On Apr. 30, Cardozo NJROTC’s Drone Team traveled to the Georgia Tech. college campus to compete as Area TWO’s representatives against 26 other teams from across the nation.
The 2nd Annual Navy Junior ROTC Blue and Gold Aerial Classic National Drone Competition is coordinated by the REC Foundation. Other than this national competition, the REC Foundation hosts several other STEM events across the country. This competition was a huge step for the unit as it was Cardozo’s first appearance at a national competition.
Four cadets, Daron Dasilva, Benjamin Lee, Amar Abrams, and Kamar Simmons, represented Cardozo. They competed in Autonomous Flight using coding, a Piloting Skills Course, Teamwork Missions Course, and an in-depth interview with the organization.
With several other outstanding units competing, Cadet Dasilva believes that the team’s, “unique chemistry and skill set will set us apart from the other drone teams.”
“As the current Drone Captain, by allowing my team to understand that it’s okay to make mistakes and that we must try our best and triumph together,” Dasilva added.
To qualify for the JROTC Drone Aerial Blue and Gold National Championship, NJROTC units must typically advance through their designated Area Championship by placing high enough to receive an invitation, or by competing in specific qualifying events. Cardozo NJROTC’s drone team placed first at both first year and varsity level championships this year.
Cadet Abrams emphasized the hardships the team has faced, as well. “Fortunately our past drone leaders set the foundation for the team which gave us everything we needed to qualify, we just had to do what we do best,” Abrams said.
“I would say the hardest part about all this is the preparation, due to drones being in an NS1 competition the week prior and having to devote much time towards getting them as ready as possible.”
Dasilva added that qualifying, however, was a huge challenge. “In my opinion the hardest part of qualifying for nationals is the amount of competition that our area has and we must continue to practice daily and hard to ensure that we consistently make Drone Nationals every single year even after new leadership has been set.”
Simmons, a junior cadet, shared, “the most exciting thing about Nationals is the fact that it’s national and no longer restricted to just Area 2 schools.”
“This is a big step for the program and being able to compete at a national level with other powerhouse NJROTC programs all over the country,” Simmons added. “What sets our team apart from others is our mindset and dedication to our task. in the sense if we mess up we don’t let it affect us we analyze and keep trying until we get it right.”
This year’s nationals was a huge step for Cardozo’s NJROTC program, as they plan to continue practicing to qualify again in the years to come.
