Senior year was coming to a close. It had been a great year. I had a lot of fun, and enjoyed what time I had left, but I knew that after that things would be different. I probably wouldn’t see a lot of people again or for a long time. No longer could I just live care free as a “kid,” but now with the stress that come with being an adult. Even though this change was going to happen, it doesn’t mean that I can’t remember the good times, especially my time in JROTC, or the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (Military course). We had shared such a tight bond with each other, that I don’t think I’ll ever experience again. I remember the brightest point was when we all collaboratively worked on a “play” or “act” that embodied leadership and camaraderie, both important values of the program.

Throughout the year, we had all been assigned to watch movies during class, and then engage in discussions afterwards about it. I remember having good discussions about leadership, stress, trauma, and decision making (all of the movies centered around war) Since this was year 4 of ROTC, everybody in the class had been through every year together. We all knew each other very well, and knew we could be comfortable around each other. There was hardly a day that went by where we didn’t have fun. A lot of people don’t know about the program, so they don’t understand what really goes on in ROTC, or what we do, or how we express what we do know. There’s different vocabulary, standards, and dress codes. Bathrooms would be known as the head, walls known as bulkheads, and attention the most important drill order. After four years, everyone in the class knew, and so the things that were suppose to be “strict” became routine. This is what made everyone so comfortable in this setting.

Now, as our final assignment before graduating and setting off for each of our own lives, we had to construct a play that embodied leadership and camaraderie. After that, we would recite our lines and act it out. Essentially, we had to prove what made those qualities unique, important, and special, while also conforming to a military setting. This was our test to prove what we had learned. Every class we had joined together to form a script that would satisfy the assignment. I remember a lot of foot shuffling as everyone was eager to get to class to work on our play.

I had suggested that we base our “play” on one of the movies we had watched during class. The movie in question (whose name escapes me now) was about a ship captain in the 17-18th century. Now I must mention that they were not pirates, but an English Navy crew. The captain was the perfect example of a leader. He knew how to interact with everyone, while also maintaining a strict standard that everyone needed to follow. I had persuaded my classmates, and soon enough we had finished what we thought was a great idea. We began immediately after, organizing everything that needed to be done.

First, roles had to be assigned. I remember getting a role that maybe had one or two lines, but only about one or two roles had more lines anyways. Everyday we had practiced as much as we could. Some days we’d be perfect, other days, we’d need to work on a lot. At the end of the day that didn’t matter, as long as we took charge of what we needed to do we knew we would get it done. What was most important was that everyone know every part, at every time. This way no one had to look at a sheet to see when their lines were coming up. I have a lot of respect for actors, especially after this assignment. It certainly isn’t easy for the people who have multiple lines that go on for minutes. We had to both encourage and help each other if we wanted to nail the assignment perfectly. Displaying the qualities of a leader is all about bringing others up with you, and a squad is only as strong as the weakest cadet. After a month of practice, we knew we were ready.

Usually when I present something in school, I get nervous. However, that day was different. We were so comfortable with what we were doing I think no one even payed it any mind. If anything, we had fun with the whole thing. Luckily it was rather early in the day, so we didn’t have to worry about thinking about it too much. The sad thing is I hardly remember presenting it at all. It seemed to go by fast. I suppose that was the result of practicing it a lot. One trick in particular we used to help remember when exactly we had our lines was to perform certain drill actions in line with the setting. Everyone had one unique to themselves. It was smooth enough that no one could have figured what they were for. We were firing off lines and actions one after the other, perfectly stringed together. With the final ‘Present and Order’ (salute) we concluded our performance. Our Commander gave some nice commentary on our play and that he was glad that we had done this assignment. I knew that it was important that we perform as well as possible. We had all been proud of ourselves that we accomplished what we did. It wasn’t “easy” necessarily, but was made easier by the fact that we were comfortable with the standards of ROTC as a whole, and knew that we had perfectly demonstrated what it meant to be in the program.

In every aspect, I knew we had done a great job. At that point, I felt more connected to ROTC than I ever did before. The first 3 years, it felt like a class that I participated in just because it was in high school. The fourth year? I felt like it was a part of my life in a way. I went everyday, we talked about anything we wanted, and we had fun while doing it. I felt like I myself had been in the group for years, and that everything was routine. Nothing difficult or hard as people might want you to believe, but if you put in the work, then you will get something out of it. That’s what I got, a community where I felt like a privileged member, glad to be apart of something bigger than myself. In a way, I was a part of it all along. The drills I performed, the knowledge I held, and even the way I talked, reflected that of someone who knew everything about ROTC. Even during the play we acted out, I proved that I knew how to act not only in scene, but in the group as well.