THE SWORD - IT'S OURS!!

The President of the South Carolina Air Force Association called this morning to inform us that our program has been named the "Outstanding AFJROTC Unit in the State of South Carolina" - and that we would be presented with the "Sword of Excellence" at the South Carolina Air Force Association convention at Charleston AFB on May 9th. The Commander of AFJROTC will be flying in from Alabama to present the Sword. WOW!

The Distinguished Unit Award is still sinking in, and now we are named the #1 program in South Carolina - over 41 other high schools with AFJROTC. Folks, get ready, Wade Hampton AFJROTC is in the news and on the way toward achieving greatness. Our cadets should be extremely proud of what they have accomplished. We are going to award the Superior Performance Ribbon to every cadet in the program. We are working arrangements for getting our contingent to Charleston AFB, and Mr. Radford has claimed the first seat.

The Sword of Excellence was created many years ago to recognize the top unit with an award that can be displayed in its school for an entire year. Everyone in AFJROTC knows what it means, and every South Carolina unit wants it. We greatly appreciate the awesome support we have received from our administration. They helped make this possible. Please congratulate all our cadets when you see them. This is BIG!

Cadets Support Miracle League

Our outstanding color guard recently performed at the opening ceremony for the Mauldin Miracle League baseball season. The Mauldin Miracle League was established to work with autistic children and provide them with an athletic outlet. The baseball season certainly accomplishes that goal as hundreds of high school students and adult volunteers become "buddies" to the children. We were proud to be part of this special day, and our cadets look forward to more opportunities to work with the Mauldin Miracle League. Many thanks to cadets Amanda Harper, Andrew Hooper, Gregory Little, Kristina Bracewell, Kimberly Bracewell, Rebecca Francis, and Thomas Smith for making this a special day.

Award Winners

Cadets Andrew Hooper and Kimberly Bracewell have been awarded the AFJROTC Achievement Ribbon for their outstanding construction of authentic Air Force aircraft models. Andrew's TR-1 and Kimberly's SR-71 are prominently displayed in the ROTC classroom. Nice work!

Florida Information

We are three days away, and plans are coming together for a great trip. Cadets are reminded that the Wade Hampton and AFJROTC conduct rules will be followed. Blue Ridge cadets will do the same. Here are some other reminders:

1. Even though the temperatures look warm, the wind off the water can make it chilly at night. Might want to bring a sweatshirt, sweater, or light jacket.

2. Bring a beach towel - the hotel does not like you using room towels for beach towels

3. You will need money for at least 8 meals plus anything you want for souvenirs, snacks, etc. You may bring snacks on the bus. There will be a small refrigerator and microwave in your room.

4. Hotel has workout room and large outdoor pool

5. A complimentary breakfast with hot items is provided each morning. It includes waffles, biscuits and gravy, and French toast.

6. You are responsible for your valuables at all times. Please keep them with you or ask an instructor to safeguard them if necessary.

7. Depart Wade Hampton at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, 29 April - change into casual clothes after school.

8. Return to Wade Hampton at 8:00 pm on Sunday, 3 May

9. You will need a uniform for the base tour - short sleeve shirt, no medals

Hotel Info: Hampton Inn, Fort Walton Beach
1112 Santa Rosa Boulevard,
Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32548
(850) 301-0906

Weather Forecast for our trip:

Thursday Partly cloudy hi 79 lo 65

Friday Partly cloudy hi 78 lo 64

Saturday Scattered showers hi 78 lo 63

DISTINGUISHED UNIT AWARD - OURS!!

South Carolina 954 has achieved the highest distinction in the Air Force Junior ROTC program. We have been named a "Distinguished Unit" for 2008/9. The announcement came yesterday, 24 April 2009, from Colonel Richard Ragaller, Commander of AFJROTC. The Air Force reserves this award for units who

"have performed above and beyond normal expectations, and that have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their school and community while meeting the Air Force Junior ROTC mission of producing better citizens for America. "

Congratulations to our cadets who have worked so hard to help achieve this recognition. They will be authorized to wear the Distinguished Unit Ribbon shown above to symbolize their excellence.

Summer Training Changes

Due to our massive responsibility to host two summer leadership schools for the Air Force, SC-954 will not be conducting a SOARS or drill team camp at Wade Hampton this summer.

Annual Awards Ceremony

Our awards ceremony is set for Monday, May 18th at 7:00 pm in the Wade Hampton auditorium. Cadets who are receiving awards will be notified in advance. They must be in their seats in service dress (with medals) NLT 6:30. We will be presenting over 30 awards, but the ceremony should be over in one hour. A reception will follow. This is a business casual event for guests, and we would really like to ask that small children do not attend if possible. We will have several distinguished visitors, and, while we want it to be a very happy occasion, there will be a dignified atmosphere at the ceremony. Parents are encouraged to take pictures during the awards presentation.

Florida Trip Update

Evidently, the details on the Florida trip are not getting to parents via cadets, so here is a trip update:

We will depart after school on Wednesday, 29 April as soon as bus gets here from Blue Ridge HS. Cadets must bring their luggage in Wednesday morning and store it in the ROTC uniform room. Only instructors and cadets are authorized in this room. We will drive straight to the Hampton Inn in Fort Walton Beach, Florida (850) 243-7700. Chaperones include Colonel Pittman, MSgt Clere, Mr. and Mrs. Little, Lt Col Rogers, MSgt Fuller and two Mothers from Blue Ridge HS.

Our itinerary includes a tour of Air Force Special Operations at Hurlburt Field and a visit to an Air Force museum at Eglin AFB. Breakfast is included in the cost, and cadets should have enough money for souvenirs (optional), snacks, and 8-10 fast-food meals. Cadets should bring/know the following:

• Permission slips - turned in NLT 24 April
• Short-sleeve uniform (no medals)
• Sunscreen and beach towel
• School clothes for dining out
• Bathing suits (must be conservative in appearance)
• Casual clothes (tees and shorts must meet WHHS dress code)
• Meal/spending money
• Valuables are the responsibility of cadets. Instructors will keep, if asked, items that cadets do not want to leave in the room.
• WHHS conduct code and ROTC rules apply
• Ipods and MP3 players are authorized but must include headphones
• Cameras are not allowed on the flightline at Hurlburt. Colonel Pittman will be authorized to take pictures for the group
• Challenge coins from Special Operations are available for $6. Must pay MSgt Clere with cash NLT 26 April.

We plan to return around 8:00 PM on Sunday, 3 May. If that time fluctuates, cadets will call you in advance.

ROTC Annual Awards Ceremony

The ceremony WILL NOT be Wednesday, 22 April, as inadvertently announced this morning. We are working with the administration for a mid-May date. We will sure announce it as soon as the date is set.

Principal Recieves First WHHS Blanket

At the end-of-the-year pep rally, ROTC cadets Daniel Lee, Chante Moss, and Chris Savage presented Mr. Radford with the first official Wade Hampton High School blanket. The 48x68 inch, three-layer, three-pound afghan was designed as not only an ROTC fundraiser but also to promote spirit and pride in the faculty and student body. The pep rally was a most appropriate place to show it off. The afghan is on sale from ROTC for $40. The company that produces them sells similar custom afghans for much more. So those looking for graduation gifts might check with us before they are gone.

Inspection Results Are In

The Air Force has published the results of our recent evaluation conducted by the Area 3 Administrator, Colonel Wade Williford. We received an overall "Exceeds Standards" rating which places our program in a small, select group. The following are some specific comments made by Colonel Williford in his report:

FACILITIES: The unit enjoys superb facilities. Since the previous inspection, the hallway has been decorated in a highly visible and professional manner. Displays, photographs, and large blue AFJROTC letters lead one to the area. The classroom is also newly decorated with AF wall murals and aircraft models.

CURRICULUM: The senior instructor and Principal are working closely together to develop new AFJROTC blended curriculum in accordance with Air Force Headquarters guidance. The curriculum will offer more courses and academically strengthen existing courses. Honors courses are being proposed for academically advanced cadets. The senior instructor implemented a new war-gaming exercise that teaches national policy and organization realistically to his global studies cadets. He coordinated the exercise with Headquarters Curriculum Division and received praise from them for his innovative approach.

CITIZENSHIP: Cadets engage in an exceptional level of school and community support. Among their many service projects are: a very active Adopt-a-Soldier program to send care packages to troops in Afghanistan, a “buddy" program for the Miracle League for autistic children, support for Camp Spearhead for disabled children, Adopt-a-Highway, Salvation Army food drives, community and school color guards "anytime, anywhere". Cadets are well on their way to surpassing last year's community service total of over 3000 hours.

CADET PERFORMANCE: I observed zero grooming or uniform violations. Cadet uniform wear was among the best I have observed this year. Cadets carry themselves with pride. They are uniformly courteous and friendly to each other, their instructors, and their guests. Cadets have completely revised their chain of command and implemented new functions to incorporate the concepts of standardization and evaluation at all levels of the corps.

Mission Complete at Dobbins!

After leaving our C-130 at Dobbins Air National Guard Base in Marietta, Georgia we boarded our chartered bus and headed to the Mall of Georgia for a very late lunch and some fun. The carousel was a hit as were the Cinnabuns, Asian food, and cookies. We made some friends with Pendleton High School AFJROTC and settled in for a movie and a relaxing ride back to Greenville. This trip will be talked about for a long time.

Seeing Atlanta From 5,000 Feet

Once we were airborne and the seatbelts were off, cadets were allowed to look out the windows and go into the cockpit to see what the pilots do on a training flight. Amanda Harper sat in the cockpit for takeoff, so she had some stories to tell. Josh Whitaker sat there for landing, and he saw what it takes to bring a 300,000 pound aircraft down safely. The flight got a little bumpy, but our cadets handled it well. Thirty-one cadets returned to Wade Hampton with a much better appreciation of Air Force operations.

Boarding the C-130

Preparation for flight involved putting on flight goggles, walking behind an aircraft with three running engines, and quickly strapping into webbed seats that were not made for comfort. The heat, noise, and prop blast reminded us that flying for the Air Force is not an easy business. But we were met by a Loadmaster and Flight Engineer who made us all feel at ease. Still there was a sense of anxiety for those who had never flown.

Waiting To Fly

When we arrived at Dobbins Air National Guard Base on 15 April, a variety of Air Force personnel were on-hand to greet us and show us how they support national defense. When we finally left to get on our C-130 we felt a great sense of pride in the men and women of the Air National Guard who do so much for us every day. They are true professionals!

Converse CLS Date Change

The dates for the first Converse leadership school have been changed from 13-20 June to 6-13 June. Only Cadre are required to arrive on the 6th, however, schools may also bring Basics. The first meal will be lunch on Saturday. For those Cadre cadets taking the SAT on the 6th, you have my permission to arrive later than the 1400 normal start time for training on Saturday the 6th. You will need to get your own lunch. Your instructor or parents may drop you off at the Ops Center in Williams Hall. We simply need to know what time to expect you and plug you into training. The other option is for WHHS cadets affected to attend the 11-18 July camp. MSgt Clere and I will be at both.