Daniel High School’s SC-941 “Flying Lions” Cadet Corps is gearing up for another fun-filled challenging year.  Coming off one of our most productive year’s across the board.  A quick summary of what the Cadet Corps accomplished in 2022-2023 makes a strong case for their success.  Daniel’s Cadet Corps completed over 1,421 community service hours in accomplishing 158 separate community service events during the year.  Additionally, the “Flying Lions” provided 39 color guards for various civic, memorial, and sporting events.  Cadets also competed in numerous competitions in the four separate categories of Marksmanship, Competitive Drill, Raiders Events, and a new pursuit known as JLAB – a nationwide competitive circuit of traditional Academic Bowl events.  Of course, anyone who attended any football event at Daniel’s Singleton Field knows that the Cadet Corps plays pivotal role in Color Guards and Saber Arches. But it may be that the AFJROTC program’s biggest impact on Daniel High School is its annual management of the Daniel High School Recycling Program.  Over the course of last year, the Cadet Corps managed 36 separate recycling days in which we collected all materials, sorted and prepped by category, then for each of those days, Major Childress transported the material to the Pickens County recycling center for delivery.  This amounted to over 6,484 pounds of materials recycled during the year – a huge service to the school and the environment.

The good news is all indications suggest the 2023-2024 school year may be even more successful.  The biggest event any AFJROTC unit faces – a Unit Evaluation, or “UE.”  Once every 3 years, every AFJROTC unit receives a day-long visit from AFJROTC Headquarters and every single aspect of unit operations is evaluated to the finest detail.  The last time the “Flying Lions” were evaluated, they received the highest possible rating, and were identified as one of the top 3 units in a region comprised of over 67 units.  Shortly thereafter, the “Flying Lions” were named the Outstanding AFJROTC Unit in South Carolina, and were presented the prestigious “Sword of Excellence” to mark their State Championship.  In fact, you are able to see the latest Daniel High School State Champion Banner take its place among the others in the Daniel Gym as the AFJROTC State Championship Banner was displayed.  And it’s that 2017 series of events the “Flying Lions” feel poised and prepared to recreate this year.  The Unit is set to be evaluated this year and if all goes as planned, they’ll once again receive the highest possible rating, which will set them up for a strong run at yet another State Championship, which would be the Unit’s 6th title since its establishment in 1994.

Regardless of what happens with the Unit Evaluation, and no matter if the Unit earns another State Title, there is no doubt that Daniel High School’s “Flying Lions” Cadet Corps will continue throughout the 2023-2024 year to live out their mission statement of “Developing citizens of character, dedicated to serving their nation and community.”