Cadets had

the opportunity to visit the Lockheed Corporation and see the production

line of the Air Force's premiere F/A-22 aircraft. A trip to Montgomery,

Ala., was also conducted to view the national Junior ROTC drill competition.

To reinforce the aviation history portion of the curriculum, cadets also

had the opportunity to take a field trip to the Aviation Museum at Warner

Robins one of the top five aviation museums in the country.

Classroom activities

were a mix of academics, leadership and physical training. The aviation

history portion of the program covered the progress of aviation and military

operations since early flight. The leadership section covered marching,

uniform wear and even understanding the responsibility of developing a

budget.

The program

established standards for a physical fitness ribbon. This included sit-ups,

push-ups and a 1.5-mile run. Criteria were set to match college level

ROTC standards. On many Fridays, the cadets were on the track trying to

achieve this level of fitness with 31 of them earning the ribbon.

Cadet activities

also benefited the community. A food drive netted 1,500 canned goods for

the needy, the color guard performed for a Veterans Day event at an elementary

school honoring a number of local veterans, and the unit started a program

to interview veterans and document their stories for national archival.

Recently the

cadets initiated a letter-writing campaign and made a banner for all of

the high school students to sign. This material was sent to the troops

in Kuwait and Iraq as a show of support.

The seniors

in the program deserve special recognition. They provided the leadership

and set high standards. Five of the senior cadets earned some form of

military scholarship, amounting to a total value of over $700,000.

Cadet Captain

Stephen Lawson received an appointment to the Air Force Academy, was awarded

an Air Force ROTC scholarship and has elected to attend the Air Force

Academy. Cadet Maj. Elbert Nieves received an appointment to the Military

Academy at West Point, Cadet Capt. Tanner Smith received an Air Force

ROTC scholarship and plans to go to Virginia Tech, Cadet Capt. Jessica

Harper received an Air Force ROTC scholarship to Auburn, and Cadet Lt.

Brandi Wade was offered an Army ROTC scholarship.

It has been

a great year. There are many goals and challenges ahead for the program,

but the excellence, high standards and integrity of Sandy Creek High School's

Air Force Junior ROTC program have set a solid foundation for continued

success.