3 Apache Junction NJROTC students to travel to NM for sail academy

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

Three students and an instructor at Apache Junction Unified School District are to travel to Cochiti Lake, New Mexico, in June for a Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps sail academy.

The trip was approved in a unanimous vote April 23 by the AJUSD governing board.

Previous sail academies have been held in Coronado, California, Master Gunnery Sgt. Deleon Guerrero, USMC (retired), said to the board.

“It’s our first time going to Cochiti Lake, New Mexico, for sail academy,” he said. “They’ll be sailing those boats and at the end they will be racing those boats with other students.”

AJUSD Superintendent Robert Pappalardo asked if the three students would be going into the water.

“Yes. The kids at any time will have a life-preserver on them — (a) life vest,” Guerrero said. “Before they leave the classroom, they come down to the pier, the water, they have the life-preserver. They get on the (sail boats), they have that on there. And you’re always going to have instructors not just on the pier but on the boats as well... At no times will the kids be alone without instructors and a life preserver on.”

The students will also be taught lifesaving techniques, he said.

The cost per cadet and one instructor is $125 with each cadet paying $75. The difference will be picked up by unit funds and the U.S. Navy, Derek Gilbert, USN (Retired), said in a letter to the governing board.

Transportation to and from Thunderbird High School in Glendale will be on a chartered bus with other NJROTC units from Arizona.

The students will learn sailing, teamwork, history, culture and leadership development during the June 9-14 trip, Gilbert said.

“The Area 20 NJROTC Sail Academy is packed with opportunities for the cadets to learn new skills that they may not have had the chance to do. The cadets will spend time with other cadets from around Area 20 and will meet new people and develop friendships. The purpose of the academy is to develop the leadership skills, character, confidence and nautical skills through an intensive 5.5-day period of sailing instruction,” he said.

Cadets will sail on Cochiti Lake under the instruction of experienced sailors from the West Mesa High School NJROTC and the Rio Grande Sailing

Club, according to a letter from Maj. Mark Hendricks, WMHS senior naval science instructor, and Senior Chief Kirk Nicholson, WMHS naval science instructor.

“The focus will be on having fun, learning maritime and nautical skills, leadership underway and learning how to sail. Cadets will sail primarily on Laser 14s — 14 feet, one to two crew members; and J24s — 24 feet, five to six crew members. Every day will be packed from start to finish with physical training, swimming, land drills, ‘chalk talk,’ leadership training, hands-on instruction, and most importantly, ‘underway’ sail time,” Hendricks and Nicholson said.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.