New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
New Bedford High School’s main gymnasium was packed with business and community leaders for Mayor Jon Mitchell’s annual State of the City Address on March 28. The huge assembly rose in unison as the school’s JROTC Color Guard entered for a traditional Presentation of Colors ceremony to officially start the municipal function. The Color Guard’s flawless execution according to precise military protocol is not surprising to those who know about their years of service, training and discipline.
Each school year, the New Bedford High School JROTC hosts two battalion formations – one in the winter and one in the spring. On March 27, the day before the State of the City, the JROTC conducted its second battalion formation of the year to recognize and promote student cadets.
The formation began with each of the five companies – Bravo, Charlie, Alpha, Delta, and Echo – taking turns to pronounce their company motto’s loud and proud. Following battalion formation, recognition and promotion exercises of cadets from each company were conducted.
Among those cadets recognized, Sergeant Edgar Feliciano was awarded the Professionalism Award. Sergeant Feliciano showed exceptional leadership skills when he assisted another student in the hallway – that every other student seemed to be ignoring. Sergeant Feliciano alerted school administration to get the other student the help that they needed.
The winner of the Honor Company Competition was also announced. Throughout the year, each company competes with one another to earn this prestigious title. With a score of 88 out of 100 points, the Delta Company prevailed by fractions of a point. To celebrate their much earned win, the Delta Company simultaneously and proudly shouted their motto.
Colonel (retired) Stephen Bethoney has been a Senior Army Instructor at New Bedford High since 2014. He and his other colleagues, Master Sergeant (retired) Raymond Como and Sergeant First Class (retired) Gerald Bedard, supervise the JROTC program.
The mission and purpose the JROTC program at New Bedford High school is to motivate young people and students to become better citizens and to teach citizen and leadership skills, while instilling self-esteem, teamwork, and discipline. The NBHS JROTC program has been the longest continually running program in the history of JROTC and has been in place since 1881.
Colonel Bethoney said that having these battalion formations, allows for the cadets to practice their command and leadership skills. The students led the formation with Bethoney, Como, and Bedard standing to the side supervising.
As the closing of the battalion formation commenced, Colonel Bethoney gave the cadets a spirited message to motivate them through to the end of the school year. He encouraged them to, “finish strong and continue the hard work.”
