Awards Banquet
On Tuesday, May 2, 2018, Garden City MI-861 hosted their Annual Awards Banquet. The wonderful event organized by Cadet Noel, with help from Cadet Sherrill, and was carried out to completion with the help of parent and staff volunteers. The evening began with a pot-luck style dinner in the School's cafeteria. Nearly 200 people came out to support the unit, and their cadets winning awards. Once dinner was over, Cadets and their families headed towards the auditorium where they were in for a treat. Before the awards were presented, everyone was able to watch a video of the 2017/18 year highlights.
Young Eagles
On Saturday, April 21 2018, Young Eagles took place at Mettetal airport in Canton, MI. 14 young cadets ages 8-17 enjoyed the privilege of a free plane ride. All the cadets who participated said thy loved the plane ride and would certainly come back again. "That was the coolest thing ever" were the words of most cadets. Their eyes wide with wonder after they each got off their planes was not a sight to miss. Everyone that participated were respectful and very well-mannered. The young cadets had a great time and the whole event was a success.
Car Wash
AFJROTC held a car wash at Garden City High School on Saturday, April 28, 2018. Cadets braved the cold weather and kept warm by dancing on the side of Middlebelt Rd. trying to attract the attention of drivers. The event went well and the cadets all had a ton of fun and even raised $118! Special thanks to Grandma Noel for bringing lunch for the hard-working cadets. Cadet Leleniewski could be seen running around with a hose and saying "It isn't a car wash until everyone gets wet." The cadets were also able to learn the proper way to wash a car(according to Sgt.). A total of 9 cars showed up to be washed and left squeaky clean.
Adopt-A-Highway
On April 19th, 2018 nine cadets from MI-861 joined together to clean the surrounding highway. They split into groups and covered a two mile stretch of Ford rd. to help make the community cleaner. Cadets found trash and value items, Cadet Heffner even said, "I cleaned up trash and got a new phone!". Our cadets pride themselves in creating a cleaner environment for the people of Garden City.
University of Michigan Shadow Day
On March 29th six cadets from AFJROTC MI-861 visited AFROTC Detachment 390 at the University of Michigan's main campus in Ann Arbor. These cadets got to join in drill with the ROTC cadets at Det 390. In addition, they took a tour of the campus led by one of the advanced cadets. There was also the opportunity to watch a presentation put given by their cadets about institutes, the programs benefits, opportunities, and scholarships cadets can gain from joining their program. Chase Malloy said, "It was very educational and I didn't even know that there were so many different opportunities available".
Garden City Park Cleanup
Over a dozen cadets from AFJROTC met at Garden City Park on March 23rd for roughly 1.5 hours with a goal to improve the appearance of the park. We split into 3 groups, each group had and headed out to all areas of the park armed with trash bags and gloves. They collected enough garbage to fill bags bigger then themselves. "Cadets are always looking for excuses to be together as a group and do good," says Cadet Lebron. This event turned into a great success and our efforts hopefully improve the experience of those who visit the Park this year.
- Cadet 2nd Lt. Pierpoint
- Cadet 2nd Lt. Pierpoint
Cougar Care Cafe
Saturday March 10, MI-861 cadets met at Burger High School to serve food and help in the pantry from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm. Cougar Care Cafe was not as big due to the rain but we still had a good turnout. The cadets in the kitchen made Pizza, people had a choice between pepperoni, cheese, and supreme. Cadets in the Pantry helped people carry their goods to their cars if they were too heavy to carry. Overall our cadets enjoyed another opportunity to aid and assist those in our community.
St. Patty Party
On 10 Mar 2018, we at MI-861 went to the American Legion Post 396 and participated in their St. Patrick's Day Party. We set up tables, served food, cooked food, sold raffle tickets to raffle off prizes and we did a 50/50 raffle earning nearly $500! This money was raised for the Memorial Rock dedicated to Garden City Soldiers! The event went amazingly! All of the people at the American Legion absolutely loved us! The cadets who participated said that this was the most fun they have had at an event. Cadet Olechowski had this to say, "It was really fun! I definitely enjoyed it and would gladly go back". All the cadets were on time and had a blast during the event. The cadets that were cooking food received great compliments from everyone there. The Commander, Rob Shaw, said that he loved to have us there and would love to have us come back for even more events, their main fundraiser POC said that it was great to have us help and he absolutely wanted us back. The event started at 9am and and continued all the way to 7:30 pm! The event had four shifts going from 9am to 10am which was parking lot cleanup, 10am to 2pm, which was set up and serving, then we had 2pm to 6pm, which was just serving food, finally 6pm to 7:30pm was for last calls on food and cleaning up. Even during set up and clean up all the cadets had so much fun!
John Glenn Drill Meet
On Saturday 3 March 2018, MI-861's Drill team traveled to John Glenn High School to compete in their 10th Annual Drill Competition. The team was the only Air Force JROTC to compete against 4 other Army JROTC teams. After a disappointing venture at Anchor Bay's Drill Competition earlier in the year, the unit was determined to make John Glenn memorable. They went in focused and were ready to pounce on their competition. Marching almost flawlessly, the team was able to bring home many trophies. Starting off the event was JV Unarmed Squadron commanded by C/ 2nd Lt. Sherrill. This team ended up placing 2nd in their category. Next, was Varsity Unarmed Squadron, commanded by C/ SAmn Heffner, they were not able to bring anything home, but this team was a key element to our overall point value. After that, Varsity Armed Squadron was up. This team was commanded by C/SAmn Arning, and they brought home a third place award. Lastly, there was Varsity Color Guard, commanded by C/1st Lt. Noel, even with a few hiccups, the honorable team of four was able to take second place in their section. Once all marching events concluded, 3 rounds of knockout commenced. The three different rounds included First Year Knockout where we took 4 out of 10 medals, Varsity Unarmed Knockout where we took 2 out of 10 medals, and Varsity Armed Knockout where we took 3 out of 10 medals. Cadet 1st Lt. Noel even placed first in the Varsity Armed Knockout. Overall, our cadets did a splendid job at the drill meet and we are very proud to bring home trophies and happy cadets.
Goodbye Litter
On 5 March 2018, 28 AFJROTC cadets took part in a spring cleanup project at the high school. We call this "Goodbye Litter" because the cadets go around and pick up the trash that the winter blues have left behind. It was a vibrant event for us all as we gathered roughly eight trash bags full of garbage, leaving the school grounds looking ready for spring. C/ 1st Lt. Douglas was in charge and stated, "It was nice to see the cadets working together and communicating with each other as they made a difference for the school.
Henry Ford Museum Trip
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On Thursday 22 February 2018, 27 excited cadets visited the nationally renowned Henry Ford Museum. Cadets discovered exhibits throughout history showing ever changing innovation in America. As a group, we learned about how planes and cars have evolved to be the best and safest for both people and the world. Those who said it was their first time are sad they didn't experience it sooner. Some cadets even enjoyed milkshakes and snacks at the small 50's themed diner. Overall, every
every cadet and instructor who went had an amazing time. A sad senior, C/ 1st Lt. Malloy, even said, "This was so cool!I wish I could come back next year. I'll chaperone it!" |
Military Ball 2017-18
On 26 January 2018, MI-861 held our annual Military Ball at Burton Manor in Livonia. The night always begins with a receiving line, which consisted of the following people, Lt Col (R) Gilmour was first, followed by MSgt (R) Ragnone, then Cadet Major Kennaley with his date, and lastly Cadet 1 Lt Noel with her date, the point of this line is to introduce guests to the leaders of the event. Once the receiving the line ended, Cadet A1C Arning commanded the posting of the colors. Following the posting of the colors, Cadet Capt. Mayhue led us through the unit creed, and Lt Col Gilmour introduced the VIP's, Mr. President and two Mr. Vice's. For the first time EVER the unit had two Mr. Vice's. This year they were Cadet 1 Lt Malloy and 2 Lt J. Litwalk. Next, Cadet 1 Lt Noel read the History of the Ball, which explained the origin of "Dining-Out". Then Cadet Capt. Schema led us through the explanation of the POW/MIA table. That was then followed by the playing of taps and an invocation by Cadet 1 Lt Douglas. After this, the Grog bowl was opened by Mr. President, and cadets were all at the mercy of their piers for if they must drink the Grog or not. Following the Grog Ceremony, dinner was served. Dinner consisted of mashed potatoes, chicken, mostaccioli, salad, and finished with a brownie for dessert. After everyone enjoyed their wonderful dinner, Mr. President (Cadet Major Kennaley) returned to the podium and announced all members who were on court. Nominees for King included: Cadet MSgt Bramigk, Cadet Capt. Schema, Cadet 1 Lt Malloy, and Cadet 2 Lt J. Litwalk. Nominees for Queen included: Cadet Airman Basic Lillis, Cadet 1 Lt Noel, Cadet 1 Lt Cramer, and Cadet Airman Marshall. Once court was announced and made they're way to the dance floor, Cadet 1 Lt Noel was crowned Queen, and Cadet Capt. Schema was crowned King. These two shared a dance which commenced the overall dancing for the rest of the night. Throughout the rest of the time, Cadets and their guests were able to enjoy a night of dancing, laughter, and taking pictures in a photo booth. The music played consisted of songs from multiple genres that was pleasant for the ears of everyone. There were many Cadets that even have said "that was the most fun I have had in awhile". Lastly, MI-861 would like to give a special thank you to Mr. Marihugh who was the D.J. for the event, all our guests from Anchor Bay High School, Garden City Superintendent Mr. Derek Fisher, Assistant Principal Mr. Parker Salowich, and former Marine Private Tykoski for attending.
Thank you Schema!
Today 21 Nov 2017, cadet 1 st Lt Schema was officially promoted to Cdt Cpt Schema. Lt Col Gilmour and MSgt Ragnone have witnessed a strong growth in leadership and dedication from Cdt Schema over the first marking period and wanted to reward him for his hard work. He has really taken command of his squadron and has them working hard for him. In addition to his role as a squadron commander he also is quick to volunteer to help the corps whenever or wherever possible, whether it is
short notice color guard assignment or taking on a major project such as recruiting which is a major point of interest this school year with Air Force headquarters. Thank You cdt Cpt Schema for your dedication to the corps and we will miss you after you graduate, but expect more of the same hard work for another semester. Congratulations on your promotion which was well deserved. |
Drill Talent Show
On November 22, Garden City MI-861s’ Armed Exhibition Drill Team travelled to Garden City Middle School. The Exhibition Team had the opportunity to be a part of the Middle School's Talent Show. Doing this event allows the younger kids to be exposed to some of what AFJROTC is about and hopefully planting the seed for them to consider joining our group when they get to High School. The team which included 4 cadets that are new to drill this year was commanded by C/1Lt Noel. Cadet Noel did an outstanding job leading the group by teaching them the routine, practicing it, and locking it down in just 5 days to be ready for show day. The team did well but will not settle with that, they will be looking for ways to improve on the routine to show off at future drill meets and events.
Santaland Parade
Fort Custer Field Trip
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Fort Custer is located in Augusta, Michigan, and it is a military training base. For the second year in a row, the Army National Guard invited MI-861 to two days of fun and challenges at the location. Several cadets in the unit packed their bags and headed off early Friday morning, and did not return until late Saturday evening. The Fort offered the chance to build skills/ qualities of Team Building, Leadership, Personal Character, Physical Fitness and Health. A couple activities that our cadets completed, were a Leadership Reaction Course (utilizing team skills to overcome different scenarios), Obstacle Course (challenge physical abilities to overcome several obstacles), Land Navigation (utilized maps and compasses to find different points in the woods), and even a pizza party (relaxing fun giving a chance to know each other better). Overall the event was a great deal of fun for the cadets although the weather did not cooperate the second day as the skies opened up and rained on the cadets as they were working on finding their way in the woods. One of the highlights as pointed out by many of the cadets was the dining facility food which kept them nourished for the weekend. The day after the event it was even mentioned by one cadet that their parents wished they could have stayed away even longer. Don’t worry parents, there is a week long cadet leadership opportunity in the summer.
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VFW
On the night of November 3rd, 2017 AFJROTC Cadets were invited to aid the VFW in holding a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser. They played a vital role in the ”Giving a Hand Up, not a Hand Out”, whether it be cooking, serving food, wiping down tables, or picking up trash to ensure that all who attended had a suitable environment to converse in. “Giving a Hand Up, not a Hand Out”, speaks for itself, the goal of this fundraiser is to aid homeless veterans by providing a safe and stable environment, while also providing treatment programs. All in all, during this event the VFW and AFJROTC raised approximately: $1300.00. As a whole, the Corps is was extremely humbled that we were invited to such an event! A quote from MSgt. Ragnone comes from one of the workers in the kitchen who expressed to him, "Seeing the cadets helping out is such a pleasure. You have a great working bunch of young people Sgt, keep up the good work." As cadets we are definitely looking forward to continue working with the VFW towards furthering their goal of giving a hand up to struggling veterans in need.
Middle School Fun Day
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On October 19th, 2017, Garden City High School’s AFJROTC ventured out and conducted a new major recruiting event, led by Cadet Kennaley and his team of 16 cadets. The event was held at Garden City Middle School. Students who attended, as well as the Cadets, had the chance to enjoy sports such as Basketball and Soccer. Not only that, but Cadets had the opportunity to teach students basic drill for those who wanted to learn. There was also a hangout spot both Cadets and students enjoyed, where they could converse while listening to music or playing games. Although attendance was lower than expected, the event was very organized and fun, anyone who went would have considered it a success. Coming from Cadet Schema, he viewed the event to be “very competitive, everyone who went seemed to have enjoyed themselves”. The event is considered a “win” for AFJROTC, as they were able to branch out to the Middle Schoolers and connect with them on a personal level, all while enjoying sports and food.
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Hines Park Bike Ride
This past Saturday, the 30th of September, AFJROTC had a 10 mile bike ride through Hines Park. We started out at a pavilion just off of Hines Drive and Merriman. From there 13 cadets and three adults started our ride to Outer Drive. With an estimated finish time of about 11:30, the group was done and out of there by approximately 10:45. The ride as a whole resulted in almost an 11 mile ride. Most of the cadets said they enjoyed it and would do it again. “If we do this again in the Spring, I’ll definitely do it” said cadet Miner.
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Homecoming Parade
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Every year AFJROTC has the opportunity to lead Garden City High School’s annual Homecoming Parade, and this year on September 29th was the best so far. The flight was made up of 36 Cadets, and a Color Guard. Cadet Kennaley and Cadet Mayhue called cadences. A parent who happened to see the flight marching had said “I love seeing the JROTC cadets marching, they always look good and professional. It is good to see such a good group of young kids.” The outcome of the game was sadly a loss for the Cougars, with a final score of 7 to 21.
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