Cory Nguyen

Gabriel Toma (11) and Leo Cano (12) [left to right] march for Armed Regulation, Nov. 1. NJROTC competed against 17 different schools.

NJROTC stood in perfect formation, cadets organized into lines as they all faced Commanding Officer Matteus Juza (12), Nov. 1. Not a single cadet could afford to be out of place. Ahead of them, trained Marines evaluated their military knowledge and adherence to strict uniform regulations, an event known as Personnel Inspection (PI). This was the first event of the Chaparral NJROTC Field Meet.

The field meet was the NJROTC unit’s first of the year, attended by a competition team of 26 cadets. NJROTC field meets are an evaluation of a unit’s readiness, comprised of physical fitness, academic knowledge, and military prowess competitions. Westview competed against 17 schools from across Southern California and Arizona. They placed third in PI, as well as fourth in the academic test and 16×100 relay race.

Master Chief Samuel Kim (12) said the supportive environment within the unit contributed to its success in PI.

“[Prior to the field meet], we focused on helping each other out a lot, even during class or before inspections,” Kim said. “I’ve noticed that when we’re changing into our uniforms, people have started asking questions about [military] knowledge to each other. This helps everyone feel well-prepared for [PI].”

At the field meet, Operations Officer Zoey Espiritu (12) led the unarmed regulation (UR) team. The UR event has cadets follow drill commands, marching in a specific cadence. Espiritu said calling the commands for drill movements was new to her.

“[Commanding] the unarmed regulation team is different than just listening to a commander,” she said. “I had to practice calling the commands at the right time and making sure my distance [from the other cadets] was right, which put more pressure on me. Afterwards, it felt really rewarding seeing all of the adjustments that my team went through to play out the routine. While it wasn’t perfect, we pulled through.”

Espiritu said that a few of the newer cadets found it difficult to adjust to the military environment of a field meet. However, as the day progressed, they were able to adapt.

“Some cadets struggled because they had to learn things like [military] knowledge and how to shine shoes from scratch [leading up to the field meet],” Espiritu said. “I know they were feeling a lot of pressure, and things were difficult. But after the first event in the competition, they said it was fun and began to enjoy their time, which was really nice. I think seeing that is both fun and important.”

According to Kim, the field meet and the preparations leading up to it provided an opportunity for the unit to grow closer.

“I think we’ve built a lot more camaraderie within the unit,” Kim said. “Just by dealing with the pressure, practicing together, and helping each other, we’ve built a community. I’ve noticed people volunteering to help shine shoes and help out their fellow cadets. Going through the struggles of preparation definitely contributed to how we feel about each other. We all got a lot closer after this first field meet.”

The field meet required maximum effort from every cadet. In particular, Juza navigated the event after undergoing knee surgery just days before.

“I had surgery about 10 days before the meet,” Juza said. “Most people don’t even go to school 10 days after surgery, so it’s been challenging. I had to go on crutches everywhere.”

Refusing to let the injury inhibit his performance, Juza placed in the top seven individual performers for the academics test, reaching a personal milestone.

“It’s been a personal goal of mine to get the individual academic award for being in the top 10 of individual scores,” Juza said. “My brother got two of them, and I’ve always been a few points behind him. At this field meet, I finally got one. It’s something I’ve been working towards since freshman year, so it showed me that I’ve been able to fill his shoes after he graduated.”

Beyond just individual accomplishments, Juza said he credits the effort of the entire competition team.

“Our unit is 10 times smaller than the largest competition team,” Juza said. “That makes us take big pride in the upsets we make. We have a very big underdog mentality, and we live up to what we say we can do. [Our performance] is a testament to the determination of all 26 of us. I’m not the first cadet showing up to a field meet injured. We’ve had cadets compete with broken wrists, sickness, and more. They push themselves out of loyalty to the unit. We keep fighting no matter what’s getting thrown at us.”