May 8, 2025
As the end of the 2024-25 School Year approaches, a signature event of Prince George High School returned for its 41st year as dozens of cadets with the school's JROTC program were celebrated for excellence during their annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
SEE MORE PHOTOS: PGCPS on Flickr
Hosted in the school's gymnasium, JROTC instructors LTC Jason Pape, First Sgt. Clayton Plumley, and Sgt. Major Kevin Artis oversaw the evening's event with an audience of cadets dressed in their formal service uniforms, their friends, families, and members of the Prince George County School Board. While the trio of program leaders supported the event, it was the cadets themselves who executed the logistics of the event, reinforcing their commitment to cadet-led leadership.
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During the nearly two-hour event, nearly three dozen awards and recognitions were given out by a variety of organizations with military ties, including the American Legion, Daughters of the American Revolution, The Korean War Veterans Association, and many others. The word "Excellence" emblazoned on the wall overlooking the event aligned perfectly with the celebrations during the evening.
Additionally, the event took time to celebrate those cadets who have made the decision to join the armed forces, with some cadets receiving their stole they will have the opportunity to wear during graduation later this month.
This year's 41st Annual Prince George JROTC Awards Ceremony honorees are as follows:
- U.S. Army Recruiting Command - JROTC Achievement Award
- Cadet Rory Strosnider
- U.S Army Reserve Scholar-Athlete Award - JROTC Achievement Award
- Cadet Julia Webb
- Virginia Army National Guard
- Cadet Camilla Moses
- U.S. Air Force Recruiting
- Cadets Tiara Durham (Stole) & Briana Lopez Mendez (Medal)
- USMC Scholastic, Athlete, Musician Award
- Cadets Oliver Allen (Scholar); Reianna Mcdonald (Athlete); Trinitee Greene & Jamalri Herring (Musician)
- American Legion - General Military Excellence Award
- Cadet Madison Moore
- American Legion - Scholastic Excellence Award
- Cadet Janet Colon-Montalvo
- American Veterans (AMVETS) Award
- Cadet Valerie Clark
- Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Award
- Cadet Brianna Rowland
- Daedalians Award
- Cadet Randell Elliott
- Daughters of 1812 Award
- Cadets Taliah & Tamia Roots
- Daughters of the American Colonists (DAC) Award
- Cadet Ameera Miller
- Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Award
- Cadets Cyrilyn Clemens (Youth Citizen) & Isabella Flores (ROTC)
- Jewish War Veterans of the United States JROTC Award
- Cadet Bella Reynolds
- Korean War Veterans Association Award
- Cadet Julie Anderson
- Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Award
- Cadets Danielle Sims, Alexa Marsteller
- Military Family Support Trust (MSFT) Award
- Cadet London Merchant
- Military Order of Foreign Wars (MOFW) Silver Award for Academics
- Cadet Oliver Allen
- Military Order of Foreign Wars (MOFW) Bronze Award for Leadership
- Cadet Taliyah Jones
- Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) Award
- Cadet Edward Academia
- Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) Award
- Cadets Sebastian Torres-Lopez & Jayla Jones
- Non-Commissioned Officers Association Award (NCOA)
- Cadets Deladem Potakey; Alexander Aviles; Edward Academia
- Order of Founders & Patriots of America (OFPA) Award
- Cadet Abigail Koch
- Reserve Organization of America (ROA) - JROTC Award
- Cadets Taliyah Jones; Presley Hotchkiss; Sayria Jeter
- Scottish Rite of Freemasonry - JROTC Award
- Cadet Owen Griggs
- Scottish-American Military Society (SAMS) Award
- Cadet Abigail Koch
- Sojourners Award
- Cadet Jaheri White
- Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) JROTC Award
- Cadet Jack Keeler
Program History
Prince George High School's Army JROTC program was established during the 1983-84 school year, beginning with 25 cadets. Over the subsequent years, the program has grown to over 250 cadets in its 41st year of operation. Known as the Royals Battalion, the program has achieved many successes, including the successful regaining of its "Honor Unit with Distinction" designation. This honor, bestowed by the U.S. Army Cadet Command, represents the pinnacle of achievement for a JROTC unit, highlighting outstanding leadership, training, and engagement within the community.
The program is currently led by LTC Jason Pape, who arrived at Prince George High School in 2020 to serve as Senior Army Instructor, joining Sgt. Major Kevin Artis, who joined PGHS in 2018, and First Sgt. Clayton Plumley, who came to PGHS in 2016, as Army Instructors.