Young Eagle's Flight
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On 23 Apr 22, Cadets had the opportunity to go on a free helicopter or airplane tour, courtesy of the EAA’s Young Eagles program. Young Eagles also gave the amazing opportunity to get scholarships later in life, and a membership into their EAA program. It truly is a fun experience to be able to fly, especially if it's your first time. Whether you choose a plane or helicopter, you will always have fun going up in the air and enjoying the ride, along with seeing a breathtaking view! Inside the planes, if you sit up front, you get the chance to fly the plane all by yourself! It is such a cool opportunity, /A1C Cornelius 2 said, “It's a free helicopter tour, how can you beat that?” This program helps cadets become more interested in aviation, and could even inspire them to become pilots later in life. Young Eagles is a very fun program that I highly recommend going to whenever you get the chance!
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Bataan Death March
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After several months of meticulous planning and stressful meetings, it finally happened, the Bataan Death March! A memorial hike for those who died in the event’s namesake, cadets camped with their friends and hiked 14 miles to raise money for Garden City’s food bank. We started setting up camp at Kensington Park, and before hiking, Air Force and Army recruiters gave out MREs, field rations that can be cooked with an included heater. During the hike, the cadets were able to bond and take pictures with their friends along the beautiful lake. Once we completed the 14 miles, all cadets were given time to relax and wind down. After dinner, cadets gathered around the campfire to tell stories about our time in the Corps; we were also able to hear stories from our recruiters, along with MSgt Ragnone on his military career. Many campers played cornhole, threw the football around and kicked the soccer ball in the nearby field. “The Bataan Death March was one of my most memorable experiences in the program” commented C/TSgt Wood. As everyone slowly walked back to their tents to go to bed, they said goodnight to their fellow cadets and finally got the long rest they have been waiting for. “Camping with other cadets was the best part of the entire event” said C’/Cornelius 2.
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Adopt-A-Highway
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On April 20, 2022, ROTC Cadets set off in groups to help the community by picking up trash along Ford, Inkster and Merriman Road. For new cadets in the program, this was a chance for them to get to know each other better while helping the community at the same time. There were two groups that went in opposite directions and split up more along the way. c/Dunn stated, “It’s just how I remembered”. Soon, other cadets will get to say the same thing as they will be able to participate in more events like this helping the community while hanging out with fellow cadets and loving friends.
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KHAS Easter Egg Hunt
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On April 16, 2022, the AFJROTC’s Kitty Hawk Air Society helped the Maplewood Community Center with the Garden City Park Easter Egg Hunt. Arriving at 8:00 AM, the KHAS helped the center’s workers hide eggs for the different age groups who were attending. After the hiding was completed and people started to arrive, the KHAS was divided into different age groups. Three cadets went to work with the 0-3 year olds with 4 cadets working with the 4-6 year olds and none working with the 7-10 year olds. We even got a photo with the Easter Bunny at the end of the event! “It was exciting to help out the community” Cadet Matthes exclaimed. Overall, it was a successful event with many more events with the Maplewood Community Center ahead.
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Team Building Exercises
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On March 24th our Cadets learned to play as hard as they work, with one of our famous "Mandatory Fun Days!" Many fun activities were planned for each class to work through and try to solve, and much fun was had! Some of these challenges included stacking as many bottles of Diet Mountain Dew as possible, and getting a chain of hangers as close to the floor they could!
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Blanket Making
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On March 15, AFJROTC paired up with the NHS to tie blankets for local pet shelters and women's shelters. Everyone had a blast cutting and tying blankets with their friends and listening to some music. Together, AFJROTC and the NHS had tied over 60 blankets for donations, and we cannot wait for the opportunity to do this wonderful event again! “I really enjoyed it, it was really fun! Wish there were more blankets to tie though!” - Trezil 2
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American Legion St Patty's Day Party
During this event that took place on March 12, 2022, our very own AFJROTC cadets helped out Garden City’s American Legion post for their St. Patty’s Day Party. This specific event was split into four, three hour shifts with cadets coming and going and acquiring their community service hours. For this event we had fourteen cadets sign up and all of them pulled through, walking through the crowd of people to help pass out food orders, cleaning up tables, taking out trash, and showing their dedication all the way through. Every cadet that showed up was definitely busy, especially for how many people showed up to the American Legion Post. The cadets had fun, the food was delicious and they all got the chance to be able to show off their singing voices with some karaoke. Cadet Clarey enjoyed “Talking with the veterans and singing karaoke with other cadets.”
Operation Gratitude
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On February 16, 2022, Cadets were proud to participate in Operation Gratitude, a non-profit project creating paracord rescue bracelets for deployed troops. Working in the GCHS cafeteria, MI-861 tied and created these bracelets, each supporting 550 pounds over 7.5 feet. According to C/Baier, “It was a pretty cool event! It was a little bit difficult to tie the knots, but overall I had a good time.” An hour of friends, music and rope-tying later, the Cadet Corps was able to provide life-saving equipment to those who keep us safe.
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Valentine's Day Card Making
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On February 10th, after some struggles, AFJROTC joined the NHS and finally threw the Valentines Day card making event. AFJROTC and NHS students all had a blast listening to music, drinking pop, socializing and making wonderful cards for the local elderly after school. Cadet Langer exclaimed, “I would do this again!” In total we made 128 cards for local nursing home residents, and had a lot of fun.
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High School Lunch Room Recruiting
During lunch, the cadets chosen were to walk around the cafeteria and tell classmates about AFJROTC. If classmates had questions about the program in which other cadets didn’t know, they would come to the AFJROTC table and have their questions answered by Cadets Lewis and Wood. Although the cadets walking around were nervous about talking to complete strangers, they really stepped out of their comfort zone and got a bunch of people to write their names on the interest forms. Many students expressed interest in joining AFJROTC next year.
Middle School Recruiting
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On February 3rd, 2022 Cadets Lewis, Bender and Plotkowski took valuable time out of their school day in order to tell their fellow classmates about the AFJROTC program. During this event they went over the basis of the program such as the leadership opportunities you can have, all the parties we do, the community service events we do with other school clubs, the community and ourselves and everything about the uniforms we wear every Wednesday-our game day. One of the main worries with our fellow classmates is, “If I join ROTC, will I have to join the military?”, the answer to that question was always “no”. We emphasized greatly that ROTC is not an obligation to join the military. For the past few years, everyone has been scared to do any extracurricular activities, but with everything lightening up on restrictions, we had a substantial number of people sign the interest forms we sent around the class and we hope to see them next year!
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GCHS Drill Scrimmage: Anchor Bay
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On January 22, 2022, MI-861’s Drill Team hosted a scrimmage with Anchor Bay in preparation for the upcoming Howell Drill Meet. Performing various armed and unarmed routines, both teams were able to locate their strengths, weaknesses, and places to improve. Cadets even taught each other new rifle spins, and danced to the Cotton Eye Joe after some well-earned pizza. C/J. Cornelius responded to the event, saying that “it was great, we should do more like this!” Overall, the MI-861 Drill Team is home to some of the best cadets we have to offer, and we’re always looking for new members! So whether you’re brand-new or have been doing drill for years, we hope to see you soon!
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Military Ball
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This school year’s Military Ball took place on January 14th, 2022. It was held at a new venue, Corsi Banquet Center located at 27910 W Seven Mile Rd, Livonia. The night started with the receiving line and a picture. Once everyone found their seats Lt. Col. Gilmour opened with a welcome. The Military presentations were done by Cadets Wood, Lewis, Dunn, Chapman, J. Cornelius, and Bender. Another shout out to Cadets Dougherty, Bender, and Langer for reading at the event. The dinner this year was a banquet style, and Cadet Berry said that they “preferred going up and getting the food.” A big thank you goes to K. Cornelius and Lewis for being the president and vice president of the ball. Coincidentally they both won King and Queen. The grog this year was something special, and some cadets preferred to dance the chicken dance or YMCA instead. Either way, all cadets had a blast at this year's Military Ball!
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Lock-in
On December 17th, the AFJROTC was proud to hold its first lock-in in two years, long awaited through lockdown. From 1800 at night to 0100 in the morning, cadets enjoyed sports, board games, pizza, and several other events! We started the night off by making senior citizen holiday cards, then moved to the commons for icebreaker activities. With a pair-guessing game, telephone and candy galore, these minigames helped set a positive mood for the rest of the night. Heading down to the gym shortly after, cadets were able to play basketball, dodgeball, frisbee and volleyball with their friends. There was even an inflatable football target, provided by our Air Force Recruiter.
Near the end of the night, cadets headed back to the gym for mock-election winners to be announced, with trophies from bookworm to the infamous “Colonel’s Worst Nightmare”. Pizza was given out, the seniors said their last words before being pied, and the day was finished with drill games and soccer. Overall, the Lock-In was a tremendous success, with C/Plotkowski remarking that, “My favorite part was seeing the seniors get pied”. Everyone was able to have a great time with their friends, and we look forward to doing the same next year!
Near the end of the night, cadets headed back to the gym for mock-election winners to be announced, with trophies from bookworm to the infamous “Colonel’s Worst Nightmare”. Pizza was given out, the seniors said their last words before being pied, and the day was finished with drill games and soccer. Overall, the Lock-In was a tremendous success, with C/Plotkowski remarking that, “My favorite part was seeing the seniors get pied”. Everyone was able to have a great time with their friends, and we look forward to doing the same next year!
Santaland Parade
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On November 27, 2021, MI-861 had the opportunity to attend the annual Garden City Santaland Parade! Representing the Corps behind the American Legion Riders. Our group of cadets were led by a Color Guard, an AFJROTC banner and cadets Trezil and LeFaive commanding the flight and calling cadences. Despite the cold, “it was a nice experience for new cadets” exclaimed c/Plotkowski. Another of our senior cadets, Cdt Berry, also said “It may be cold, but it was fun to march around and represent Garden City!”
After the parade, some cadets who volunteered also had the opportunity to serve as Santa’s elves, helping to make this holiday just a little more special for local children. |
KHAS Movie Night
On November 18, 2021, the MI-861 Kitty Hawk Air Society hosted a corps-wide movie night in the cafeteria. Drinks and snacks were provided for cadets to enjoy while watching the comical classic Major Payne with their friends. The movie highlighted a military veteran taking over a JROTC program and although his methods are unorthodox he turns young boys into a close knit unit of friends and family. “I really enjoyed hanging out with fellow cadets and watching the movie, I haven’t seen it in years!” remarked Cadet Donarumma. Thank you to our KHAS cadets for leading and organizing this event!
Cider Mills Field Trip
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“This was the most fun I've had in ages!”
The Cider Mill trip was a huge hit with the cadets. On the 21st of October at 14:20 hours, after some debate between Plymouth, Wairds, or Erwin's orchard, cadets were finally headed for Erwin’s in South Lyon. And through previous fundraisers, the Corps was able to offset the price to just five dollars per person! As soon as we arrived, we were off on a bumpy wagon tour ‘round the park, for which we mostly had to ourselves! Everyone had a blast dancing on the wagon, picking colorful leaves, and hanging out with the rest of the Corps. And when the tour was finished, it was time for the corn maze! Working together as a team, cadets tried their best to find all five hidden pictures, falling short by just a few. “Can we take another wagon ride?!” - A cadet on the Cider Mill field trip. At the end of the trip, we finished out our excursion by snacking on some freshly made doughnuts and ice cold apple cider, feeding some very friendly goats, and taking photos with the coordinators. Overall, we had a delightful time and hopefully, next year will be even better! |
Oath Ceremony
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Aligned in two neat formations stood our cadets, new and old in their respective columns, each and every one of them eager for the clock to hit go time. October 20, 2021, the first Oath Ceremony MI-861 has had in two years; this was the time for both Freshman and Sophomores alike to truly join the Corps. Months of preparation and years of longing have all led up to this moment, a moment to truly mark the comeback of the Garden City JROTC.
The clock hit 1800 hours, each column marched into the cafeteria. Each new cadet announced as they took their places in front of an excited crowd of parents and honored guests. The color guard, made up of 4 of our first year cadets, prepared and completed the presentation of the colors. With the presentation of our cadets, the chain of command, the flags and our core values complete, it was then time to take our oath: one to uphold the ideals of integrity, service, patriotism, and an undying strive for excellence. A wonderful way to kick off a new era for our Corps, our school, and our community. It was a very special evening and enjoyed by the cadets as well as their parents and guests. It is not only a nice way to welcome our new cadets into the corps, but also a great way for them to show off to their parents and guests in their dress blues. |
Field Day
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On September 24th, 2021 MI-861 AFJROTC held their annual field day. Although a little muddy, the cadets still had a blast. The entire day was dedicated to good natured rivalry and team bonding between the flights. Throughout the day, each flight participated in events ranging from kickball to tug o’ war. Cadets started the day off with an easy icebreaker, coming up with a movie plot and presenting it. After 15 minutes the winning plot was announced and Delta won by coming up with a quirky whodunit called “Buja in a maid outfit”. After the ice breakers cadets split up into teams to compete against each other in kickball, tug o’ war, soccer, and relay races. To help monitor the games we were lucky enough to have the local Army and Airforce recruiters as referees. During lunch Cadet Vanderpool exclaimed with glee, “It’s a little muddy but the sport games really helped with team building within the flight”. It soon became clear that Delta Depression would become Delta Domination after winning all but two events during the day, giving them the outright win for the 2021 field day. Before marching back to the school each flight participated in the warrior cry contest with Delta dominating as well. To sum up the day, Cadet Jacob Cornelius with much enthusiasm states, “The entire day was a ton of fun and I was able to get a day off, which was a plus.” Even with the setback of mud the day was a success.
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Goodbye Litter
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On September 23rd, Cadets gathered in the ROTC classroom where we were given garbage bags, gloves, and community service jackets. The event started right after school and the cadets split into two different groups and went around opposite ends of the school. One group went around the tennis court and then walked to the football practice field. The other group went to the softball field. We cleaned up all that we could and got soaked because of how wet the ground was. Cadets cleaned the school grounds and took a couple group pictures, some were even taken with a phone, while others were with the camera. Cadet Lorik would like to say that “The event went really well, we got the objective done, and had a fun time other than the rain situation”.
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Open House
On September 20th, Cadets helped at the HS Open House. At the Open House, parents met with teachers and looked around the school. Nine cadets worked together to make the event run smoothly by guiding parents through the school and opening doors. Cadets S. Trezil and Plotkowski were in the ROTC classroom, talking about the corps to parents. At the event, AFJROTC had a recruiting table which was manned by Cadet Cornelius. These efforts led to many potential future cadets. This was the first community service event of the 2021-2022 school year and it went quite well.
Ice Cream Social
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On September 16, 2021, cadets got to socialize with each other outside and enjoy ice cream. The event was called the Ice Cream Social that ran around 45 minutes. Cadets, staff, and even teachers were socializing outside around the AFJROTC room. Cadets got to make new friends in the corps, throw frisbees around, and kick around soccer balls. The was the first event to kick off the 2021-2022 school year.
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