AFJROTC Newsletter - January 2025

Keeping cadets, parents, and the school community informed and engaged with our program. For more details on these activities, follow us on our official Facebook page.

On Monday, January 13th, we celebrated a time-honored tradition as Cadet Colonel Madison Moran formally handed over leadership of the Cadet Corps to newly promoted Cadet Colonel Lily Roderick. The ceremony began with a Presentation of the Colors by our talented Color Guard and the announcement of this semester’s cadet promotions, recognizing the hard work, dedication, and growth of our future leaders. We are incredibly proud of all our cadets for their dedication to leadership, discipline, and teamwork. Thank you to everyone who supported our ceremony!

The Honor Flight Award recognizes the flight that excels across all areas of AFJROTC, including academic performance, physical fitness, teamwork, leadership, and community service. This semester’s top honor goes to Zulu Flight (pictured below). Led by Flight Commander Connor Wessel and Flight Sergeant Dana Kendall, Zulu flight showed outstanding effort and consistency by placing first or second in each evaluated category. Congratulations to all our flights for a competitive and close race. Your hard work and dedication are what make our cadet corps great!

On Thursday, January 9th, we visited the Middle School and introduced around 200 eighth graders to the exciting world of Air Force JROTC! Our students put on an impressive display of leadership and technical skills, with hands-on demonstrations and engaging conversations about the exciting opportunities in our program. They did a fantastic job inspiring many young students to explore what AFJROTC has to offer. We’re excited to welcome the next generation of cadets into our growing family!

On Saturday, January 11th, several of our cadets volunteered to assist the American Legion with their Spaghetti Dinner. The event raised $1,239 to be dedicated to the Circle of Honor Regional Veteran's Memorial, which will be built in North Branch’s Central Park. Our students had a great time helping out and meeting veterans. Be sure to check out the Circle of Honor video on the North Branch Beautification website to learn more about this important memorial and see our cadets in action performing Color Guard!

On their first day back from winter break, our students faced a physical fitness challenge like no other. Each flight worked together to assess individual strengths, form teams, and create a strategy. Their objective was to earn points by completing a variety of exercises, each requiring a large number of minimum repetitions. After careful planning, cadets had 45 minutes to execute their strategy, making adjustments as needed along the way. The teamwork, leadership, and motivation on display were inspiring! In the end, Bravo Flight emerged victorious. We’re incredibly proud of the effort, grit, and collaboration shown by all cadets. Congratulations to Bravo Flight, and well done to everyone who conquered The Gauntlet!

For the fourth straight year, our cadets were invited to present the colors at the Minnesota School Board Association Leadership Conference. Our Color Guard, Rifle, and Saber Teams did a fantastic job and proudly represented North Branch Area High School!

The 33rd Annual Upper Midwest JROTC Challenge (UMJC) will be held Friday, 7 February 2025, at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, MN. This competition draws in up to 12 JROTC units from across the region representing all service affiliations. It consists of Regulation Drill, Knowledge Bowl, Color Guard, Physical Fitness, Air Rifle, Archery, and Tug-O-War. Stay tuned to our Facebook page to see which teams we take to this competition.

Cadets are invited to attend the JROTC Military Ball at Woodbury High School. This event is a great opportunity for cadets to dress up and partake in a time-honored tradition that teaches formal etiquette and social awareness. Cadets will get the chance to mingle with students from the other two AFJROTC units in Minnesota.

There has just been so much going on that we've pushed this trip back a few weeks. Our cadets are invited to join us on a field trip to the Rosenbauer facility in Wyoming, MN. They will be treated to a tour of the facility and learn about potential career paths. We are looking forward to this event and future collaborations with this and other local industry partners.

Congratulations to Cadet Aubrey Russell, our Cadet of the Month! Aubrey recently stepped up as the leader of the Robotics team. As such, she has begun training new team members and making plans for future competitions. She also led the construction of the eye-catching High Stakes Competition Field, sparking interest in our program among students and staff alike.

Aubrey’s dedication goes beyond the classroom. She volunteered at the Middle School open house, engaging future cadets while demonstrating her robotics skills. She also proudly represented our program at the Minnesota School Board Association Leadership Conference.

Aubrey’s leadership and initiative are making a real impact. Thank you for all your hard work! 🤖👏

A heartfelt thank you to North Branch Area Middle School for inviting us to spend the day introducing 8th-grade students to our AFJROTC program! Special thanks to Principal Kelly Detzler, Assistant Principal Matt Lattimore, and Social Studies teachers Dan Johnson and Chad Carlson for making this fantastic opportunity possible. Our cadets had a great time engaging with the 8th-graders, sharing experiences, and answering questions. We look forward to welcoming many of these future leaders into our program next year!

My Dear Friend

In the garden of my heart, you bloom so bright,

A friend like you turns darkness into light.

Through laughter, tears, and every twist and bend,

You’re the melody that makes my soul ascend.

With every shared secret and dream that we weave,

Together we conquer,

Together we believe.

In this dance of life, side by side we sway,

With love in our hearts, come what may.

Through every storm and sunny day,

Your presence is a gift in every way.

So here’s to our bond, so deep and true,

In this beautiful journey,

I cherish you.