GREENFIELD — The 246th Battalion of the California Cadet Corps of Greenfield High School hosted a Fall Awards Night on Nov. 29 to award and promote cadets for their dedication and improvement.
The Fall Awards Night was an event to celebrate and recognize the events the cadets completed during the semester. Nearly 30 cadets were promoted and more than 200 awards were distributed.
“This was my second time attending this event. It was something special for me because I was recognized for my work as S-4 (Logistics Officer), and I was also proud that my team was also recognized since they work hard at their jobs,” said Second Lt. Cinthya Merino. “I liked seeing my cadets being recognized and seeing how excited their families were for them. Also having received it from my commander since it was an honor for me to receive and listen to the words she said and the time she had to recognize my effort.”
Family and friends gathered to enjoy dinner and celebrate cadets for their hard work.
“Awards Night was something very special for me because my parents were going to see how much I accomplished in such a short amount of time,” said Sgt. Aracely Rojas. “It was an amazing experience for me to be able to present an award to some of my fellow cadets. A special moment for me was receiving the honor unit ribbon. It was one of the most important moments for me seeing how much I’ve grown as a cadet.”
Many parents were able to see the efforts of their children and be able to motivate them so that they can surpass themselves if they set their goal. Attending this event allows cadets to honor each other and be honored for their effort, discipline and loyalty.
“I liked how the project officer took their time planning the Awards Night, how they decorated the tables and how they made the event look elegant and made the families feel welcome,” said First Lt. Valeria Arteaga. “Many cadets were promoted for all their hard work. The cadets had their families present, which really made the night.”
At the end of the event, many cadets took home awards. Some of the awards that were given were PT (Physical Training) for passing the physical fitness exam; Honor Unit, the most honorable award one can receive; Color Guard; and Recondo Badge, one of the most difficult to earn.
“Something that I like was a lot of people were promoted and a lot of wins,” said Cadet Natalie Cervantes.
