Photo By Amy Turner | Command Sergeant Maj. Roy Young, Command Sergeant Maj. U.S. Army Cadet Command, and...... read more read more
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FORT BENNING, Ga. – Army JROTC, in partnership with the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, hosted the inaugural Army JROTC National Drone Championship with 40 teams from across the nation competing March 7-8.
Army JROTC includes many STEM opportunities for cadets and drone piloting was added to the program in 2023. Teams learn about drones, flight principles, programming, documentation, and communication skills while expanding their understanding and building interest in drone-related workforce opportunities.
“Of all the programs that the REC Foundation runs, this is one of the most important. When I travel to VEX JROTC or JROTC drone events, I am meeting our future leaders. It is so inspiring to me and the rest of the team,” said Dan Mantz, CEO of the Robotics & Education Competition Foundation.
The competition took place over two days as cadets competed in teamwork missions, autonomous flight skills missions, and piloting skills missions. Each mission earned the team points that were combined to calculate the team’s overall scores for the championship.
“It’s just amazing to see the technical aspect and how proficient these young people have become flying these drones,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Roy Young, Command Sergeant Major of U.S. Army Cadet Command.
After points were tallied, a champion was crowned: Toa Drones II from Tafuna High School of American Samoa, who traveled approximately 6,500 miles to showcase their piloting prowess.
“We traveled here all the way from American Samoa, so we are proud that we got to represent our island with a win,” said Cadet Felise Ioka, the winning team’s captain. “We made it and finally won the all-around championship. Thank you all for your love and support!”
Competition Results
ALL-AROUND CHAMPIONS:
Tafuna High School, Pago Pago, American Samoa
TEAMWORK MISSION CHAMPIONS:
Camdenton High School, Camdenton, Mo.
Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School, Lake Worth, Fla.
SKILLS MISSION CHAMPIONS:
White County High School, Cleveland, Ga.
| Date Taken: | 03.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2025 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 492497 |
| Location: | FORT MOORE, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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