What is Rifle Team?
By C/CPL Brandi Fox
 

   Everyone in the JROTC program has probably heard of the Rifle Team, but few really know what it is or what they do. Simply put, Rifle Team is a team in which the master the art of shooting. Using a target to measure their accuracy, they practice and compete in competitions.
   There are three positions for shooting. The first is the prone position where you lay flat on your stomach. The second is kneeling where you have one knee on the ground and one foot flat. The third and final position is standing.
   Currently, the Rifle Team consists of 17 members, 5 of which are qualified to shoot for competitions.
   The matches consist of 30 shots, ten in each position. You can score a maximum of ten points per shot, 300 per match. 
The qualified shooters on the Renaissance JROTC Rifle team are C/MAJ Nirav Patel, C/CPT Gian-Carlo Loving, C/CSM Ian Parker, C/SGT Marc Perry, and C/SGT Osborne Purifoy. Nirav Patel is the team’s captain and Gian-Carlo Loving is the team’s co-captain. 
   Recently, Osborne Purifoy broke the prone position record by shooting a 93, breaking Nirav’s previous record of a 92. 
   “Rifle Team doesn’t only teach shooting, it also teaches discipline,” Ian Parker says. We wish the Rifle Team continued success.

   Over the summer, I was told that the students are encouraged to take part in extra curricular activities. I thought for a long time about what sports I could play and/or what clubs I would join at Renaissance.
   When I was given a list of electives, I decided to make JROTC my first choice. 
   At first, I thought that the class would be mostly about physical training and team competitions. I also thought that the instructor would make us stand up straight (at attention) for hours because of what I heard upper classmen talk about.
   On the first day of class, I walked into the classroom and was welcomed with a big, warm smile by SSG Davis. That day, he went over the basic procedure of the class and told us our LET levels and what it meant.
   After a week in class, I felt very comfortable with my surroundings, the hilarious jokes, and charming manner of SSG Davis. During that week, I was told that I had to get my schedule changed and that I would have to drop JROTC. I looked at my options and instead of dropping JROTC; I dropped my computer class and was transferred to a class full of LET 1s.
   By the second and third week, many opportunities had opened up to me such as drill team and color guard. I joined drill team for about two months and I was confronted with a very difficult task, mastering the rifle.
   I would like to stay in JROTC for my four years at Renaissance and rise to the top like C/COL James Ray, C/MAJ Anthony Woodward, and C/CPT Billy Watkins.
 

   On Tuesday, December 7Th, the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing, the Renaissance High School Drill team stepped out onto the floor at Light guard Armory to reclaim their number one spot.
   The platoon, led by C/Colonel James Ray, performed first. The twenty-one cadets went onto the floor with confidence, pride and the will to win. They executed the commands with ease and were perfectly synchronized with each other. I have to admit there were some mistakes made, but otherwise we had what it takes to come out on top.
   There isn’t really anything different between a platoon and a squad except there are only ten people in squad and different officers lead the cadets. C/Major Anthony Woodward led our squad. But, our squad was pretty much like the platoon; especially how exceptionally we performed at the competition. 
   Last, but not least, the smallest group to perform at this competition was our color guard. Despite a few, rather funny complications, they did an excellent job. C/Sergeant First Class Lester Pernell commanded them. I asked him how did it feel to do so. His response was “It was actually a very mental yet physical challenge which enabled the color guard as a whole to strive for excellence.” I agree with him completely and would like to say what an excellent job he did.
   Actually I would like to say it to all of the cadets on drill team and color guard how well they performed and represented our school. I would also like to give special congratulations to LaKeisha Jackson, the only LET 1 on squad. I had a chance to ask her what it was like and her answer was “ It was an honor for me to be chosen, but there was a lot of pressure. It was easier than I thought once I got out there. I just concentrated on what I was doing and didn’t worry about the judges.” 
   Now our drill team has to prepare for March 1st when we have a drill competition in Mount Pleasant.
 

   Please note the following:

•   You must report to the ROTC room no later than 7:45am.
•   You must sign in with the NCOIC (1st Sergeant in absence of NCOIC).
•   Raise the flag not later than 7:55am.
•   If the flag is put up later than 7:55am, it is the cadets responsibility to get a pass from the cafeteria to class, not from SSG Davis or MAJ Clarahan.

•   Meet at designated flag in the afternoon no later than 3:35pm
•   Take down flag and promptly return to designated location. (Randolph’s in the Randolph office and Renaissance’s in the custodial office, to the right of the elevator.)
•   Sign out with their NCOIC.
•   The NCOIC is to report their sign in/out sheet to their 1st Sergeant the day after their last detail.

   It is to your benefit to make sure you sign in and sign out. Failure to do so will result in you receiving demerits because it will not be known that you attended flag detail. 

Merits/Demerits

•   Cadets-15 per demerits detail, 30 per day.
•   NCOIC-30 demerits per detail, 60 per day.
•   Unassigned detail-10 merits per detail.

   Cadets who perform and unassigned detail are not to “write themselves up.” Instead, they should report the fact that they did a detail to their 1st Sergeant who will give then give them their merits.
   Flag detail is mandatory, not optional, so this procedure will be followed. Repeated failure to comply with this policy will result in a reduction of rank and/or position.
 

C/1LT Deborah Walker
C/2LT Ian Kerman
C/CSM Ian Parker
C/1SG Shaundraya Pearson
 
 

Updated Chain of Command
 

CO-C/COL James Ray
XO-C/MAJ Anthony Woodward
S1-C/1LT Jennifer Griffee
S2-C/CPT Gian-Carlo Loving
S3-C/MAJ Nirav Patel
S4-C/CPT Tatyana Washington
S5-C/2LT Ian Kerman
CSM-C/CSM Ian Parker