Two new banners celebrating state championships will soon hang from the wall of the MacArthur High School gymnasium.
The MHS JROTC program unveiled the banners celebrating its accomplishments during a ceremony on May 6. Earlier this year, the battalion was named the Army JROTC Drill and Color Guard Teams State Champions for the fourth straight year. The battalion also was named Overall Armed Forces Drill and Color Guard Teams State Champions, a title it has claimed two out of the last three years.
Retired MAJ Craig Redfearn, senior JROTC instructor, called the unveiling of the banners Tuesday an historical moment. He said rarely, if ever, has an Oklahoma JROTC battalion won four consecutive state championships.
“It’s a tremendous honor to teach and coach these cadets,” Redfearn said after the ceremony. “I believe, in my heart, it is by the grace of God. Cadets come and cadets go and you have new team members who learn the routines and all they need to know. They are a determined and dedicated group of cadets.”
The brief ceremony was highlighted by a performance by cadet CPT Nicholas Godfrey, who claimed the title of No. 1 Armed Exhibition Drill Soloist in Oklahoma. Godfrey exhibited his proficiency with the 9.5-pound rifle as he spun it around in his hands and flung it toward the ceiling, catching it on its way down.
Then he did it with one hand over his eyes. Then he did it with two rifles at once.
Redfearn said the goal of JROTC is not necessarily to prepare students for a career in the military, but to motivate them to be better citizens. Much of what they learn in JROTC is life skills, he said, such as how to interview for a job, proper etiquette and financial literacy. Cadets also develop leadership skills, which will help them in their chosen careers.
“They never know what they can achieve,” Redfearn said. “They never imagined they would win four state championships in a row.”