UPDATED May 16, 2013

South Lakes Meet Result. Congrats to the Cadets who attended the South Lakes meet that was held on Saturday, May 11th.The students of Herndon NJROTC went to South Lakes and competed in several events; PFT, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, and tug of war. Herndon came out 2nd in volleyball and first in tug of war. Go Hornets! 5-14-13

Spring Awards. The Spring Awards Ceremony will be held this Friday, May 17th. There is a potluck dinner at 1730 - cadets with the last name of A-L should bring in a main dish and salad; cadets with the last name M-Z should bring a main dish and dessert. The ceremony will start at 1900 and will be done by 2000. 5-14-13

South Lakes Meet. There will be a field day meet against South Lakes JROTC on Saturday 11th. Practices are posted up on the whiteboard; there are different practices every day for each sport. Participation priority will be given to those cadets who attend the practices. People participating in PFT (push ups, sit up, running) need to get to South Lakes by 0830. The sporting events start at 1000, so cadets should plan to arrive at South Lakes by 0930. Transportation will not be provided to South Lakes by the unit. If cadets need a ride to the meet, contact Cadet Ratana. Go Hornets! 5-8-13

Car Wash. Congrats to the cadets who participated in the car wash on Sunday May 5th who raised 670 dollars for Relay for Life! There will be another car wash on the 19th to raise money for the unit. Please come, help out, and participate! 5-8-13

Ns-1 Drill Performance. Congrats to all of the first year cadets for their incredible performance on saturday 27th. While placing 4th overall, they brought home two trophies, 2nd place colorguard, and third place inspection. We would like to thank all of the cadets for coming out to the practices to train the first years, the cadets and parents who volunteered on the day of the meet, and the boosters. Tthank you all for your hard work, without everyones effort it all would not be possible! 4-30-13

NS-1 Practice & Meet. Tuesday April 23rd and Thursday the 25th NS-1 Practice will take place in the spaces at 1430. Note those will be the last two practices until the actual meet which will be on the following Saturday, April 27th. The volunteers that signed up, your positions have been posted up on the blackboard in the Blue and Gold room; please show up in the spaces at 6:30 to help set up. Any questions contact Cadet Sullivan. Good Luck Herndon! 4-22-13

Beat the Buzzer. Beat the Buzzer has been cancelled. If you signed up, your assistance is no longer required. We'll try again next year! 4-18-13

Spring PFT. Spring PFT's are this week - please be prepared each class with proper clothing. If you have any questions about the requirements for passing the PFT, see the Cadet Reference Manual. 4-18-13

A Big Honor. One of our outstanding first year cadets has been presented the Medal of Merit for Meritorious Action by the Boy Scouts of America. Late last year, this cadet put himself in harm's way to save others' lives as a small building near his home was subject to arson. While his father called the fire department, our cadet took matters into his own hands and kept the flames at bay with a garden hose. Congratulations Cadet, and job well done! 4-11-13

Change of Command. This Thursday, April 11th an informal change of command will take place outside of ROTC. A little change has been made; due to SOL testing, the change of command will not take place during class as usual but it will be held after school at 1430 since it is a late bus day. When the change of command ends, refreshments will be served in the spaces. Those interested are more than welcomed to come! 4-10-13

Rising Senior Interview. Cadet PO3 Bhandari: In what ways are you excited for next year in NJROTC? Everything! From the PT team to Drill, and becoming more active within the unit. Is there anything you're nervous about? Since it'll be my senior year, I know I have to take more responsibility and take charge of things. I don't know how it will play out. How do you think being senior staff will be different since you won't be meeting everyday next year? Communication, I know it can be a challenge to reach out to others, so that is my main concern. 4-10-13

NS-1 Practice. This Tuesday, April 3rd and Thursday the 4th, NS1 drill practice will be held in the spaces at 1430. The NS1 drill meet will take place on Saturday, April 27. Veterans of the drill team, if you wish to help out, please talk to Cadet Master Chief Sullivan. Those who want to volunteer for the actual drill meet: there is a sign up list in the Blue and Gold room on the blackboard, and on the whiteboard. 4-4-13

Spring Break. Next week is Spring Break! As everyone should be, we are all excited to get out of school for a bit and relax. Hopefully the nice spring weather makes a comeback, and we can enjoy the time off. Stay safe, do your homework, and have a great break! 3-19-13

Rising Senior Interview with c/CPO Solomon. In what ways are you excited about next year? He's excited to make a difference. This is his own way of running the unit; he doesn't want to copy someone else. He want's to do things his own way. Is there anything you're nervous about? He's nervous about the possibility of becoming CO. "It would really mess up my plans for leading the unit." How do you think being Senior Staff will be different since you won't be meeting everyday next year? "Oh, we won't? Haha." He says it's going to be different, but like this year he will come during lunches to get his stuff done. On a different note, he's a bit nostalgic. He's nervous about becoming a leader. 3-19-13

Orienteering Team. Orienteering Nationals was a two-day event that took place two weekends ago. They finished 8th overall, with Varsity and Junior Varsity placing in the Top Ten. The Varsity cadets placed Top 30 out of 120 runners, and JV placed Top 40 out of 120 runners. On the first day, they placed 11th overall, and on the second, they placed 5th overall. cadet Murphy recieved a medal for being the number 4 female in the nation on the JV course. Last year, they placed 11th out of 25 and this year they placed 8th out of 25. Definitely improvement! The team finished the year with a roster of 20 runners, and placing Top Ten, which was their goal. Congratulations everyone! 2-28-13

Reminder. Next week, Leadership Boards start. All those participating should have everything ready to go. If you have any last-minute questions, please talk to the senior staff as soon as possible. Good luck to everyone going to the board! 2-21-13

Orienteering Team. This Saturday and Sunday, February 16-17, is Orienteering Nationals. Our team has been hard at work preparing and the top 15 team members will be competing at the Varsity, Junior Varsity and Intermediate levels. They are hoping to place top Ten this year, and with all the blood, sweat and tears (literally) they've put in, this goal should be easily attainable. 2-14-13

Recruit Olympics.This Thursday, Herndon NJROTC will be holding a Recruit Olympics for the rising freshmen! The 8th graders from HMS will be transported to the spaces where they can interact with cadets and get a feel for what the curriculum is like. They will learn basic drill, play Jeopardy, shoot and more. We hope that the rising freshmen enjoy the time they'll spend with us. 2-14-13

Recruit Olympics. Herndon High School's NJROTC will have their first Recruit Olympics, held in the spaces. This gives students unfamiliar with NJROTC a chance to experience the activities that the cadets do in class and as extra-curriculars. These events include introduction to marksmanship, drill movements, Jeopardy, and much more. Rising upperclassmen will be welcomed on Thursday, 7 February and rising freshmen will come aboard on Thursday, 14 February. 2-4-13

Orienteering Team. We congratulate the Orienteering team for their fourth place overall finish at Area 5. While they hoped to place top three, their fourth place win secured an invitation to the NJROTC National competition. Cadets Young, Wilkins, Linton and Flores all won individual medals for their times on the course. On to Nationals! 12-18-12

Drill Team. The Drill Team went out to King George this past Saturday. They competed in armed and unarmed standard, inspection and color guard. It was a fun meet, and they know what they need to work on for the next one. Keep it up guys! 12-12-12

Orienteering Team. The Orienteering team was at Prince William Forest this past Sunday for a practice meet. Everyone completed their first course, and they are currently in good standing for Area 5. Commander Cassara showed up to get a feel for how Area 5 should be run this upcoming weekend, and he has some good ideas. No one got lost, and there was only one injury. Keep up the good work everyone! 12-12-12

Good Luck Orienteering Team! We wish luck to the Orienteering team as they compete in the Area Five championships this Saturday. Last year the team placed fourth overall with only nine competitors and this year, with over 20 runners, they hope to place in the Top Three. They have been hard at work preparing for the competition, so good luck everyone! Run fast and don't get lost! 12-12-12

Good Luck Orienteering Team! We wish luck to the Orienteering team this weekend. The members will be competing in the Prince William Forest. Have fun everyone! Don't get lost! 12-4-12

Good Luck Drill Team! We wish luck to the Drill team, which will be competing at King George High School this weekend. They will be competing in unarmed standard, armed standard, armed exibition, color guard and inspection. Good luck to them! 12-4-12

Congratulations to Rifle Team! This past Saturday's Calvert rifle meet was very successful. Herndon 1's team had a score of 1885, our best ever 3x20 on record. Cadet Jagers shot a 261 single and a 522 3x20, which is a record high for the unit. Cadet Maxwell shot a 245 single and a 489 3x20, the highest recorded score for a rookie. The scores of the meet being as high as they were, a bet was won by cadet Jagers against Commander Cassara. After the practice Monday, Commander had to break down and put away the range gear. Congratulations rifle team! 12-4-12

Good Luck Rifle Team! We wish luck to the Rifle Team, which is going to Calvert for a meet this Saturday. They usually do pretty well; they end up around the middle half. Have fun, shoot straight! 11/29/12

Parent's Night. On Friday, November 16th, NJROTC had their Parent's Night Award Ceremony, along with a Change of Command and a delicious potluck dinner. The event went along smoothly, which included a pass and review in the end of the ceremony. During the change of command, former cadet Commander Kathleen Ratana was relieved by Alastair Young, who is now the unit's new cadet Commander, while former cadet Executive Officer Kevin Hennessey was relieved by Lauren Truese, who is the new Executive Officer. Congratulations to the new set, and great thanks to the Booster parents for making the potluck happen! 11/29/12

AMI. On November 14th, Herndon had its annual Area Manager's Inspection. Months of preparation and practice in all departments led up to AMI, and we are proud to announce that we passed with a Satisfactory (the highest achievable rate). Thank you to all the parents that came out to watch, and another thank you to all the cadets involved in making this year's Inspection a success. 11/26/12

Senior Interview. Cadet Hirschhorn. Cadet Hirschhorn was asked why she was interested in the NJROTC program, and she responded with, "my mom did AFROTC (Air Force ROTC) her Freshman year in college and she told me that she had really enjoyed it - so I wanted to give it a try." Hirschhorn was then asked what she had learned in the class and if she had any advice to the lower cadets, and she said "Life is not a cake walk. You have to work to earn your stripes, and this class is no different. For advice; do work, be involved. Don't be afraid to ask questions about anything, either, we [Senior Staff] want you to reach your full potential, and we're willing to help you, you just have to ask." Cadet Hirschhorn hopes to attend Longwood University after graduating from high school to major in Political Science. 11/9/12

No Coat Left Behind. No Coat Left Behind has begun, and we need your help! Bring in jackets, sweaters, et cetera, to donate to the less fortunate. The drive ends on the 20th of November, so be sure to bring in contributions by then. We would like the items to be in good condition, as we will not donate ripped, torn, or heavily damaged items. 11/9/12

Senior Interview. Cadet Taylor. Taylor was asked about what had made him interested in joining the program, and he responded with, "I have a strong military background in my family, and I wanted to continue the line. I also really enjoyed how some of the older kids looked in their [officer's] uniform, and that made me want to get to that point." Cadet Taylor was then asked what he had learned through his years in the unit, and any advice he had to give the younger cadets, and he said, "NJROTC has taught me a lot about respect. The years I have been in the unit have really molded me into a more polite and civil person, and I have even recieved compliments from adults on how I had acted and how respectful I was. As for advice, a few kids have already asked me before, and I'll say the same I told them - don't act like a fool. There's no reason to back talk someone, and it won't help the situation any by doing it. Listen to what you're asked to do, and above all, be respectful." 11/2/12

Senior Interview. Cadet Martinez. When cadet Martinez was asked what had appealed to her about NJROTC, she responded with, " I enjoyed how sharp and presentable the kids looked in their uniform, and I respected that." Martinez was then asked about what she has learned in the NJROTC program and if she had any advice to give the younger cadets; she said, "I have learned discipline, respect, and time management. If I were to give any advice to the younger kids, I would tell them to get involved. Be active within the unit by participating in teams, activities, and the like to get the most out of the class." Finally, Martinez was asked what her plans were after high school, and she said, "I want to attend NOVA to study Psychology." 11/2/12

Orientation Trip. Next Friday, November 2nd, NJROTC will depart Herndon after school to head to Chicago and Ohio for our annual orientation trip. We will spend four days touring places such as museums, naval bases, and the NFL (National Football League) Hall of Fame. Every year, the unit goes to a historical location related to the military. This gives an opporunity to those who are interested in learning about history and having fun at the same time. As, stated before, the trip is not strictly business as we always have a fun activity in mind, such as bowling, movies, shopping, et cetera, but, we strongly make a point to be disciplined and proper in such locations. Have fun to everyone attending, and have a safe trip! 10/26/12

George Washington University Field Meet. On Saturday, October 20th, NJROTC hosted our own field meet, the George Washing University Field Meet. We had twelve schools attend and the meet operations went smoothly. Our own team placed 1st in Australian Trolley, 3rd in team curl ups, and 3rd overall. A special congratulations to Lana Truese and Surav Bhandari, for getting second place in female individual curl ups with a total of 172, and first place in male individual curl ups with a total of 302. A special thanks to the parents and booster club for taking time out of their schedule to assist with concessions. Another special thanks to the Midshipmen for coming out to judge! As some of you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and we would like to extend our gratitude to those who showed their support on Saturday by wearing pink. Great job to everyone and we look forward to the next meet! Martinez 10/26/12

Hornets Against Hunger. On October 2nd, Hornets Against Hunger (HAH for short) kicks off until October 19th. HAH is a canned food drive that is held in the school and surrounding neighborhoods, so that we may donate food to the less fortunate in our community. We here in NJROTC STRONGLY encourage participation in this event. So please, Cadets, bring in some canned food! 10/1/12

Herndon Homecoming Parade. On October 13th, the NJROTC unit will participate in the Homecoming Parade. This is a mandatory, graded event. Cadets will get credit for participating if they are marching / riding with another entry in the parade. Cadets who do not attend will receive an alternate assignment for the grade. We meet at the McDonald's on Elden Street near the beginning of the parade route at the intersection of Sterling and Elden. The unit will buy breakfast for all cadets (whether you are marching with us or with another entry) and we will go from there. The parade finishes about 10:15 at City Hall.

Where: McDonald's on Elden Street
When: Key Players arrive between 0800 and 0815
Everyone else arrive NO LATER THAN 0830!
Uniform: Navy Service Uniform (Khaki shirt + Black pants) BRING YOUR EISENHOWER JACKET!!

We will be forming up in the parking lot of McDonald's at 0930. We will be in place for the parade at 0945. Don't be late!!! 10/1/12

PT Team Has A Good Start At Huntingtown. On Saturday, September 22nd we participated in our first field meet of the season. We traveled to Huntingtown, MD to compete with twelve other schools. The meet consisted of push ups, curl ups, a 16x100 Relay, an 8x200 Relay, Australian Trolley, a Tug of War event, and an academic test. In academics, we placed 4th, in team curl ups, we placed 7th, in the trolley we placed 4th, the 16x100 Relay, we placed 10th, the 8x200 relay, we placed 7th, and finally in overall, we placed 4th. Nice job starting off the year, PT Team! Let's kick it into gear and show those schools what Herndon is made of! 9/23/12