Air Force Junior ROTC students organize Military Ball

Planning the 2012 Military Ball engendered esprit de corps among students in Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC) at Bob Jones High School.

Held at The Summit on Redstone Arsenal on Feb. 4, the annual, sit-down formal dinner allowed students to plan, organize and stage a large event from start to finish, Lieutenant Colonel Randy Herd said. He and Chief Master Sergeant Ellis Clark instruct AFROTC at Bob Jones.

In addition, students gained first-hand experience at military traditions, customs, courtesies and good manners. The ball builds unit morale, Herd said.

AFJROTC sub-units are responsible for planning community service, fundraising and morale activities. For the ball, students organized committees, outlined tasks, allocated resources and delegated work, Herd said.

The banquet tables offered chicken cordon bleu, pot roast, vegetable lasagna, mashed potatoes, green beans and salad.

Men wore “Combo 1,” or the service dress uniform, equivalent to civilian coat and tie. “Female cadets had the option of wearing their service dress uniform or formal evening wear,” Herd said. Bob Jones cadets wear service dress to school on Mondays.

From Bob Jones, 115 AFJROTC students attended ball, along with 10 invited cadets from Huntsville, Johnson and Sparkman high schools.

Cadets recognized distinguished guests with the Saber Team Honor Arch, presented the nation’s colors, toasted, honored prisoners of war and those missing in action and presented slides of the unit’s activities.

In addition, the ball’s king, queen and princesses were crowned. A disc jockey provided music for dancing.

The Bob Jones cadets said they enjoyed “hearing senior speeches, the food, everybody dressed up, using the right manners (like eating with the right fork) and walking through the arch.” One cadet was amused when “a certain cadet split his pants on the dance floor.”

Bob Jones assistant principal Dr. Julie Finley and Mayor Paul Finley take pride in attending the ball. “The event is a culmination of much planning and a true display of student leadership,” she said.