Washington Township Air Force Jr. ROTC Receives Inspection from Regional Director James Garcia
For Immediate Release
December 6, 2024
Inspector James Garcia speaks with unit leadership including (left to right) Cadet 2nd Lt. Dayton Lundberg, Cadet 1st Lt. Aryanna Rusi,Cadet Lt. Col. Audrey Dalessandro, Cadet 1st Lt. Celestino Stanfa, and Cadet Technical Sgt. Callisto Taraborelli.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – Members of the Washington Township High School’s Air Force Jr. ROTC program welcomed James Garcia to campus on Friday, December 6, 2024. Garcia is the Regional Director for Air Force JROTC Region 6, based out of Montgomery, Alabama. He was at WTHS on Friday to perform what now is an annual full inspection of the school’s corps. Previously, these inspections were held every three years, but the Air Force has changed protocol and will inspect units each year using slightly fewer points than in the past.
Garcia is responsible for inspections throughout New Jersey, and in other states, as well. There are more than 900 JROTC programs across the country, and more than 120,000 cadets in all. The WTHS corps includes 102 cadets.
“We aren’t military recruiters. Our mission is to develop leaders for our community,” said Garcia, a New Jersey native who still owns a home in nearby Clayton. “We want to make sure these cadets aren’t just learning about leadership, but exercising it, as well.”
Garcia’s visit to WTHS started with an administrative briefing that included Superintendent of Schools Dr. Eric Hibbs, WTHS Executive Principal Ray Anderson, Booster Club treasurer Santa Carey, Booster Club president Dawn Heil, Town Councilman Peter Del Borello and Mayor-elect Anthony Dellapia, and District social studies department chair Jeff Snyder. He then met with the high school counseling staff before attending a unit briefing, led by Cadet Technical Sgt. Callisto Taraborelli and the rest of the unit’s leadership, which included speakers: Cadet Lt. Col. Audrey Dalessandro; Cadet 1st Lt. Celestino Stanfa; Cadet 1st Lt. Aryanna Rusi; and Cadet 2nd Lt. Dayton Lundberg. During the briefing, Garcia went through the unit’s presentation piece-by-piece, asking questions to officers and cadets at large, requesting clarification on information they presented.
Next, inside the school’s 11/12 gymnasium, Garcia inspected each of the unit’s flight wings, speaking to each cadet individually. He also inspected the unit’s 2nd Year 30-Command Drill team, led by Cadet TSgt. Callisto Taraborelli, chatting with them about their drill shortly thereafter.
Garcia wrapped up the formal portion of the visit with the cadet with a short speech that culminated in him presenting a very special leadership coin to Cadet Capt. Grant Heil. Garcia was impressed with Heil’s efforts in creating the corps’ robotics program.
Garcia also helped Lt. Col. Beth Ann Lumpkin and Master Sgt. Jeffrey Hood present two Washington Township cadets with the 2024-25 Top Performance Recognition certificate, which goes to only the top 2 percent of cadets. Honorees included Cadet 1st. Lt. Celestino Stanfa and Cadet TSgt. Callisto Taraborelli.
Garcia later went over the unit’s financial books and observed the unit curriculum, as taught by Lt. Col. Lumpkin and MSgt. Jeffrey Hood, before concluding his day with an out-brief with the instructors and principal Anderson.
Inspector James Garcia (center) speaks with District administration during an in-brief at the start of his day at Washington Township High School. Pictured include (clockwise from front left): senior instructor Lt. Col. Beth Ann Lumpkin, WTHS executive principal Ray Anderson, superintendent of schools Dr. Eric Hibbs, Garcia, District social studies department supervisor Jeff Snyder.
Garcia watches closely as the unit’s 2nd Year 30-Command Drill team, led by Cadet TSgt. Callisto Taraborelli, goes through its drill.
Garcia speaks to cadet William Kimmerley as part of the inspection of the individual unit flight wings.
- WTPS -
