21st TSC NCOs provide marching orders to KHS JROTC

21st Theater Sustainment Command
Story by Staff Sgt. Tramel Garrett

Date: 12.13.2010
Posted: 12.13.2010 03:44
News ID: 61846
21st TSC NCOs provide marching orders to KHS JROTC

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – As the snow falls and the winter gets colder, the students of Kaiserslautern High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps team receive drill and ceremony training with the help of two noncommissioned officers from the 21st Theater Sustainment Command.

“We recently joined a partnership with KHS to support activities at the school. As far as the JROTC team, they asked for help, and we came,” said Sfc. George Isla, a communications plans NCO with the 21st TSC.

Maj. Gen. Patricia McQuistion, the commanding general of the 21st TSC, along with KHS Principle Jennifer Beckwith signed a proclamation announcing 21st TSC’s partnership with KHS in October.

“We had been looking for drill sergeants across the KMC. We didn’t have the technical leadership like we have now with the 21st TSC,” said retired Air Force Col. Leon Stamm, senior aerospace science instructor at KHS.

Isla, along with Sfc. Michael Short, a 21st TSC Support Operations ammunition and logistics NCO, instruct students every Monday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. This part of the mentoring program allows soldiers to mentor students at the school during the duty day and helps the cadets practice for upcoming drill and ceremony competitions.

“This has helped the cadets a great deal, especially the freshmen who have never drilled before, and it encourages the upper level cadets too, said Stamm.

Professionalism, self confidence and discipline are some of the qualities these former drill instructors are instilling in the drill team. The KHS JROTC program has been in place since 1973, and it is the second oldest in Germany.

“The cadets can see the enthusiasm of the soldiers who are helping them, and they see the results in their own performance,” said Stamm.

The competition the cadets are training for will take place the first week of March at Rhine Ordnance Barracks here.