On December 7th, all NJROTC Cadets were hard at work. A group of cadets had already arrived at 6:00 to help prepare, and the rest of the unit was whisked from their first, second, and third periods to participate in the Annual Military Inspection. 

Once a year, an NJROTC instructor from a different school visits to intensely inspect the entire unit on their military bearing, their uniform precision, and their general knowledge. In addition to the Personal Inspection that can last over an hour, Cadets also participate in a Pass in Review ceremony that includes a color guard, a drill presentation, and a unit evaluation. Once the inspection and the ceremony are complete, the units’ cadet leadership meet with the inspecting officer and discuss their goals for the year. 

To prepare for this vitally important event, cadets spent many hours both in class and after school creating a presentation that they could be proud of. When asked about how he was preparing his cadets for AMI, Executive Officer Danny Gonzalez, who presided over a challenging drill routine, had this to say: “We are preparing our cadets by having them do rigorous drill every day and reviewing our books, so cadets understand the knowledge.” 

Over 100 cadets were involved in the inspection, their roles ranging from leading platoons to managing the sound booth. AMI, just like NJROTC in general, is a cadet-run endeavor. 

Major Michael Dubrule from Lemon Bay High School was the inspecting officer, and he told cadets during a post-inspection briefing that he was impressed with the unit’s hard work and dedication.  

Overall, the event was a rousing success for the cadets, who are proud of their accomplishments this year.