JROTC (Junior Reserves Officers’ Training Corps) is a program geared towards high school students who want to have a military career. They compete in various competitions and prepare for leadership roles in the military. Here at Heritage, we do not have our own JROTC program; however, there are students who leave school everyday to go to either Ringgold High School or LFO to take part in JROTC. It is made up of seniors Mason Heinrich, Cole Householder, Evan Keim, and Jace Turner, juniors, Nick Cook and Jacob Grant, sophomores, Emalee Grant, August Henderson, Michael Hughs, Noah Terry, and Glenn Williamson, and freshman, Mason Grant. Members of JROTC take part in challenging activities that will help teach them valuable life lessons, such as climbing Stone Mountain in the rain or walking 15 miles—feeling hungry and sore. JROTC has different teams within the club, such as a color guard, a drill team, and others. Both Ringgold and LFO teams have done very well in their competitions this season, and they were both promoted from Division Two to Division One, which is the top division out of three. Bhodi Hendricks was second commander and came in second for regulation. JROTC came in first for Color Guard and mixed dual, fourth in inspection, and second overall. They also made it through Regionals and State, all the way to Nationals, with Turner placing second in the Army National’s Solo Exhibition. All in all, JROTC has had yet another successful year.
Heritage JROTC Members Win at National Competition
Caleb Peponis is 15-years-old and in his sophomore year at Heritage High School. When he is not busy with homework and clubs, he enjoys watching sitcoms like “The Office,” “Modern Family,” and “How I Met Your Mother.” He also reads whenever he has the time, enjoying books from a multitude of genres like mystery, thriller, dystopian, and fantasy. He enjoys listening to music, and he usually has headphones in or has a record playing in his room. Caleb also enjoys spending time with his pets: Bella, Loki, and Karma. He is the eldest of three children and spends a fair amount of time messing with his siblings. However, during the school year, he simply does not have the time for such trivial things. He usually has homework, however, he is a procrastinator and doesn't normally do his homework until the night before it's due. Alongside taking Journalism for the second time, he will also be taking Essentials of Healthcare, which is the second healthcare pathway class. He is also a Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) officer. Although Caleb is already ready for the next break, he is looking forward to this school year.
