JROTC Annual Review

Wa-Hi JROTC Annual Review and Change of Command Ceremony

On May 22, 2024, the Walla Walla High School Army JROTC program conducted their Annual Review and Change of Command ceremony. These events were conducted in honor of the 105th year of the program’s existence where the 105th Battalion Commander, Cadet Colonel (c/COL) Zuzim Garcia relinquished his command to the incoming, 106th Battalion Commander, Cadet Lieutenant Colonel (c/LTC) Hannah Goin.

During this momentous occasion, the battalion was formed and celebrated by the local community, parents and district leaders. LTC ShaiLin Kingslack, Commander of the United States Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, presided over the ceremony as the Reviewing Officer (RO). LTC Kingslack took the opportunity to address the cadets and those in attendance on her experiences as a leader within the military, as a commander, and what it means to be an effective leader within any organization. As the RO, LTC Kingslack conducted a military custom called “trooping the line” where she marched with the outgoing Commander to inspect the companies in formation. To complete the Annual Review, LTC Kingslack inspected the companies as they marched by.

The Senior Army Instructor (SAI) CSM (R) Anthony Marrero took the opportunity to speak to the battalion, highlighting key events which the battalion accomplished during the 2023-2024 school year. He promoted the incoming commander, and passed the colors from the outgoing commander, c/COL Garcia to the incoming commander, c/LTC Goin. CSM Marrero’s speech focused on the battalion’s recent U.S. Cadet Command, JROTC Program of Accreditation (JPA) where the unit scored within the top 10% of the 1,700 Army JROTC Programs in the world with an overall score of 98.5%. CSM Marrero highlighted c/COL Garcia’s accomplishments during his four years in the program and provided the incoming commander with words of wisdom for her senior year, reminding her and the battalion that “graduating high school should be their number one priority.”