GMC Prep hosted 13 other schools' JROTC programs for Junior Cadet Leadership Camp for the first time ever this summer. Students stayed in the barracks on campus and participated in leadership activities throughout each day. 

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A total of 290 JROTC students from around the state were on campus at Georgia Military College as the prep school hosted 13 other schools for Junior Cadet Leadership Camp (JCLC) earlier this month.

GMC Prep sent 43 cadets to the camp, which was the largest group to ever attend a JCLC.

Junior Cadet Leadership Camp is a U.S. Army Cadet Command-sponsored program that that provides cadets an opportunity to practice leadership skills, team building, and adventure training in a hands-on military environment, according to a press release from GMC Prep.

Cadets began each day with PT at 5:30 a.m. and participated in different activities including obstacle courses, rappel towers, and a leadership reaction course, all on the GMC campus. Students also visited the GMC lake lot for canoeing exercises and the pool at Georgia College for drown-proofing.

“The kids were very ecstatic about having the opportunity to do the different events,” said Col. Duane Clayton, who oversaw the camp. “In the evening they did a lot of intramural sports events that we have full capability of providing for them.”

Cadets handled various leadership positions and responsibilities throughout the week, and were evaluated on their performances. A graduation ceremony was held at the close of camp, and a total of 18 awards were handed out. GMC Prep students took home seven of the 18 awards including the Camp Commander’s Advanced Cadet Leadership Award earned by Jack Watkins.

“[The Advanced Cadet Leadership Award] was determined through the cadre members, and only three of the 35 cadre members were from GMC,” said Clayton. “[The cadre members] picked one or two from their company and sent them to a board that grilled those guys over current events and general knowledge kind of stuff that they should have known from taking JROTC classes back in school. They had to do a PT test, and so all of those kinds of things went into play.”

Clayton added that the week was a huge success and that they hope to host even more schools in the future.

“The excitement that was here throughout the week was just tremendous,” he said. “The kids just thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity.”

Clayton also said that the camp provided an added recruiting benefit for the students.

“It gave them an opportunity to see what GMC is really like here on the campus. So if they decided to come here, they’re not coming into it blind as far as that goes. We had an opportunity to do a pitch on the last day on what GMC is all about and possible scholarship opportunities and that kind of stuff. It kind of opened their eyes to what GMC can really do for them. I think that’s a huge opportunity for the school but also for the community because if some of those kids decide to come here, that’s going to benefit the community because they’re going to be in the Milledgeville area.”