Typically, the public sees Rome High’s Air Force JROTC cadets leading local parades and presenting the colors at football games and other events within the community and surrounding area. On a blustery day in mid-November, the cadets showed those skills and many more as evaluators from the headquarters of the Air Force Reserve Training Officer Training Corps visited the high school to inspect the unit.
Rome High School’s West gymnasium was filled with the staccato reports of cadets marching, performing drill sequences, and color guard demonstrations. The unit, dressed out in its finest, was being inspected to see how well it met the criteria set by the Air Force.
After a day full of drills, interviews, inspections, and checking everything from uniform storage, and instruction standards to how well the cadets marched, Rome High’s Air Force JROTC earned an overall Exceeds Standards rating, the highest rating attainable.
“We are so proud of the cadets. They elevated today. They’re teenagers so sometimes you get 50 percent until you need it,” Colonel Seaborn Whatley said during a brief break during the inspection. “Hopefully you get 110 percent when you need it, and they definitely brought 110 percent today.”
That day, inspectors met with school staff and counselors, toured the facilities, sat in on classes, and ran inspections of all the cadets, including some times when inspectors were alone with cadets interviewing them about the program.
“The headquarters of the Air Force JROTC comes down and validates our self-assessment to make sure it is accurate and valid,” Whatley said. “They have a checklist they run to make sure we are hitting all the key points that they require to continue to support the program.”
The cadets were a bit nervous during drill and inspection but shook off the nerves and quickly showed poise under pressure, performing their duties without a hitch.
The inspector noted a few key items in his report, stating that there were zero discrepancies out of 31 assessment line items and said Rome High’s cadets were, “very impressive and displayed exemplary pride in their unit.”
He also praised Colonel Seaborn Whatley and Master Sergeant Keith Thrash saying they are, “clearly invested in the leadership and development of the cadet corps, along with providing unsurpassed levels of direction.”