ROTC Pershing Rifles

 JOHNSON CITY (April 6) — East Tennessee State University’s Army ROTC cadets began training two years ago to join competition in the Pershing Rifles Society. Last year, the cadets were able to participate as members in the national conference, but not in competition, because new members must wait a year to join in the annual challenge.

In March, ETSU cadets were finally permitted to compete, facing 45 other programs, and their hard work paid off. They earned the award for first place in the nation in the color guard category, which is the most prestigious. And, they received second place in both squad regulation drill and platoon regulation drill.

Cadet Jonathan Shackelford, commander of the ETSU Pershing Rifles Drill Team, notes, “ETSU did an outstanding job in its first year of competing. The members of the team worked for two years to train. They dealt with many hours a week practicing drill and ceremony and physical training, and they maintained a higher academic requirement than the national society requires.”

The color guard team, consisting of cadets Ashley Hayes, Amanda Lackey, Nicholas Osborne and Colin Rose, was given the honor of acting as color guard at the society’s annual conference ball, held in Richmond, Va.

In addition, Rose was selected as Regimental Commander within the society, overseeing all participating schools in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida. Shackelford held that position the past year.

A brief video about the ETSU Pershing Rifles Drill Team may be viewed at http://youtu.be/xtyxJxqcxfY.

For further information, contact the ETSU Department of Military Science at 423 439-4269.