Second Platoon Commander Julia Cheon (11) took off in the 100-meter sprint, her team lined along the right side of the track bursting into vibrant cheers. Their deafening shouts of encouragement urged Cheon forward until she flew past the finish line, securing second platoon’s win against the other Westview platoons at the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) Company Field Meet (CFM), March 29. 

“I think the greatest thing that made us successful is that we had a crazy amount of morale, especially during sprints,” Cheon said. “We were all yelling on one side of the track, so it was really loud, and as [the sprinter] passed us, we could yell at them and motivate them.”

The three platoons of the Westview NJROTC unit, divided by class period, competed against one another in five events: physical training, academics, unarmed regulation, color guard, and personnel inspection. Commanding Officer Allison Hauw said that CFM encourages cadets to join the competitive NJROTC team and improves morale.

“There are multiple reasons for CFM,” Hauw said. “Firstly, it encourages cadets to join the competition team because it gives them a sense of how field meets against other schools work. It also brings you closer to your platoon. You’re working towards a common goal and it boosts morale.” 

 Hauw, alongside the other seniors, acted as a grader rather than a participant. She said the meet also aids the officers in checking the progress of the platoons and the leadership of the platoon commanders.

“CFM also allows us to see how the platoons are doing in every aspect of what they train in NJROTC,” Hauw said. “We can check up on them in a fun way. It was different to see the meet from a new perspective as the grader after being in it for three years, but it was still fun to see how everyone was doing and the different ways the platoon commanders lead: sometimes more laid back and letting cadets take the lead, and sometimes in a stricter style that emphasized instruction during the period and learning together as a platoon.”

The 100-meter sprint, 200-meter sprint, counted pushups, and counted curl-ups made up the physical training event in which Cheon’s second platoon finished first. Second platoon also won first in the personnel inspection and academic exam. 

Throughout the year, Cheon, as platoon commander, focused on thoughtfully guiding new NJROTC members. During her freshman year, she said she felt confused and behind as her platoon prepared for CFM. So, she said the new style of patient mentorship built camaraderie and confidence, and led the team to victory. 

“When I was a freshman, I always felt so lost,” Cheon said. “I didn’t know what I was doing and I would get scolded for not knowing something, but no one had taught me it. So, I’m trying to step-by-step walk them through [new things], and if [new members] have any questions, I try to answer all the questions and don’t scold them for something that they weren’t taught. I think that’s what made us win CFM because in NJROTC, to be a leader, you have to care about the people you’re leading. I am so happy that we won CFM and I’m honored to be commander.”

 Prior to the meet, second platoon focused most of their preparations on the academics event, which consisted of a “core knowledge” questionnaire covering the chain of command, leadership principles, general orders, uniform regulations, and ranks of the Navy, Marine Corps and NJROTC. The team studied flashcards that contained general military knowledge, which aided them in the rest of the meet as well. Cheon said her unique experience in the NJROTC competitive academics team helped her lead her platoon.

All members of every platoon compete in all the events, except for one: Color Guard. Platoons can gain additional points by having first-year cadets in the four-person team of the Color Guard event. Second platoon Color Guard captain Riddhi Bhavsar (9) led a group of four freshmen to represent the second-period team on the drill deck against groups of four from first and third platoon. 

She called out memorized commands, leading the quartet through synchronized movements, such as coordinated turns and marches, while they displayed the Navy’s flag, the American flag, and two rifles. According to Bhavsar, the four struggled to maintain proper positioning, but they entered the drill deck with settled nerves.

“I called all the commands right, but our alignment, when the backs of our heels should be all aligned, was slightly off,” Bhavsar said. “It wasn’t too intimidating, as we had practiced in front of all the same people before. Of course, it was difficult to get rid of nerves before the actual event, but the practices before helped a lot with everything [we] needed to fix.”

Beyond the excitement of celebrating the CFM victory with her platoon, Bhavsar said that the best part of the meet was supporting and spending time with her fellow cadets.

“It was very fun to just be with our friends,” Bhavsar said. “I definitely recommend a lot of people to join NJROTC. There are only three platoons here, so it’s a very tight-knit community, and the whole company field meet was a huge deal for all of us.”