VALDOSTA — The Air Force Junior ROTC at Lowndes High School has been recognized as one of the best units in the nation.

The Air Force announced that the Georgia-081 unit at Lowndes High was selected to receive the Air Force Junior ROTC Distinguished Unit Award for 2004-05.

“We’re very pleased to receive this award,” said Lt. Col. Dean Failor, senior aerospace science instructor. “It recognizes our unit, our school and our cadets on all our accomplishments.”

The distinguished unit award has been issued during the past three years with Lowndes High receiving it for two years. Lowndes High’s AFJROTC is one of 200 units to receive the award this year. The selection is made out of 746 high school units that are established nationwide.

Failor said this puts Lowndes High in the top 25 percent of high school units worldwide.

Master Sgt. Bruce Minnick, aerospace science instructor, said the selection process for ROTC units is based worldwide, including England, Germany, Guam and Puerto Rico.

“It’s a great achievement, it’s the top award the unit can receive,” Minnick said. “It shows that the unit is as good as all its cadets and their involvement in what goes on in the community.”

Minnick said Lowndes High’s ROTC participates in local events such as the Salvation Army’s Empty Stocking Fund, Veterans Day ceremonies and parades.

“(They’re) giving something back for what the community gives to us, for the support they show for ROTC” Minnick said. “Also, they get to practice their leadership skills and become better citizens, which is the goal of our program.”

In November, area administrator Col. John Vick visited Lowndes High to inspect the unit. Vick is responsible for inspecting AFJROTC units in Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico.

“When he visited, he said ours was the best unit he had seen so far,” Failor said. “I think it’s a good thing anytime anyone from the outside looks at your operation and compares you to other units. It makes you feel good that your organization is being recognized for their hard work.”

The distinguished unit award is based on those AFJROTC units that perform above and beyond normal expectations while conducting outstanding service to their school and community.

For earning the distinguished unit award, Failor said the ROTC program receives a certificate as well as a streamer for its unit flag.

“I’m really proud of the cadets’ leadership and senior staff,” Minnick said.

In addition, Failor said the award can be used to the cadets’ advantage when they write a resume or seek nomination to a military academy.

“If they are from a distinguished unit, our cadets who choose to, can get a direct nomination to all the different academies,” Failor said. “So, that’s an advantage, it’s an additional opportunity for anyone in the unit that may want to apply to West Point or other academies. It might help when we write resumes for our cadets. We can use this as the fact that they were a leader in a distinguished unit.”