Mauldin High School’s Navy Junior Reserve Officer Corps has finished the 2018-2019 school year having earned the Commander, Naval Service Training Command’s designation as a Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors. The distinguished unit award is given to the top 30% of all active NJROTC units while the designation of “with academic honors” is in recognition to the academic excellence of the unit’s corps of cadets.
Gabe Wentworth, Charlotte Welsh
Trinaty Noble, Alex Imm
Earning the Distinguished Unit designation is the culmination of many hours of dedicated service by the unit’s competition teams and its 157 member student body.
This year the Maverick Navy enjoyed an outstanding competition year. The air rifle team travelled throughout North and South Carolina as well as Tennessee and Alabama for various competitions. Air rifle matches are conducted just as those in the Olympics. The four member varsity squad finished the year as Upstate Regional Champions, Area Six Champions (#1 in all of North/South Carolina); and as the #20 Navy air rifle team in the nation.
The military drill team competed in several different events such as armed platoon, unarmed squad and color guard just to name a few. The 36 person unit finished first in three of the eight competitions they entered and those events they did not win they came away with many #1 finishes in those events. The year ended with them finishing as the 6th ranked team in Area Six.
Other significant accomplishments include being academically ranked within the top 25% of the 583 nationwide units, competed in the Area Six orienteering championships as well as they Area Six brain brawl academic competition. The unit corps of cadets combined for over 1,800 community service hours.
This is the unit’s second designation as a Distinguished Unit, the last was the 2013 school year. This year’s unit was led by Commanding Officer Cadet/Commander Erin Griffin, Executive Officer Cadet Lieutenant Commander Josh Wilson, Supply Officer Cadet Lieutenant Isiah Kratzer, Operations Officer Cadet Lieutenant Alex Imm, Administrative Officer Cadet Lieutenant Colin Stewart and the Command Master Chief, Cadet Master Chief Charlotte Welsh.
Commander Denny Shelton, USN (Ret) – Mauldin High School Navy JROTC
