After the school year ended, two of the 30 Mission Bay High School Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Cadets and their Senior Maritime Science Instructor (SMSI) hopped on a plane and departed for a one-week Junior Leadership Academy (JLA) held at Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City, N.C.
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Junior Grade Madison Walker, of Pacific Beach, and Senior Enlisted Petty Officer Third Class Angelo Lewis of Clairemont, both juniors, represented MBHS along with 20 program staff made up of instructors, advisors, support staff, and chaperones. Eighty-eight cadets from eight of the 10 Coast Guard JROTC programs across the country were in attendance.
Besides MBHS, the only Coast Guard program west of the Mississippi, cadets came from programs in Alabama, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Delaware. The Coast Guard JLA’s cadet-led, instructor-coached model had 25 upperclassmen in leadership Cadre roles and 63 “basic” cadets organized into five platoons.
Not knowing exactly what they were getting themselves into with the leadership and “boot camp” style whirlwind program, Cadets Walker and Lewis excelled during the demanding 5 a.m. wake-up and exercise till 10 p.m. lights out one-week program. Each day was filled with daily physical training, military drills, uniform and room inspections, teamwork, and leadership labs.
The week culminated with a special North Carolina Outer Banks C-130 plane flight and Coast Guard Station Elizbeth City small boat station Pasquotank River and Intracoastal Waterway patrol, as well as an interactive visit to the historic U.S. Life Saving Station Chicamacomico on the Outer Banks and a fun High Ropes-Teamwork event at “First Flight Adventure Park” in Cape Hatteras.
Reflecting on the week and graduation, MBHS SMSI and retired Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) John Bannon, who attended and served as a Senior Leader and Platoon Advisor, said: “I am so impressed by our cadets’ willingness to accept the challenges presented by JLA and the level of self-discipline that they demonstrated each day. They were given tough challenges and real-time constraints to learn to work together as a team, no different than real Coasties!”
This is the first time MBHS participated in the JLA program, and an accomplishment in readiness as MBHS just graduated 30 cadets to Year Two Maritime Science Cadets after their first year in a JROTC program at Mission Bay.
“The skills accelerated in an opportunity like this pays huge dividends as our cadets return to school ready in the fall with more confidence as leaders and rescue warriors,” Bannon said. “It was an honor to be their instructor and advisor during the week. It was a special and rewarding week. Few, even active duty or reserve Coasties ever get to fly in a Coast Guard C-130 plane or reenact a historic 1870 Outer Banks sinking ship lifesaving rescue.”
Next year, MBHS Coast Guard JROTC program hopes to attend with six cadets to experience an outstanding leadership camp professionally led by the Coast Guard. The JROTC program is also excited to double its numbers for the new year and start with a Company of 65 cadets.
