Serving the community is a hallmark of McClain’s Cadet Corps, and now in its sixth academic year the corps’ community commitment continues.

Cadets are regularly a part of events both locally and beyond. Since the corps began at McClain in 2018, each year cadets have served more and more and in recent years have logged more than 2,000 volunteer hours in a school year. Just this past summer alone, the cadets logged 685 hours and covered 1,339 miles attending 43 events, according to Master Sgt. John Wilson.

Wilson, a 1986 graduate of McClain who served two decades in the Air Force and for more than a decade led a successful cadet corps program at the Paint Valley schools, said the cadet corps provides assistance to not only the local community, but surrounding communities as well and in many ways.

Some of the things the cadets are involved in throughout the year include presenting the colors for sporting and civic events including professional sports like the Cincinnati Reds, providing support at multiple food pantries, working gates and concessions at high school and youth events, partaking in community cleanups, partnering with community and fraternal organizations to execute their events, hosting four blood drives each year, and ushering at the “Tecumseh” drama.

While those hours of serving the community are accomplished through a vast number of activities, one of the big ways the corps gives back is by providing military honors at the funerals of veterans. It is something that every military veteran that was honorably discharged is entitled to, Wilson said previously, but something that doesn’t always happen. With Wilson’s own experience in the Air Force Honor Guard for a large part of his military career, he is able to train the cadets in providing military honors so the cadets are able to provide those honors whenever it is needed.

“It’s our goal to make sure no veteran goes without military honors while I’m here,” Wilson said.

This service to the community is a fundamental part of being in the cadet corps. Other foundational elements, according to a poll of seniors, are being respectful and responsible, to better the community, being accountable, holding oneself continuously to a higher standard, and having a sense of purpose.

Wilson said that the overall mission of the program is not about getting students to sign up for the military, but more about the experience of the program, personal betterment, and serving the community.

This year there are 67 cadets in grades 8-12. The program is not just for students who intend to enter the military once they graduate, though the program would certainly give them an advantage if they did, Wilson said. The cadet corps is for any student interested, and is about giving students the tools and life skills that will benefit them no matter what path they choose after graduation.

“Similar to most academic classes, our military science curriculum teaches concepts and practices,” Wilson said. “The Cadet Corps separates from the mold by taking what’s learned in the classroom and applying it in real time life situations. Cadets leave secondary education with valuable life skills and credible leadership ability.”

The McClain Cadet Corps has its own Facebook page where posts are often made concerning cadet activities.

Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the Greenfield Exempted Village School District.