Eighteen Palmetto High School AFJROTC cadets attended the Southeastern Region Cadet Officer Summer Leadership School (SLS) at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia from June 10 – June 16.
PHS AFJROTC
The Palmetto High Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC) unit hosted the July meeting of the Greater Williamston Business Association (GWBA) Tuesday. The unit gave a presentation on their recent participation in the Southeastern Region Cadet Officer Summer Leadership School (SLS) held at Mercer College in Macon, Georgia in June.
The presentation included a video made during the week of intense training and Cadet Commander Cory Taylor spoke about the experience.
Taylor said the school is designed to develop leadership skills for cadets and focused on team building and attention to detail.
The leadership school is a cadet cadre directed program and included thirteen units from three states.
The school is run by cadets with some oversight by adult instructors. “The instructors just advise,” Taylor said. “They gave us some guidance, that’s all. They let us take care of it.”
Palmetto High was able to send 18 cadets to the leadership school, thanks to funding provided by individual businesses and a matching donation made by the GWBA.
Eight PHS cadets served as Cadre, or officers around whom a unit is formed and/or training staff.
Taylor said that detailed inspections included making sure the rooms were clean and specific guidelines were followed. Uniforms were also inspected, he said. That led to working on time management because there was a limited time between other activities to make sure everything was in order for the inspections.
“It was attentive to detail,” Taylor said. “The Colonel (Colonel Mike Creamer, who heads the AFJROTC unit at Palmetto) makes sure we all knew that.”
Physical training included getting up at 5:15 a.m. for Cadre and around 6 a.m. for cadets and running one mile.
This was followed by breakfast, personal inspection and room inspection and regulated drills.
Taylor said the drills teach cadets responsibility and how to think.
Academic classes were next and included goal setting, leadership style, ethics and other areas.
Following dinner, the cadets participated in games and then lights out by 10 p.m.
Attending the leadership school were (Pictured) Master Sergeant David Livingston along with cadets Mackenzie Heatherly, Jake Ford, Cadet Major Cory Taylor (Squadron 2 Commander), Haylie Finley, Will Richey, Livvy Pearson, Gage Selman, Cadet 1Lt Martin Ford (Special Operations Staff), Cadet 1Lt Allen Chapman (Athletics and Physical Training Staff), Cadet 1Lt Daniel Wilkie (Command Post Staff), Devin Stone, Josh Ferguson, Cadet Captain Alex Dahling (Quality Assessment Staff), Dakota Reeves, Jake Young, Cadet Captain Luke Brown (Logistics Officer), Operations Group Cadet Lt Colonel Lane Creamer (Operations Group Commander), Cadet 1Lt Ryan Carver (Medic Staff).
GWBA representative Faye Meares told the group that they represented the area well and that GWBA members were glad they could help.
Subway of Williamston provided lunch for members and cadets.
