The Monday following a week-long school break may not be the first thing students look forward to, but five seniors in Fort Hamilton High School’s Tiger Battalion Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) were ready early in the morning to speak with me about what it’s been like to be in the program. All five have been part of JROTC for the last four years under the command of Army JROTC Instructors Sergeant First Class/Ret. David Freeland and Ret. Major Sang B. Lee.
Ayatallah Eissawy ’20, Battalion command sergeant major
Toughest thing to do/overcome
My first national competition was pretty scary because I put so much work into the Drill team from the beginning of the year. We didn’t place, but it taught me to keep going, instead of losing motivation and not wanting to do it anymore.
Proudest moment
When my Exhibition team got second place at Masters Level last year because that team was not where it was supposed to be [the year before]. When I became commander of the team, I brought up the team’s standards and made certain rules and regulations. All my hard work as a commander – pushing my team through countless hours of practice and constantly correcting things – paid off.
Post-high school plans
I’m planning to go to college and pursue a career in law enforcement.
Theodore Ridenour ’20, Raider commander
What the program has taught me
One thing that I learned in this program is a sense of realism. Something you’re told as a kid is that life isn’t fair and sometimes things don’t work out your way. Sometimes in the program things don’t go the way it should and you just suck it up and deal with it.
Post-high school plans
I’m going to turn active duty after I get my degree in criminal justice and economics at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. I’m going to think about doing ROTC because that would help me with my military career. If I do that, I only get one chance at Special Forces, which is what I really want to do.
Monica Melendez ’20, former Color Guard commander and former unarmed exhibition commander
A little bit about me
I started with Color Guard, then moved on to Unarmed Exhibition and was on the Academic team for a while too. But I’ve been on the Raider team since my freshman year, and it definitely influenced my decision in joining the National Guard. We have Drill meets for National Guard, and there are certain things that you have to remember when you’re trying to become a soldier. JROTC definitely helped me in making the whole process easier.
What the program has taught me
SFC Freeland’s class taught us how to manage our time and how to better delegate [tasks] to certain people so that goals get accomplished. But with MAJ Lee’s class, we learned how those things in SFC Freeland’s class apply in the real world and with current events.
Toughest thing to do/overcome
It’s hard to go to a competition, knowing you put so much effort in, and then not being able to bring home a trophy that you truly thought you earned. After those competitions we come back and assess what we could have done better. That really shows how resilient our program is – we always know how to come back after we take a loss.
Angel Cox ’20, Company commander/Raider team captain (A-Team – all males)
Toughest thing to do/overcome
My first Raider competition. Physically, it definitely wasn’t the hardest thing I’ve had to do (tryouts were harder), but the whole mental aspect of the competition affected me – [feeling] scared that I might not do this or that right or fumble when making rope bridge knots. But from it, I was able to deal with pressure a lot better. I started to carry the mentality with me that if something isn’t good enough in life, I’m going to keep getting better until I can’t get any better.
Proudest moment
Becoming the Raider’s A-Team commander. It was huge for me because I worked really hard throughout all my years, plus the fact that I got it with my best friend [Ridenour]. We tried out together, went to competitions together, were on the same team, and actually brought our B-team to first place to the Masters Level division. The fact that we ended up taking over the team together meant the world to me, knowing that both of us were able to make the team to our image and maintain it at that [high] level.
Post-high school plans
I enlisted in the Army, active duty, as a combat engineer. I also hope to take advantage of tuition assistance and go to Universal Technical Institute, studying auto mechanics.
Marileana Rodriguez ’20, Battalion executive officer
A little bit about me
I decided to join because my parents were both in the program. In my first year here I decided to join the Academic Team, which really made me feel at home because I felt other teams didn’t suit my personality. After I joined, I became Academic Team Assistant. But I was also presented with other opportunities to join staff, which is actually what I’m in charge of behind the scenes. We help organize different kinds of activities, community service, and even our upcoming Military Ball.
Proudest moment
One really big moment was writing scripts last year, especially for the Military Ball. I spoke in front of everyone and presented my hard work. To have MAJ Lee tap me on my shoulder and say that was a good job when I was done… I’m pretty sure I cried that day. That script took months of planning and working and I poured my heart into it.
Post-high school plans
I’m going to a college in Miami. I don’t plan on going into the ROTC, but I feel like it’s going to be a new start because I don’t know anything other than JROTC. Being out there and doing something different, it’s going to be a challenge, but I know I’ll be able to overcome it. At the end of the day, if I don’t feel like college is my thing or I just want to do something else with my life, then I definitely want to join the military. I just feel like it’s a second option.
Top photo by DeGregorio
