Operation Appreciation
Cadets from six area high school programs gathered recently at Ocala’s veterans park for the first-ever JROTC Challenge.
Nicholas Nastav, 14, a cadet with the Vanguard High School U.S. Navy JROTC drill team is silohouetted as he flips his rifle in the air during the JROTC Challenge at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, March 14, 2025. The Friends of the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Park Foundation hosted “Operation Appreciation” to show support for tomorrow’s leaders. The event included six Marion County JROTC units, with about 200 cadets in attendance. The cadets competed in fun exercises from military drills to competitive ball games and other areas for the JROTC Challenge traveling trophy. Organizers said that it was the first time all six local JROTC units have gathered for a competition. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Cadets from the Belleview High School Air Force JROTC program bested fellow cadets from five other local high school programs in military style drills and athletics to take home the traveling trophy in the first ever JROTC Challenge, dubbed Operation Appreciation.
The roughly four-hour event saw at least 175 cadets gather for what organizers called Operation Appreciation for the young people who will be tomorrow’s leaders. The event took place March 14 at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park.
The gathering of the six JROTC units came about through a collaboration between Ron Oppliger, chairman of the nonprofit Friends of Marion County Veterans Park Foundation, and Glenn and Laura Dunn, who are involved in faith-based home schooling and youth and family activities, in partnership with six JROTC leaders.
“The event was a win-win on multiple levels. The park volunteers really enjoyed honoring the retired officers as well as the cadets under their auspices. The cadets experienced a fantastic time of recreational fun and, most important, were the relationships forged amongst the cadet, community and each other. Many expressed their anticipation of next year’s event,” said Glenn Dunn.
USAF Lt. Col. Brian Holbein, senior aerospace science instructor for the BHS program, said garnering the first traveling trophy is a “feather in their caps” for the school’s cadets. He said the cadets excelled in events including the individual drill regulation “knock out,” in which they are penalized for any deviation from the requirements. Holbein said his cadets enjoyed meeting other cadets in a different type of setting. He said the goal of the JROTC program overall is to build “well rounded citizens of character.”
Other high school senior instructors participating in the event were USAF Maj. George Clarke, Forest, Air Force JROTC; Col. Keith Cunningham, North Marion Air Force JROTC; Master Chief Gary Wise, Vanguard Navy JROTC; Army Maj. Richard Telesco, West Port Army JROTC; and Army Col. Carlos Lopez, Lake Weir Army JROTC.
MSgt. Thomas Young, an aerospace science Instructor with the BHS JROTC, said about 20 of the 156 cadets in their program participated in the event and that he believes the competition will grow with time.
“The cadets were honored to receive the trophy for the first annual Marion County JROTC challenge. Both Lt. Col. Holbein and I are extremely proud of our cadets for their accomplishments. Our cadets look forward to defending the trophy next year,” Thomas wrote in an email after the event.
Joel Irizarry, 18, a BHS cadet for three years, commented on the “social” aspect of the gathering and felt it was “the best thing to ever happen.”
Kaylee Reynolds, 18, who has been in the BHS program for about three years, plans to attend the College of Central Florida to study nursing upon graduation. She finds the BHS program very “family oriented.”
A number of family members were on hand to support their cadets. Magdalena Perez came to support her niece, Celeny Perez, 15, with the NMHS group, and beamed as she followed the competition closely.
Stacie Causey, public relations manager with Marion County, was on hand to support her daughter, Uriel Causey, 15, a member of the LWHS unit. Uriel said she felt “motivated” by the competition.
Stacie Causey said she is “very proud” of her daughter and “feels better” about the next generation of military leaders after seeing the commitment and leadership demonstrated by all the cadets involved in the event.
LWHS had about 30 of 150 cadets in the overall program, according to an official. Cadet Jason Weston, 17, saw the event as a “great opportunity” for the cadets to show their skills in the competitions.
Branden Croft, 18, was one of the Forest High School Wildcats competing in the event.
Cunningham said about 20 of 100 NHMS total cadets in the school’s program attended the event.
“This is a chance to see the cadets from other schools and let our program’s cadets know they are part of something bigger,” he said.
He said the JROTC Challenge was “competitive but friendly” and “very social.”
Christian Reese, 18, with the NMHS program, said JROTC has taught him character traits including discipline, responsibility and other “life lessons.” He plans to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
Marco Saucedo,18, was one of the WPHS cadets involved in the event. He was standing by as Telesco conducted a competition. Telesco called the cadets “great kids.” He said groups of cadets from the WPHS program volunteer to clean up the park and remove residue from the hundreds of memorial bricks etched with veterans’ names.
Vietnam War veteran and park volunteer Charles Whitehead said while observing the Challenge that it was “good to see the youth engaged.”
Wise said about 40 of 190 cadets in the VHS program participated in the challenge. His wife, Erica Wise, was on hand to support their son, cadet Hayden Wise, 17. She said the event was an opportunity for her son “to be with his peers” in an atmosphere of leadership.
The JROTC Challenge was meant to show support for the country’s next generation of leaders, like VHS cadet and officer Elizabeth Daubenmire, 18, with the program four years. She showed her enthusiasm by donning the VHS Knight mascot outfit for the event.
Daubenmire plans to study nuclear engineering and with a four-year scholarship through the JROTC program and hopes to attend the University of Florida prior to five years of service in the Navy.
Daubenmire said she wrote some something she feels is important in her scholarship application letter: “I think our country is worth fighting for,” she said.
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