Monterey High School NJROTC
"Color guards teach cadets how to respect our nation’s flag and take pride in it.”
Homecoming Parade & Honor Guard
Homecoming Parade & Honor Guard
On Friday October 27th, cadets took the lead at the Monterey High School Homecoming parade which consisted of an honor guard followed by a color guard and a platoon.
Later that day, some of the same cadets who were at the parade came back to participate in the football game honor guard. Decked in dress blues, cadets held swords over Homecoming royalty walking through.
Cadet Thomas Martinez was one of these cadets. As a senior, he has done many color guards (over 35) and some honor guards along with it(about 5). “My first Color Guard was a routine football game my sophomore year. I commanded it, and surprisingly, it was one of the best color guards I’ve done. My last one was poor in the planning but skill wise it was much better.”
Despite some technical challenges in his last Color Guard, Martinez still believes in the importance of Honor Guards/ Color Guards in the NJROTC program.
“I personally believe that at every major event there should be a color guard because it is one of the many ways to pay tribute and respect to our country. Color guards teach cadets how to respect our nation’s flag and take pride in it.”
Cadet Tara Smith, who has also done many color guards since her freshman year, also recognizes the importance of color guards. “It teaches you how to properly transport, post, and present the colors. It’s also good for community service because most of them are community events.”
Overall, Color Guards and Honor Guards are a great experience that every cadet should try at least once in their NJROTC career. If you have not participated in a color guard and are interested, contact the Color Guard OIC (C/PO1 Newcomer).