The Herriman High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps is making its mark as a leadership program. Although it’s only the second year for the JROTC Mustang Battalion at HHS, it won the state championship in orienteering last fall, beating defending champions West High School. The event involved using a map and compass to navigate to outdoor checkpoints.

The team consisted of nine cadets: Cpl. Gary Fiedler (team commander),  Pfc. Parker Evans (executive officer), Staff Sgt. Andres Vegas, Cpl. Tucker Mortensen, Pfc. Caeden Argyle, Pfc. Collin Nielson, Pvt. Presley Evans, Pvt. Jack Simpson and Darrell Holt.

“We were excited about it since we’ve only been here one year,” retired Sgt. 1st Class Konrad Wilson said. “This is our second season, and this is the first season where we actually almost had a full team.”

Wilson leads Herriman’s JROTC Mustang Battalion which has grown from 30 students last year to nearly 60 this year. He said the orienteering championships consisted of three events: a cross-country navigation based on speed, a relay event to test team leadership and a partner challenge where teams had to find as many navigation points as they could in an hour. 

“It’s pretty cool to have the trophy sitting right next to us for the state championship,” Simpson said. “Being a part of the orienteering team, I got introduced to a lot of people in JROTC and started building friendships with them. This year, as a junior, I decided to come and join. I plan to be a naval aviator in the future and an officer in the United States Navy. So I thought this would be an awesome opportunity for me.”

Wilson said a misconception about the JROTC is it’s only for high school students who want to pursue military careers. He considers the program to be a course on leadership development and life skills that will benefit any student’s future career choices. 

While the course includes classroom lecture time, it often consists of out-of-class, hands-on training. Along with the orienteering team, the Mustang Battalion also has a raider team which is more physically challenging. Members tie knots, do lots of push-ups and participate in a timed three-mile hike and problem-solving exercises. 

The JROTC also offers archery, precision rifle marksmanship, drone handling, color guard and drill. Wilson hopes to get a robotics program next year as well as compete in more academic challenges. 

“They also do service projects and have opportunities to go out and to meet and work with a lot of the civic leadership,” Wilson said. “They get out in the community and they’re involved. The JROTC is about people who want to be better citizens, people who want to be involved in the community and learn how to do things. It’s a fun class.”

Fiedler said he joined the JROTC because he plans to enlist in the military when he graduates. He enjoys the teamwork and appreciates the friendships he’s created through the program. 

“I thought it was a good way to develop my leadership skills and learn how the military works so that I can be more prepared as I go into that career,” Fiedler said. “It’s really great for team building, like doing the competition, and everyone is being a team and having fun together.”

The Mustang Battalion is the first JROTC in the Jordan School District. Students from Copper Hills and Bigham High School are also invited to participate in the HHS program. λ