Tadayeski works with FC JROTC cadets for training

Franklin County High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps — better known as JROTC — continued its intensive start-of-the-school-year workouts last week under the leadership of retired U.S. Army First Sgt. Jim Tadayeski.

“I visit schools to teach them the tools and tricks of the trade to compete at a higher level in JROTC drill competitions,” Tadayeski said.

“I am here at the invitation of (FCHS JROTC instructors) Col. (Lynn) Pippen and Sgt. First Class (Marjorie) De La Garza, who I met in Daytona Beach, Fla., last year when the program took part in national competition.”

Tadayseski said what he hopes to impart during each stop on his “Dominate the Drill Pad” competitive consulting outreach involves procedures for JROTC program instructors and cadets to get the most out of their practice protocols.

“When the cadets go to compete, this training helps to ensure their success,” he continued. “I usually spend anywhere from three to five days with a school upwards of three hours per day and focus on the concepts of teaching competitive drill.”

His consultations with JROTC initiatives take him to places throughout the Southeastern United States like Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia as well as Mississippi.

“The cadets in the Franklin County program are very dedicated and have a strong work ethic,” he continued. “More than anything else, they have a willingness to learn. With a program like this, you train from the ground up much as I did when I took on a position 21 years ago with JROTC at Grant High School in Dry Prong, La.”

Pippen said having Tadayeski – with a background of success affiliated with JROTC competition at the national level – will help his cadets prepare and polish their efforts to earn state and national recognition at drill programs throughout the year.

“With Jim here and coupling that with the skills our kids picked up from drill instructor Adam Jeup the week before, and a lot of work ahead, we hope to reach the goals we have set for our program to be competitive at all levels of drill team programs,” Pippen said.

“In addition, we hope to learn from Jim how to stay hungry to be our best. One of the ways we can do that is to have a good meal every now and then … which translates to our performing well at drill competitions to show off not only what we have learned, but winning along the way to have something we can hang our hats on.

“When you’re hungry, nothing beats a good steak and our steak with JROTC will come in the form of earning recognition wherever we go to compete. Having the opportunities to win will make our cadets hungry for more success, and that can only benefit the program as a whole.”

Pippen said other components of that hunger include seeing a desire from the local cadets to want to travel and take part in competition at higher levels to show off the effort they have put forth through months of training to be their best.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into this, but there also has to be some rewards,” Pippen said. “Those come when you are recognized as a team after a competition, and then you want to keep going to see how far you can get.”

As an example, Tadayeski has a video on his computer from his time at Grant High School where a room was filled with banners, plaques, certificates and trophies showcasing the wins by his JROTC program at all levels, including national championships.

“With kids in these kinds of programs, a lot of times you are with them for four years,” Tadayeski said.

“You really get close with them and their success becomes your success, and that’s what is most rewarding about continually working to take JROTC to higher levels and not resting on past achievements.”

Tadayeski’s visit came on the heels of the FCHS JROTC hosting its first-ever, in-house summer camp in which cadets had the chance to interact with Jeup, who is affiliated with Drill Dojo and visited from Tampa, Fla., to work with students on techniques in holding and using their rifles effectively as part of JROTC drill demonstrations.

The local JROTC program traveled to national competition during the previous school year and finished, on average, No. 19 in the drill team program. Now, attention is turning toward cracking the top 10 in that event.

“There’s no way to predict what can happen along the way, but our goal is to perform well at state — where we hope to be competitive in everything we do — and advance again to nationals,” Pippen said.

“As we take this program to new heights and grow our expectations, there will be more emphasis on doing those things that will set us apart. The JROTC is building something that will hopefully continue to mold and shape young men and women to be their best in whatever life holds for them.”