GCHS JROTC Receives Gold Star After Inspection
On February 10, 2026, Garden City High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) received word that its hard work pays off by representing the school in a formal inspection, from 3rd Brigade, Army Cadet Command, obtaining the highest level of achievement, the Honor Unit of Distinction, the Gold Star.
The gold star is a very prestigious honor from the Army, and it is not easily earned by a JROTC program. “The gold star is translated as the honor unit with distinction. Statistically, 10% of JROTC units achieve the gold star. It is something that our school and students should be very proud of,” said First Sergeant Stephen Peterson, JROTC Army Instructor at Garden City High School.
The JROTC is a program consisting of a series of classes at the high school where students can attend all four years, which aspires to help students strengthen their leadership skills and become better citizens. “The JROTC is a citizenship and leadership class at Garden City High School, designed specifically for students to achieve their goals and be successful in life, whether that is college, the workforce, or even the military,” said First Sergeant Peterson.
The formal inspection occurs once every three years for the program at Garden City High School. This year, members of 3rd Brigade from Chicago, Illinois, Cadet Command, came to formally inspect the GCHS JROTC and graded them on how well they meet academic criteria in a timely manner, inspect their cadets,and evaluate their color guard. “In the inspection, the Garden City High School’s JROTC was being graded on leadership skills, academic information, and synchronized marching skills. This included preparing their companies for inspection utilizing correct commands, conducting formal presentations and speeches, and the Cadet Portfolio inspection that required cadets from all Leadership, Education and Training (LET) levels to answer academic questions from information covered within their classrooms. A complete representation of what our cadets have learned, but also what we as instructors teach,” said First Sergeant Peterson.
Obtaining the gold star is based on points and percentages scored in all categories. Garden City High School’s JROTC has a great deal to be proud of, by exceeding the standards. “There are three color rankings: a white star, a blue star, and a gold star, and the points are out of 600. Garden City High School received a 95% or higher on each item and got a total of 576 points, which is absolutely exceeding the standard. Our Cadets crushed it this year.” said First Sergeant Peterson.
The cadets performed extremely well during the inspection. They worked very hard in preparing for the inspection by studying a total of 22 possible questions inspectors could have asked during the review. “We had 181 cadets representing GCHS’s JROTC. Each cadet was asked three questions from the judges. Totaling 543 questions, we only missed 16. Our cadets work and studied hard,” said First Sergeant Peterson.
The JROTC prepared for the inspection through a lot of effort, focus, and working with cadets on educating them in certain areas that were looked at during the inspection. “We taught the cadets how to put together their uniform and insignia, how to react to the marching commands and execute them correctly, how to answer the questions and how to identify shortcomings and make on-spot corrections. Staff members have checklists to prepare for the inspection also,” said Isaiah Gonzales-Ruiz, Buffalo Brigade Commander and a senior this year.
Two of the most important areas covered in the inspection are the color guard and the platoon drill. Garden City High School received excellent scores in both aspects of the inspection. “Our color guard is the group who marches with two flags and two rifles. Certain commands have to be given. They also inspect what is called the platoon drill. This is when a commander gives a series of commands within a specific sequence to that platoon, and they have to execute them as best as possible,” said Brigade Command Sergeant Major Alina Perez.
The JROTC, through its hard work and commitment, accomplished goals and exceeded standards by receiving a gold star. “I am very proud of our Cadets and our program in achieving the gold star, Honor Unit of Distinction. The JROTC leadership team at the high school is made up of Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Burr, First Sergeant Stephen Peterson, and Sergeant First Class William Witzke, who set a high standard of excellence for the program. This truly demonstrates how dynamic our program here at Garden City is and our great cadets,” said First Sergeant Peterson.
