Family matters: Siblings help form cores of top cadet teams

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Cadet 2nd Lt. Jordan Hargis, left, with his back to the camera, leads his three brothers – (from left), Cadet Capt. Michael Hargis, Cadet Airman 1st Class Malachi Hargis and Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Josh Hargis – through a drill team routine at the 2009 National Cadet Competition.

Photo by Capt. Tammi L. Miller


Capt. Tammi L. Miller
Public Affairs Officer
Cass County Composite Squadron
Missouri Wing

WASHINGTON – The National Cadet Competition proved to be a family affair for many participants this year, with several sets of siblings uniting on drill and color guard teams.

With such an extraordinary amount of practice time required for a team to make it to the national level, families have come together to create winning teams and to spend more time together.

Three sets of siblings accounted for half of the Middle East Region’s drill team, from the North Carolina Wing’s Apex Cadet Squadron.

Cadet Col. Olivia Barrow, commander, and her brother, Cadet 2nd Lt. Peter Barrow, enjoyed teaming up on the drill team. Asked what her dream was for the competition, Cadet Col. Barrow said, “Peter is our strongest runner and I would love to see him win the Fleet Foot Award. In addition, I also would really like to win the highest written test score, since we both won at the region level.”

For Olivia Barrow, the dream true.

The drill team was co-led by Lt. Col. Pam Landreth-Strug, whose three sons -- Cadet Col. Ryan Strug, team commander the previous two years, and Cadet 2nd Lt. Justin Strug and Cadet Staff Sgt. Logan Strug -- are also active team members.

Cadet Staff Sgt. Matthew Ahlers and Cadet Senior Airman Philip Ahlers made up the team’s third set of siblings.

The Middle East Region color guard was commanded by Cadet Sr. Master Sgt. Christina North -- whose younger sister, Cadet Senior Airman Aleasha North, was one of five members of the team, which came from the North Carolina Wing’s Burlington Composite Squadron. Aleasha North said there really wasn’t any competition between the two, whose relationship seemed to help create a family feeling on the team.

The North Central Region drill team, members of the Missouri Wing’s Cass County Composite Squadron, boasted the four Hargis brothers -- Cadet Capt. Michael, Cadet 2nd Lt. Jordan, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Josh and Cadet Airman 1st Class Malachi.

Michael has been on the Cass County drill team for five years now and acted as commander for the 2007 team. Jordan, the 2009 commander, has been on the squad for four years, as has Josh, who took a year off from participating before rejoining the team in 2009. The youngest brother, Malachi, made his drill team debut this year.
Although all four brothers have put in countless hours of practice and preparation, Capt. Carla Hargis, their mother, is the driving force behind the family – a supporter who rarely misses any of the competitions no matter how far the drive.

The Eggenberger siblings have also made a name for themselves not just on the Cass County drill team, but also in National Cadet Special Activities. Cadet Capt. Kenna Eggenberger and Cadet 2nd Lt. Lucas Eggenberger have been on the Cass County team for the past five years, with Lucas commanding the 2006 and 2008 teams.
 
Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Karra Miller has competed on the past three Missouri Wing teams with her mother, Capt. Tammi Miller, acting as a co-instructor.

“I feel encouraged and supported by having my mom on the team,” Karra Miller said, “especially since she’s usually such an optimistic person.”

No matter where the team originates, having siblings and parents on any drill team or color guard team definitely seems a motivator for success. Every cadet seemed to relish the family relationship, strengthened by the quality and quantity of time spent preparing for the National Cadet Competition, where “the Best Meets the Best.”