To determine officer positions for the following year, 18 JROTC students competed in Brigade Board Feb. 4 and 5. Ranging from 9th to 12th grade, each officer had to be ready to perform their best to be promoted.

“There are very few awards available for boards. There are only two special awards for LET 1 and LET 2s. There is now one additional award, the Buffalo Soldier award. There are also awards for only two positions other than staff: Outstanding Company Commander and Outstanding First Sergeant. The student staff also competes. Those interested in awards compete in a battalion board, where the staff chooses who we believe to best represent our battalion,” Annelle Pelletier (11) said.

Each officer presented his or herself to the board, a group of retired officers.

“The board itself consists of Senior Army Instructors (SAIs) within Shelby County Schools. They interview schools at which they do not teach,” Pelletier said.

To prepare for the thorough questioning that would ensue, each JROTC officer was given a list of questions that the board would ask beforehand.

“We were asked questions about myself, my position and what I do as cadet Command Sergeant Major. The board also asked me about personnel in the battalion. Knowledge of current events were also tested, as well as the Army JROTC chain of command,” Pelletier said.

The way the officers carried themselves was just as important as the way they responded to the questions.

“They grade us a lot on confidence in what we know, which is important in convincing the board that you are a good staff member,” Jie Wang (12) said.

After the brigade board, the winners then participated in boards with winners from other schools.

“If you win Brigade Board, you move on to the Corps Boards which are winners of other brigades in Shelby County,” Wang said.