MACON, Ga. — The Dublin Air Force JROTC program at Dublin High is being recognized for its community service across central Georgia. We traveled down to Laurens County to see what inspired the students to give back and a big way.
At Dublin High School in Laurens County, Air Force JROTC students like Core Commander Violet Marion are out of school but continue to reminisce on the good times of the program.
"I can spend time with the JROTC program while having fun and getting things done," Marion said.
Recent Dublin High School graduate and former Core Commander Maridel Hidalgo said, " I really feel like this year was the difference of it all, and I trust the program more than ever this year."
The students celebrate helping their community this school year and are getting honored for it.
"It's amazing we worked so hard for this, you know everybody is working, you know, everybody is willing, you know to come as a team," Airman Ricardo Alvarado said.
"It feels amazing cause everybody wasn't just sitting down. Everybody wanted to help," Airman Ja'shum Carswell said.
The student's in the program completed more than 5,000 hours of community service, earning them recognition for their Distinguished Unit Award.
"It's the second year in a row we have received the Distinguished Unit with Merit; it goes out to about five percent of the JROTC units; we have, I think, 834 in the United States, " JROTC Instructor Philip Baham said.
Baham says he is proud of his students for racking up community service hours by helping out people in Dublin and across central Georgia. The students we spoke with explained why they helped and some of their projects.
"The color guard and saber teams events, performing for basketball games and football games, the push board was so much," Maridel Hidalgo said.
"You are doing a job for people that are older than you. It kind of gives off a respect thing and shows like that you really care for other people as well as yourself," Carswell said.
While these students are excited about the honor they earned, they have the Air Force's values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all at the forefront of their service.