The end of the school year is full of proms and dances, just magical nights where everyone feels they belong. Nobody would expect for one of the most magical nights to be run by Naugatuck High School’s Air Force JROTC at the third annual JROTC Military Ball.

On Friday, April 5, cadets of Naugatuck High School’s Air Force JROTC and their dates joined at Naugatuck High School at 5:00 PM to board a bus to the Torrington Elks Club where the military ball was held. Joining Naugatuck at the ball was Torrington and Windsor High Schools JROTC cadets and accompanied by their dates.

Male cadets were dressed in their JROTC uniforms and the women were dressed in formal elegant dresses.

Colonel Loftland for Naugatuck High Schools JROTC accompanied the cadets and sat at the head table with Major Spear, Lt Col Coulouras, CMSgt Ives, Mrs Patty Ives, C/ Christine Libbey, C/ Kyle vincent, C/ jonathan Schofield, C/ Derek McGrath, MSgt Sullivan and SMSgt Cross.

Guest speaker Chief Master Sergeant Brandon W. Ives was enlisted in the United States Air Force and received training as an Airlift Aircraft Maintenance Technician. Chief Ives was then stationed at McGuire AFB, N.J. Serving as a Lockheed C-141B Starlift Crew Chief, this doesn’t even begin to what Chief Ives has accomplished. Sharing his journey with the JROTC cadets and pushing them to continue their journey in the force whether its the Air Force or Marines or any other branch they are interested in.  

Presented at the ball by Cadet Ramino was the infamous Grog bowl, a large punch bowl filled with liquids from Sprite to soy sauce used to keep the cadets and their dates in formal order. If the rules of the mess had been broken a Cadet would have to call to the grog and send the Cadet who broke the mess rules to the front where they would march up, salute to the grog and take a cup of the  mixture, drinking as much as they can in one sip the turning the cup over to ensure they took every last drop. Needless to say nobody acted out of order.

Proceeding into the night was dinner, which was a choice of salads, pasta, sauteed vegetables, white codd, chicken breast with spinach, sliced roast, fried potatoes, and some amazing bread rolls. Table by table were sent up to get their dinner then return to their seat where they waited for the rest of their table guest to return and begin to enjoy their meals.

Comfortably full, the guests of the mess begin chatter and is called to order to present ball royalty and Naugatuck’s very own Kaylena DeVincentis and Zander Fairbrother were announced at Naugatucks JROTC ball royalties. Joining Windsors and Torrington’s royalties, they started the first dance of the evening.

For the rest of the evening the cadets and their dates joined on the dance floor for some slick moves.

JROTC cadets then gathered together for a game of KNOCK OUT which is a series of commands called to cadets to follow and if done even slightly wrong they were called out and disqualified, nobody ended up winning the game but it was good times watching the cadets follow commands with the music noise and people around the shut out.

The night was magical and elegant: sparkles from dresses dusted the navy blue uniforms of the cadets, the sounds of commands tattooed the walls, the guests speakers inspiring voice lined the tables of the dining room, the music and feet of everyone who touched the dance floor will forever be remembered at the Torrington Elks Club where the 2019 annual JROTC Military Ball was held.