Friday, May 2, 2003 | 10:02 a.m.
The Valley High School Army Junior ROTC has won its first national drill team title, beating out competitors from 50 other schools across the country and overseas.
Valley finished first overall last weekend at the Golden Bear National Drill Team competition in Pomona, Calif. Competing in the event were 200 Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Junior ROTC units.
"It's a tribute to the commitment of the kids," said Sgt. Major Glenn Dement, who oversees the 9-year-old program at Valley. "This is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication."
Teams are judged in a variety of events, including exhibition and regulation drills, inspection and commander competitions.
Like all JROTC programs, the Valley program's primary emphasis is on academic achievement, Dement said.
Several members of the Valley unit were not allowed to travel to Pomona for the drill team competition because their grades did not pass muster.
"It's a self-imposed restriction," Dement said. "Our kids know that we stress school above anything else, even drill team."
JROTC is offered at about half of Clark County's 33 high schools. Students earn physical education credits for the first two years of the program. After that, the class is considered an elective.
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