Iowa State’s Navy ROTC drill team earned first place at a drill competition in Oxford, Ohio, over the weekend.

The drill competition included five different activities for the midshipmen to complete: a platoon drill, squad drill, color guard, endurance race and shooting competition.

The Iowa State unit earned first place, including top results in the endurance race and color guard portions.

“It’s about competition, earning bragging rights, but also about networking because the [Navy] is a small community and you’ll see these people again,” Michael Johnson, a junior who led the shooting team, said.

Six units competed, three of which participated in all portions and were eligible for the overall top spot: Iowa State, Ohio State and Miami.

Freshmen in the Navy ROTC unit at Iowa State are required to attend the drill competition, but beyond those students, participation is optional.

“Freshmen get a great experience,” Michael Johnson said. “It’s three days immersed in a military environment and you can learn a ton, plus it’s important to also see the leadership styles of the other units.”

Michael Johnson decided not to participate on the shooting team or any other portion and instead led.

“I decided to just show the midshipmen that will take over for me how it’s done,” Michael Johnson said.

The shooting competition included a pistol and rifle portion, with Johnson’s team placing second and third, respectively.

The Iowa State team in the platoon drill competition, which was led by Bjorn Johnson, placed second. During the drill, groups of midshipmen marched while their leader shouted certain instructions.

Bjorn Johnson also was the drill team commander, which involved much of the planning and organization for the group. 

“I helped coordinated going to the meet and picking the captains for each of the competing teams,” Bjorn Johnson said.

Michael Johnson and Bjorn Johnson have competed in the drill meets in each of their three years at Iowa State, but this was the first time the unit has earned the top honor.

“It definitely is a morale booster to get that first place spot,” Bjorn Johnson said. “You could tell everybody that was there was happy about it, but as drill team commander, I tried to press on everyone to remain humble because that’s an important leadership characteristic.”

Beyond the competition aspect, the drill meet serves as an opportunity for the midshipmen to connect to those from the other units as well. Each student there hopes to be an officer in the Navy one day, and there’s a good chance they’ll interact with people who came from units they compete against.

“It’s a good way to build relationships amongst ourselves, but also among the other units because, as we get told all the time, you’re going to see people that you competed against at drill meets and you’ll already have relationships to build on,” Bjorn Johnson said.

The ROTC program has a purpose of preparing students to become officers in the military, and teaching leadership is a large part of that. For upperclassmen like Johnson, experience is one of the best ways to learn leadership, so competitions like this drill meet are excellent learning opportunities.

“Every little bit of leadership and knowledge that can be acquired throughout my time at Iowa State will make me a better officer once I graduate,” Johnson said.

Cutlines:

FB: Over the weekend, Iowa State Navy ROTC students took first place at a drill competition and used the experience to grow.

“Every little bit of leadership and knowledge that can be acquired throughout my time at Iowa State will make me a better officer once I graduate,” said Michael Johnson.

Twitter: A drill meet in Ohio saw the Cyclone’s Navy ROTC earn first place honors over the weekend.