03/27/2024
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The drill team of the Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy won the National John J. Pershing Memorial Drill Competition in March. The team competed in seven events performing exhibition and regulation drills. The meet has been conducted for about 100 years.

“They are the first high school to ever win this meet,” said Col Carl Lloyd, Commandant of Cadets. There were 23 drill teams competing and only two were high schools –Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy and Camden Military Academy of Camden, SC.

Col. Carl Lloyd, Commandant of Cadets for Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy, said the drill team did not learn they had won the meet until a couple of weeks later. Col. Lloyd said when he picked up the team’s score card after the meet ended, he thought something wasn’t right. He said he asked the officials to investigate the scores.

Col. Lloyd said officials with the National John J. Pershing Memorial Drill Competition contacted the school to notify them there had been a mistake in the scoring and the Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy’s Drill Team had indeed won the meet. The Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy won the overall competition and placed second in Squad Regulation Drill (Armed) and Color Guard.

Col. Lloyd said learning the school had won the drill meet was a nice moment for the two senior members who helped to establish the drill team.

The Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy Drill Team is part of what is known as the Black Jacks Unit which is a high school affiliate of the National Society of Pershing Rifles, according to Col. Lloyd.

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