The Douglas High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program is hosting its annual change of command and awards night 4-8:30 p.m. Thursday on the Douglas High School football field.
Outgoing battalion commander, Cadet Col. Robert Park, a graduating senior, will be turning over command of the Tiger Battalion to Cadet Maj. Cole Sonnemann, currently a junior.
The ceremony will include a formal inspections of the cadet battalion, the ceremonial passing of the organizational colors, and a pass in review, in which the battalion marches in from of the incoming and outgoing commanders. The entire event should take 45 minutes.
After a break for dinner, the battalion will reconvene in the high school commons around 6 p.m. for award presentations.
Awards night will begin with awards from patriotic, fraternal and community organizations for about an hour.
After a 15-minute intermission, awards within the JROTC program will begin, including team participation awards, academic awards, athletic awards, military awards and the announcement of the superior cadet for each level of the program, along with cadet of the year.
"This is our third annual awards night," said Master Sgt. Gary Collier. "It is also the third year of JROTC at Douglas High School. This will mark the first year cadets will graduate who have spent a full three years in the JROTC program. We have 20 graduating seniors."
