Our very own South Lakes Honor Guard had the honor of presenting the colors at the Washington Nationals game, representing our Seahawk Battalion well to our greater area. Commanding was Kesuma Bangura, with the Army flag held by Wailyn Chong, and the two guarding were Ellie McCloskey and Jesse Brown. 

Senior Wailyn Chong was one of the Guard to present the colors, and talked about getting the opportunity to present for the game. The Guard was contacted by the staff at Nationals Park, and also received several other dates to perform, so later this month we may see more of our own cadets present the colors. 

“Going in it was pretty nerve racking, but overall we were super focused,” Chong said. 

He and the rest of the Guard are made up of more experienced cadets, so they had plenty of prior experience presenting the colors. “However, a lot of the time when we do honor guards, things have the possibility to change, so we always keep in mind to remain vigilant and ready for a change,” he added. 

The Guard is a team within South Lakes’ JROTC program, and it’s known for being rigorous and challenging to many of the cadets, requiring discipline and quick adaptation. “I’ve learned especially the importance of mental agility and adapting to change, because every assignment we may have no clue what could be thrown at us” Chong said of the program.

Overall, the Honor Guard represented South Lakes excellently at the event, and the Seahawks Battalion is well-equipped to continue doing so well.