Believe, Lead, Succeed

C/PO1 Storie, E. 
Phoenix Company Public Affairs Office
 

     Tai- Sep. 5, 2017- The Labor Day weekend for some is a time of relaxation and sleeping in. For cadets from Father Dueñas Memorial School’s NJROTC Phoenix Company, it was anything but that. Over the course of two and a half days, Phoenix Company’s newest recruits, primarily Freshmen from the Class of 2021, received instruction in basic military skills such as marching, marksmanship, leadership, and team-building with the intention of kickstarting their NJROTC careers.

New cadets were welcomed on Friday afternoon by the Cadre and Staff amidst an intense and fast paced period of briefings and orientation to the program. Cadets received instruction on basic hygiene and hydration habits from Naval Hospital Guam staff as well as some encouraging words from one of their Camp’s coordinators, Cadet Petty Officer Devon Garrido, Phoenix Company Command Master Chief. “Believe, Lead, Succeed” quickly became the prime theme of the weekend as cadets were pushed to the edge of their comfort zone even on the first day. Precision Drill practice was the primary undertaking on Friday followed by some team-building exercises in which cadets learned the role of communication within a group. Cadets were awoken bright and early on Saturday morning for an intense session of Physical Training. Cadets completed a long-distance run, in addition to sit-ups, push-ups, and other exercises. This was soon followed by breakfast and a class on Leadership accompanied by Air Rifle training, which included an introduction to weapons safety and initial instruction in shooting. In the afternoon, cadets were granted a period of instruction on the Cadet Field Manual as well as engaging in further team-building exercises, including trust-falls. That evening, cadets from both platoons were able to enjoy a meal together with the Cadre as a company and a brief relaxation period during "movie time".

On Sunday, the final day of training, cadets were awoken bright and early once again. This time, however, instead of training, they attended an early morning mass presided over by Father Kenneth Carriveau. This was soon followed by breakfast, before a treasured Phoenix Company tradition, BLT Field Day, began. On Field Day, cadets were given the opportunity to put their teamwork skills to the test in a series of inter-platoon competitions, including tug-of-war and ultimate frisbee among others. After field day, Cadets began their final set of training evolutions, starting with the Crucible. The Crucible is a set of 11 stations, designed to test and engage cadets on all of the knowledge gained over the course of the BLT. At the end of the Crucible, the cadets began a series of uniform inspections and drill competitions, determining the winner of the coveted Honor Platoon Award. Basic Leadership Training 2017 ended on a high note when it was revealed by Cadet Commander Delos Reyes, that, for the first time in BLT history, there was a tie in the competition for Honor Platoon. Thusly resulting in the awarding of the prize to both platoons.