Day 1: Arrival/Departure. After months of preparation, dedication and hard work were ready to produce for more than fifteen
eager and passionate cadets. They started arriving between 1700-1830 hours on Friday the 13th. The senior ranking cadets were assigned a less experienced
cadet as a buddy for the week and to help guide them. The cadet commanders for both the drill and color guard teams proceeded in having the cadets study
the leadership and aerospace facts needed for the tests at competition. Around 1930 hours, the bus arrived to take the cadets to Austin. Packing was quick
and soon the trip was a go. The trip down was longer than it seemed with all of the study and discussion over the expectations for the weekend. Upon
arrival at Camp Mabrey, in Austin, Texas around 2115, the time for complete professional conduct came. After signing in, and room assigning, the cadets
were allowed time to relax and prepare for the up coming days ahead. Lights out came at 2300 hours and it was much appreciated by all.
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Day 2: Competition Day. Morning came quickly for the teams. The color guard and drill teams were to compete for the rights to represent Texas at the
regional competition. The drill team members got to their schedule immediately. Some time was allotted for the cadets to make any final preparations
and changes to their uniforms and knowledge. The morning hours were filled with multiple areas of competition. First, the judges performed an in-ranks
inspection. Following the inspection, the cadets had to perform a 50 step standard drill sequence. This tested the entire group on all basic and commonly
used commands. After this phase, the commander was given a card which had a second set of commands only the commander could see. This tested the
awareness of the cadets and their recall of drill commands on the spot. The last objective for the morning was the innovative drill. This was a series
of movements hand crafted by each team. The entire tested the team’s ability to cope with the environment, weather and maintaining military bearing.
After a de-briefing, the judges spoke on the mornings accomplishments and did a run down of the mistakes that were made. Several hours were given for
lunch, free time and preparation for PT and testing. PT came with a sense of extreme competition and want to do the best possible. Both teams had
outstanding times and records for the event. Later on in the afternoon, the judges gathered all of the cadets for a comprehensive leadership test.
The test covered the first half of the cadet program. Once the testing period was done, the teams were taken back to the barracks to prepare for dinner
and volleyball. After dinner, the cadets all competed in non-competitive games. The day ended with a sense of relief and success. After a hard days work
the cadets were allowed more time to relax, clean up, call parents and start packing for departure the next day. Sleep was a welcome idea for the entire
competition.
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