Armed with freshly pressed uniforms, mirror-shined shoes, and the collective fear of having missed one stray thread, Brewster’s NJROTC unit marched into its Annual Managers Inspection ready for battle. Our cadets were tested on drill, knowledge, appearance, and teamwork, all while maintaining military bearing and pretending like their hearts weren’t racing. What could have been a nerve-wracking evaluation instead turned into a celebration of hard work, dedication, and the impressive ability of the cadets who have spent the last few months preparing for this day—a day that determines the future of Brewster’s NJROTC unit.
We began the day with the most stress-inducing yet unavoidable—an arguably most important—part of the day: Inspection. Mr. Gregory Washington, our Area One Manager, accompanied by Petty Officer Cooper, meticulously inspected all seven platoons. From perfectly aligned uniforms to sharp bearing and spot-on knowledge, no detail was too small to escape their watchful eyes. If something was out of place, trust us—they found it.
After the nerve-wracking inspection, we moved on to the Pass and Review Ceremony. This is the part of the day that lets us show Mr. Washington what we’re capable of as a unified company. As each platoon commander took charge of their platoons, forming them up to perfection, parents and families began to enter the gymnasium and wait for the ceremony to begin. Our Operations Officer, Cadet Lieutenant Chasiti Bobet-Diaz, announced the arrival of each official party, ranging from the School Board to our Area One Manager. At that moment, it was clear: this wasn’t just a ceremony—it was about to be something spectacular.
After all of our recognized guests have been called into the gym, we were asked to rise for the presentation of colors, commanded by Ensign Tabitha Nieves. Our very own Wind Ensemble, led by conductor Miss Andrea Perdicho, played a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. As the music faded out, signaling the end of the breathtaking moment, our guests took their seats and our Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Derek Miller, took the center of the gym. He called forward the Platoon Commanders and Guidons to march front and center, where they reported in one by one—saluting swords, dipping guidons, and awaiting the highly anticipated words, “very well.” Securing approval, the mission was accomplished. Once he had confirmed that all platoons were present and accounted for, our Executive Officer published the order of the day before sending each Platoon Commander and Guidon back to their respective platoons.
Our Senior Naval Science Instructor, Captain Thomas King, shared a speech with everyone present. After thanking many honored guests, he then gave a special mention to a cadet who dedicated weeks of his summer going through courses and tests in order to gain his Drone License. This cadet was none other than our very own drone team commander David Arias. Through these efforts, David had earned the privilege to wear his wings on his uniform and wear the flight suit. He is the first in Brewster NJROTC history to have earned this uniform and license.
After his speech came to a close, Captain invited Mr. Gregory Washington to speak to all of the cadets and families. Despite all that he said in that short time, one thing he said stuck with me. He said; “The Brewster Bears are one of the most complete units in all of Area One.” This compliment struck the hearts of every cadet in the room, having received such a high praise from our Area One Manager is truly an honor—one that we will never forget. To add, Executive Officer Derek Miller stated that the unit “came far from the start,” and that he was “very proud of everyone.”
We then proceeded with the Awards Portion of the night. We began with recognizing the First Year Cadets who received an Outstanding on their Uniform Inspection. The cadets were the following: Alejando Leiva Ramos, Marisa Vasquez Ramirez, Darwin Ramos Recinos, Luke Khanai, and Gia DiBendetto. We then moved on to Unit Promotions. These cadets worked tirelessly to advance in their PQS (Personal Qualifications System) in order to earn their respective ranks. As follow, we had many rank ups this year: Giovanni Jacinto Cruz – Seaman Apprentice, Matteo Anfuso – Seaman Apprentice, Edgar Ramos – Seaman, Darwin Ramos – Seaman, Marisa Vasquez – Seaman, Charleigh Scott – Seaman, Joel Ramirez – Seaman, Luke Kanai – Seaman, Samuel DeNichilo – Seaman, Gia DiBenedetto – Seaman, Keegan Fallon – PO3, Gianna Carpanzano – PO3, Luca Borneman – PO3, Hailey Nieves – PO3, Jon Antokolets – PO2, Alexis Salguero – PO2, Ariel Marte – PO2, Rachelly Ramos – PO1, Artem Maslov – Chief, Katheryn Almodovar – Chief, Natalie Aguilar – Chief, and Tatiana Aguilar – Chief.
The platoons then repositioned themselves as we prepared for a performance of our Armed Drill Team commanded by Chief Ethan Cruz. As the Armed Platoon formed up, our Operations Officer recognized each of our drill commanders that have helped us achieve greatness. The drill commanders are the following: Chief Ethan Cruz, Chief Marjorie Palma, And NS1 Seaman Gianna Carpanzano, Seaman Recruit Michael Biancamano, Seaman Recruit Gia DiBenedetto, and Seaman Apprentice Abigail Ingunza. After a beautiful performance of the modified Armed National Drill card, the platoons got repositioned back to normal as we prepared to Pass and Review.
Before we proceeded with the Pass and Review, our Command Master Chief Katherine Chepel conducted a Motivation Check to ensure that the company was motivated before we proceeded. It was safe to say that the company was very motivated.
Each platoon commander took charge of their platoons in a sequence of right faces. As the Wind Ensemble began their arrangement of Stars and Stripes, the Triad marched forward, led by ou
r Commanding Officer, Commander Danna Hernandez Madrid. After that, each platoon commander carried out their sequence of exiting the gymnasium after giving the proper acknowledgment to Mr. Gregory Washington through an Eyes Right. Each platoon was led by these platoon commanders:
- 1st Platoon: Ensign William Mattson
- 2nd Platoon: Ensign Cody Martine
- 3rd Platoon: Ensign Hailey Tierney
- 4th Platoon: Ensign Riley Borneman
- 5th Platoon: Ensign Sam Sanchez
- 6th Platoon: Ensign Juliet Bryggman
After the gym had emptied of all the cadets, the triad, platoon commanders, and guidons re-entered. Our Commanding Officer dismissed all of the platoon commanders, signaling the end of a great day with one final “Hoorah!”
After AMI came to a close, I asked one very dedicated and loyal NS1 cadet, Christian Ramirez, how he felt about ROTC now that he has experienced the biggest event of our year. He said that, “NJROTC isn’t just a leadership program, it’s one big family.” It made me wonder, if he feels this way after one half a year, how is he going to feel after four years? It really showed how significant ROTC is in the lives of many of our Cadets, including our NS1’s.
As the Senior’s last Annual Inspection, I asked some of the higher staff for their thoughts, feelings, and advice now that it’s over. Commanding Officer Danna Hernandez Madrid told me that, “being part of NJROTC transformed my life by giving me a second family, leadership skills, and opportunities to grow in ways I never expected, even shaping my goals of joining the U.S. Army and pursuing a career in nursing. Over four years, the program taught me resilience, empathy, and leadership, ultimately allowing me to serve as Commanding Officer and set an example for future cadets.”
Adding to that, Command Master Chief Katherine Chepel said that, “If we don’t focus, the outcome is regret of not doing enough. If we do, the outcome is a fulfilling reward. And that’s exactly what we did. The discipline, motivation, and preparation of each and every cadet equaled to an outstanding AMI and the continuation of unit excellence.” It’s words of inspiration like these that motivate the cadets to do their best.
Perhaps it is best summed up by Supply Officer Kevin Ramos who said that, “If you don’t try, you don’t know.”
Thank you to all the seniors for the work and dedication you have shown in order to make this AMI a great one, for the lessons you have taught us and the standards you have set for the future cadets to uphold. Thank you for an amazing AMI.
Hoorah!