuff that in my five years of drill experience I haven’t seen before.”
Although Longstreth will not be here for the drill competition next year, he expressed interest in judging again to see improvements that the students make over the year, and what they bring to the plate the next year.
Longstreth encourages people to come out and watch.
“Come support these kids,” said Longstreth. “They’ve put a lot of effort in. I’m sure they’ve been practicing all year round since they started school.”