Drill Team performs at JROTC drill competition

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Madelyn Waychoff
  • Air Force Honor Guard Public Affairs
DAYTONA, Fla. --  DAYTONA, Fla. -- The Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team is typically very critical of themselves, analyzing and re-watching every performance to check for the tiniest flaws, but never before have they performed for others who were doing the same.
During their latest tour to the Fort Lauderdale Air and Sea Show, the team left after doing two performances Saturday in order to arrive in time to perform for the National High School Drill Championships in Daytona May 6.
In this competition, schools from all around the nation come together to perform both rifle and unarmed drills. The championships were held May 4-6.
The Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performed during a break on Sunday and was very well received by the audience, but were pressed with questions immediately afterwards on their skills, routines and maneuvers.
The high school members talked drill with the team, as well as asked questions about the Air Force and military in general.
"I was excited to talk to them, I've seen the team perform in the past," said Paul Lindsley, an 18-year-old from Churchill High School in San Antonio. "They're very good, and I'm going to be commissioned into the Air Force so I wanted to talk about that a little too."
But it wasn't just the high school kids who were excited to see the team, many of the retired military instructors had a few things to say as well.
"Their performance was outstanding, very crisp and precise with a little touch of the edgy and unpredictable," said Michael George, a retired Army captain. "The narration told the Air Force story and blended really well with the drill - but I still think some of our kids could give them a run for their money."
Before heading to Daytona the drill team performed for the opening ceremonies of the Air and Sea Show, and performed for the public center street in front of the beach.