Matthew Willis

Reporter

The Raider Team at South is hard at work again, ready to take on another challenging year.

Map navigation, long distance running, and building overall physical and mental endurance is only part of what this student-led JROTC extracurricular entails.

Junior Carlos Velasquez, A-Team Commander, offered to elaborate.

“Raider Team provides an environment where a cadet can push his physical, mental, and emotional limits while building a tight knit brotherhood,” Velasquez said.

An investment of time is put in by all members. At 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Raider Team members practice and learn the skills needed to succeed in competition. Extra work is frequently scheduled by student commanders at other times. Competitions at the end of the week offer more opportunities for growth as a team, along with visiting distinguished academies and meeting others across the nation with similar interests in the military.

Junior Truman Delles, B-Team Commander, had more to say about the dedication Raider Team members exhibit.

“You wouldn’t believe the hard work this team puts in; the work they do is so inspiring,” Delles said.

The two competition teams at South have around 12 members each. For each event, a Raider Team has eight active competitors with one alternate. This ensures that a single team member participates in multiple team-building events.

Despite the toils that come with being a Raider Team member, some like the work simply for the grind.

“What I like about Raiders Team is that I get to come to South on Tuesday and Thursday nights and watch as my fellow students and I work hard for two hours straight,” Delles said.

Junior Jessika Tucker could speak in the place of many of her peers for her reasons for continuing being a part.

“I enjoy bonding as a team,” Tucker said.

Other activities may have similar purposes for remaining together, as the Raider Team is simply one of many groups that are living the legacy at South. Velasquez described what already defines several student organizations.

“In the end we’re a family,” Velasquez said.