Stanhope Elmore JROTC honors more than 100 cadets at awards ceremony

More than 100 Stanhope Elmore cadets were recognized in the school gym, where families, community members and presenters packed the 14th annual Army JROTC awards ceremony and underscored how deeply the Mustang Battalion reaches beyond a single school event. The program counted 216 cadets this year, giving the night a scale that reflected the reach of JROTC in Millbrook and the role it plays in shaping students for what comes next.

At the center of the battalion were Senior Army Instructor Command Sgt. Maj. Nathaniel Bartee and Army Instructor Sgt. 1st Class Wayne Kindley, who guided the cadets through another year built around the Army JROTC mission of citizenship, service, personal responsibility, leadership, wellness and life skills. Stanhope Elmore’s own JROTC motto captures that goal plainly: “To Motivate Young People To Be Better Citizens.” For cadets who may go on to military service, college, public service or local jobs, the program is designed to build habits that travel with them long after high school.

The ceremony also highlighted a run of measurable success that has made the Mustang Battalion one of the most visible student groups in the area. The battalion’s 2025 Raider team won the Alabama State Raider Champions title in the mixed division, and the 2026 Alabama A&M State Physical Fitness Champions were Emanuel Peralta, Anthony Abete, Samaria Hughes and Rekeria Tyes. Stanhope Elmore also finished second overall at the 2026 Alabama A&M State Drill Meet, another sign that the cadets are competing at a high level in more than one discipline.

Individual recognition reached into the air rifle program as well. Cadet Capt. Emanuel Peralta and Cadet Sgt. 1st Class Jakayla Milton were named the top shooters on the 2025-26 Air Rifle Team, adding another layer to a year already marked by state-level hardware. The battalion’s Raider program has been especially strong, winning the 2025 Alabama Raider Challenge at Grissom High School in Huntsville and later finishing fourth in the nation at Fort Knox, Kentucky, after being founded in 2024 and placing 38th in its first national appearance.

The awards night also carried a civic message. At last year’s ceremony, Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley presented the Mayor’s Community Service Award of Excellence, and recipients had each completed at least 150 hours of documented service. That kind of record shows why the Mustang Battalion matters: it is not just a school club collecting trophies, but a public pipeline for disciplined students who are learning how to lead, serve and represent their community well.