YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - The Yuba City Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps 60 participants packed the North Gym at Yuba City High School on Thursday, January 19 with a ton of family of friends watching on as they celebrated their yearly anniversary inspection.

Retired US Navy retired Lieutenant Maury Castaneda oversees the program that has students from Yuba City and River Valley High school to make up the 60 students in the 2022-23 school year.

Castaneda told the Dispatch that his JROTC program is a place where students come to be leaders and learn life lessons, unlike the most common belief that it is a military class.

The yearly inspection consisted of making sure the uniform was ready for proper wear at a special event.

Ribbons were to be placed in the correct order, boots shined to see a great reflection and covers (hats) were placed at proper angles to eventually be rendered for hand salutes are some of the minimum requirements the Yuba City JROTC went through in their inspection.

At the event, the students displayed military traditions such as drill (rifle) tosses, marching and awards were given out for hard work.

Distinguished guests such as Yuba City Unified School District Superintendent Doreen Osumi were present for the event along with multiple staffers of the Yuba City administration.

Castaneda expressed to the Dispatch that he wanted to give back to the youth post his active military when he was honorably discharged in 2016.

“I saw the opportunity to teach tomorrow’s youth, who are the future leaders of tomorrow and to attempt impact to help them lead in the future,” Castaneda said.

Castaneda also got the students and fans pumped with his battle cry followed by former wrestling superstar Rick Flair’s famous Woooo!

As an advisor of the program, Castaneda placed members (students) to be in charge of the group. As Yuba City JROTC follows the USN style, three students were overall at the top of the chain of command included with the Commanding Officer (first), Executive Officer (second), and Command Master Chief (highest enlisted senior personnel).

Yuba City senior Trevor Pullar was promoted to his newest title of Master Chief during the evening for his hard work and countless efforts throughout the program and Castaneda surprised many everyone during the night with doing it on the spot.

“Every other rank I received, I was told you’re gonna be this rank on this day, I worked hard for it,” Pullar expressed to the Dispatch.

Pullar enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as a combat engineer and is set to leave for boot camp on June 12.

River Valley senior and Cadet Lieutenant Commander Anthony Valdez is the Commanding Officer for Castaneda’s crew and is a leader by example.

Valdez exclaimed to the Dispatch that a good leader does everything the leader says they want their personnel to follow so he is always front and center when he is giving an order/command to his fellow cadets.

“I do my best by not just telling people what to do, but actually being out there and doing it with them,” Valdez said.

Valdez said one of the biggest lessons he has learned from Castaneda was a quote from his freshman year in the program when he heard that life isn’t fair so don’t keep score, stuff happens and you need to work through it.

Valdez enlisted in the Marine Corps as a member of a helicopter flight crew and leaves in June around the same time as Pullar.

Yuba City senior Joseph Deards and Cadet Lieutenant, who is the Executive Officer mentioned that after he moved to Yuba City, just before his junior year began, he saw the JROTC program one day after school and had no idea what it was so he inquired Castaneda about the program.

Deards expressed to the Dispatch for people who have no idea what the JROTC career class is about.

“It’s more focused on building leadership skills with basic skills that are needed to succeed during life,” Deards said.

Deards added, no matter what path you decide to take beyond high school whether joining one of the second armed forces branches or further education, the class will help you build the fundamentals and help you succeed.

Deards is attempting to apply to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland to become a commissioned officer to become a naval aviator.

With this senior class being Castaneda’s first graduating class, he said his favorite memory will be to have been able to see their growth over time in the program.